13 Month Old Biter!

T.,
I know this sounds wierd, but my second used to bite (only me) 'out of love.' I call it that because he would only do it when he got really excited and was hugging me tight. He started at around 12 months, what I would do was when he would bite me I would flick his mouth with my finger (not hard, just getting his attention,) saying 'ouch don't bite,' then I would give him a big hug and tell him that I loved him very much but that it hurt when he bit me and I didn't like that. It took 2-3 weeks, but it worked! About a week and a half ago my fourth started doing the same thing (to me and my husband,) and we are trying the same method.
Neither one of them have bitten on a daily basis, though, and if that is what your baby is doing, you may not want to try this method, because even the lightest flick, done often enough, can make a sore spot.
Good luck!
~J. D

my niece is the same way. She is now 17 months old and my kids who are 2 and 4 and her brother who is 6 all run away from her because she bites when she doesn't get her way. I can tell you it is very hard at that age because nothing seemed to work for a while. She is finally starting to get it and gives a hug instead of a bite if I catch her trying. I would put her in a playpen in another room for a few minutes by herself when she would bite. I would explain to her while I was putting her there that she could not bite and this is how she would be punished when she did. She would cry and all because she was being left alone, but it is finally starting to sink in. I have also made sure that the other kids know that they are not to laugh or make a big deal of it when she does it. It does hurt because they have the sharpest little teeth. I think you just have to be consistent with what ever you are doing and she will get it. Good luck

Hi T.,

I would begin by discouraging her from biting your finger when you're brushing her teeth.
My daughter did it too and I would say no, let go, and move her jaw to release. She bit me once in her 20 months and it was under a lot of sress one day at a new playdate.
She always gets 2 warnings, no thank you, don't do that Mia, I'll put you down, or no more hugs or whatever - now she gets it perfectly, the 3rd time she is removed from bath, taken down from sink where I'm brushing her teeth, taken off my lap whatever...

My son is now 9 months and loves to nibble, but since right now I am redirecting him to bite toys. He's constantly wanting my fingers and I just take them away and give him something else and give him a different body part if he's wanting to nibble - as in like kiss or bite?? I give him my forearm so he can't get a biting grip on it.

So, anyway, with your daughter, I would say firmly NO, thank you (name) that is not nice. Make an upset face and set her down and walk away.

My daughter always "gets it" when I remove her from my arms or my lap. I don't agree with moms doing a pouty face, you're not appealing to her pity for you, it's not a friendhsip. She is to respect mom - as much as we show them love and affection and reassure them - when it comes down to it, wrong is wrong and there are consequences.
She understands so much more than you think, especially with an older sibbling.
Biting could become your nightmare, my hubby's cousin got banned from playgroups cos her daughter was still biting at 3. I see that being consistant every single time always works in the long run.
Hope I was of some help - women here have helped me with a lot.

In the young toddler room at a child development center that I worked at they had alot of biters. Some bite out of frustration and others just because they are teething. No matter what the reason they always kept some frozden teethers on hand. When a child bit another child or a teacher, the teachers would give that child a frozen teether and say, "You may not bite me (or your friend). If you want to bite, bite this." Or, "Do you need to bite? Bite this." Either way, the child needed the stimulation the bite provided, so they corrected the behavior and gave the child something it was appropriate to bite. Eventually the kids started asking for the teethers. It was pretty cool.

My dd is the same age and we're having the exact same problem. She bites my shoulder ALL the time! When she does, I tell her "NO We do not bite mommy." and then I put her down. I don't pick her up until her fit is over. She usually whines if I raise my voice to her. Another lovely habit we're trying to break her of. You will get some people that tell you to bite her back, please don't do that. It's barbaric.

As for the teeth brushing, we tell my dd to smile big (she's a huge ham and LOVES the baby in the mirror) and then I brush her teeth. She only has six, so it's not that hard ;) We also give her the toothbrush and let her 'brusha brusha' herself. She really likes it and will actually 'ask' to brush her teeth several times a day.

Hopefully this biting thing is just a stage. It can't last forever right?