Help 11 1/2 Month Old Biting!

Hi C.,
I feel for you I have a 22 month old that is pulling hair and or even hitting.I have been using time out.I know he is young but I believe I have been using it since she was 1.I don,t believe biting back will work.Just like hitting back you are reinforcing the behavior you are trying to stop.One of the moms on here told me to try taking my daughters hand and kissing it when she hits maybe if you kiss his face and tell him to be nice that will help.I do know my daughter teethed forever so again trying teething stuff like a cold wash cloth. I think trying other options will be more beneficial then biting back especially at this young age.Goodluck!

Most likely it is teething pain. Almost all kids go through this stage at some point. When my oldest started biting, more than just an accidental biting, we pulled him away, looked directly at him told him in a stern voice "no biting". If that didn't work then we would do a firm - not hard - tap on the cheek and tell him "no biting". It only lasted a couple weeks then he figured out that when mommy & daddy said no they meant it.

Your poor little guy is probably teething or experiencing frustration at not being able to verbalize his needs. He is not biting to hurt you. And despite other moms thinking it's ok to bite back, I *strongly* disagree - please, please do NOT bite him back (and what does that teach him, anyway? that biting is ok?). You are more creative than that, and your son is more intelligent than that.

Instead, look behind the behavior and address the source.

If he's teething, help him use other things to bite on and relieve his pain (damp cold or warm washcloth, teethers, large carrot sticks, teething biscuits, etc.).

If he's frustrated and not able to express himself verbally, teach him some sign language - see http://www.signingtime.com (available at your local library? airs on your local PBS station?) or here's a wonderful, free online video dictionary of signs:
http://commtechlab.msu.edu/sites/aslweb/browser.htm

He may even need to pee/poop (often toddlers will get super antsy or irritable if they need to pee/poop but only recognize those physical sensations as discomfort), and at his age, you can certainly offer him the potty in a gentle, loving, non-coercive, no-pressure way. Sit with him, read him a book and let him relax/be distracted, run a little water from the faucet, or ask him if he can make a grunting noise. You'd be surprised that this works as often as it does. For more information on this:
http://white-boucke.com/reviews/latestarters.html

Best of luck to you!

If he seems to bite in the same area wich I would think he would, then maybe some nasty tasting something on that area of the skin will deter him from doing it, and keep saying YUCK, YUCK that can give you germs doing that and so on....
Maybe rub an onion on the arm or wherever hes biting or light tabasco sauce or something nasty, he will quit and youll have a funny face to catch a memory with.
R.

This is a pretty controversial topic with moms!! To bite back or not to bite back? I think that at 11 1/2 months he is not trying to hurt you, so biting back will just confuse him. Don't get me wrong I have seen biting back work (according to my mom it worked well with me) but I think that method only occasionally works with a child who is doing it to hurt or to get attention. My son bit at around 18 months, but it was because I was a sitter for a boy who was much bigger than him and it was his only way to retaliate since he was so much smaller. It seems to me that your son is just liking the feel of biting with his new teeth and maybe trying to relieve the pressure of more teeth coming in. My advice is to give him things that are acceptable to bite...teething toys and cold, damp (CLEAN!!!)washcloths work really well. I think just keep doing what your doing (tell him no and stop and say "ouch") then give him something he can bite.

C.,

Biting at this age is normal. I am an early childhood teacher. The children bite to get a reation or to get something they want. and not having a lot of words they go what comes natural to them. Do Not Bite Back. It dose not always help teach your child not to bite.

Just a little background first. I have 3 older boys and 2 went through a biting stage (and I nursed)! Considering, each child has a different temperment, I started with the least severe. Since your dealing with a baby that understands actions more than words, I felt action was better...and it worked. The first thing I tried was sticking my finger in their mouth(clean, of course) and rub or push their teeth. Tell them NO BITING! Give them a cookie biscuit to teeth. If they persisted, then it was a flicking from my finger onto their mouth while I reinforced with NO BITING! Eventually they caught on. They didn't like the flick of the finger. But remember more than likely they are biting because they are teething. It can hurt. So you want to be gentle but firm. Hope it helps. Pam Ps. Try a cold wet clean washrag for them to bite. That seemed to bring some relief for the teething part.
You have some great feedback from others. I'm with the moms that don't bite back. It only reinforces that biting is ok. When a child is going through the teething stage, their looking at you for relief! Good Luck

I know some will say im a horrible mother for saying this but....... BITE BACK!!!! I have a 4 & 2yr old that once they were bit back, quit. Kids dont know it hurts, they just know it gets your attention. So you need to show him that it hurts when he does that.

I know this sounds bad but BITE him back, I had two biters. I would bite back not hard to where you left marks but just enought to hurt. I bet you it will work. When they see that it really hurts and that when he bites he will get bit he will stop.

Your son sounds a lot like mine. I have a 17 month old who went through a biting phase when he was around 11 months. I asked many people what I should do. No one gave me a satisfactory answer. What I did was completely ignore it. Believe it or not it went away in a month. If I was holding him and he bit me (and I was about to lose it) I'd put him down and ignore him. Otherwise, I just kept on doing whatever we were doing and totally ignored the biting but did not let him get his way.

About 2 weeks ago he tried biting me again. He did it 3 times (all 3 really hurt). I used the same tatic again and he's out of biting (again).

I know it's so frustrating. I am with my son 24 hours a day. He never bit anyone else, only me. Not that i wanted him to bite my husband but my husband couldn't understand the situation since it never happened to him.