Need Help with Discipline

When I saw this question I just had to laugh...my mother had the same issue with me. I know this because my family nickname is still "jaws". I called my mom to see what she did. She said she tried everything and one day she had just totally had it with me...she sent me to my room for time out (once again) but this time she took ALL of my toys, put them in trash bags, and stuffed them up in the attick. They stayed there for two days. I got them back on day three and she said I never bit again!
Good luck! :)

I got my daughter an teehtind ring and tied it to a string we called it her biting buddy and I taught her to bite it instead of people. I doesn't stop the biting but it wasa way to get her frustration out safely.

Hi L.,

My 2 1/2 had/has the same issue but it is getting better. I just kept doing time outs and would actually put her in her room and close the door for two minutes (her age). Most of her biting is from excitement or frustration. Either way, if we are playing etc, the playing immediately stops and she is removed to her room and I ignore her for the two minutes. This seems to be the most effective method I have found and she is getting much better. I think it is also a phase due to age because when she was 2 she was biting pretty frequently, now, six months later, it is sporatic.

Hang in there and good luck, it will bet better.

L.

Hi there. My son went through a biting phase around his second birthday. Other moms have been saying to bite him back, that does get a message across, but it made me feel to terrible. A better method for me was to press his hand on his own teeth. I repeated doing that everytime he bit me, and eventually he started to bite his own hand when he was frustrated intead of mine, and that didnt last long because it hurt! Also with 3 boys coming over most night of the week he might be getting overexcited and overstimulated and not knowing where to let his energy out, irealze there is not much you can do about that because it is your living situation. As with most things with young kids, this will probably just be a phase.

Biting is not unusual for a two year old. They don't call them the terrible two's for nothing! Actually children are just growing up and stretching their (and your) limits. They want to continue to be the center of attention so...the best punishment is ignoring them. By all means, tell her that such behavior is inappropriate and not acceptable. Put her in time out, whether it is a corner or a chair, for several minutes. Remember when she tried your patience in the middle of the night crying for a bottle! Well she will continue to try your patience. The best part of a mother/daughter relationship comes years later when you hear her tell someone something you said or did as a parent. I don't mean to imply that nothing will be good in the meantime. It will! Good luck and hang in there.

Hi There,

I am a SAHM with 3 children ages 4,7 and 10. From what I have experienced personally, and with friends,children tend to bite when they feel frustrated by not being able to communicate what they are experiencing. Perhaps you could be her "shadow", and find out what happens just prior to her biting. Then you can help her use a word to express the frustration she is feeling, and demonstrate the proper way to handle the frustration. Taking turns, redirecting her etc. Example if another child is taking a toy, that she just had her eye on, you may want to say something like "I know,that really makes me sad too, when I want something and can't have it, but we have to take turns, and use our big girl words, we don't bite when we are sad or angry" help her apologize to the other child, and then redirect her to another toy. Later when it is just the two of you, tell her how she should be proud of herself for being such a big girl and using her words. Keep reinforcing the use of using words to express her frustration, and let her no it is ok to have the feelings, but not to act on them by biting. That may help. Good Luck to you!

Hi it does sound harsh,--my son was known as Jaws in his daycare, it started to become an everyday problem. My mom told me to bite him back and tell him it hurts.. and I did. And he stopped! I felt awful... but lesson learned.

Hello,

I am having the same problem with my 19 mo old, loves to bite then laugh about it. nothing seemed to work until i told him to bite his arm. then he whined a little bit and i told him see that hurts mama. so it helped some. he doesnt do it quite as bad. now my problem is pinching. well good luck

The most important thing to look at is if she is breaking the skin or not. Whenever she bites, make sure you ignore her and hold and take care of the baby that has been bitten. Do not give any attention to your daughter and don't take an apology for an excuse because it's not enough. Babies at this age bite alot and they do it because they can't communicate well and want more attention. Be sure to praise her when she does something good but whenever she bites, she needs to be ignored and told that she has to apologize, after that she needs to go to her room.

I agree with Karen. This is what has worked for my daughter and she hardly ever slips up. If she does, we just whip out the Tapatio and put one tiny dab on her tongue. Sounds like the old washing the mouth out with soap thing that I hated, but it really has worked!

It might sound a little mean but when my son was little he bit one time and I bit him back. Not hard, but just enough to let him know that it hurt. Then told him that thats what it felt like when he did it and if he didn't like it neither did I when he did it to me. I did the same to my niece who bit everyone all the time. She bit me once, I bit her back, she didn't do it again. I feel its kinda like you don't know the stove is hot till you touch it, you don't know bitting hurts till your bit.

B.

this sounds harsh but it works. bite her back. i played with my son, and he would bite, and so i bit him back and now he doesnt bite anymore.

Bite her back. Yes, it sounds mean but if she learns that she has to "take what she dishes", you never know!

Bite her back.........Mine use to do the same thing and if I just bit his arm(not hard obviously but enough) he stopped doing it. I know it sounds kinda mean but sometimes little ones don't realize what their doing hurts.

A little bit of "sassy sauce" on the tounge helped my daughter who bit at that age. "Sassy Sauce" is tobascco sauce, just a little dab on your finger onto her tounge along with time out may help.
Good Luck

Hi Sweetie...
I have been there. And I have tried it all. Time outs... salt in the mouth...softly biting him back... really he eventually just grew out of it. My kids are 4, 2, 14 months, My middle child was biting last fall. I know its frustrating but you just have to keep on the time outs. I always made sure my son new it was bad and he shouldnt bite, and I would make him tell the person (usually his older brother) that he's sorry and give them a hug. Make sure she knows that she is really hurting someone. She's doing it because it's hard for them at that age to communicate so if the other kids in the house upset her, or she's frustrated by something thats how she retaliates. My son even bit me a few times. I have also worked at pre schools. It's a common thing for a two year old to bite. Some kids are biters and some are not. I know it sucks but just hang in there she will grow out of it.
Good Luck and Take Care!!
D.