It can be incredibly upsetting and alarming you when your
toddler bites. Not only are you shocked at your own child's behavior,
but sometimes you will be dealing with another child's very angry
parents too! Biting is dangerous and unacceptable, and you will have to
meet the problem head-on and act quickly to prevent the problem getting
worse. The following tips will give you some ideas of how to cope with
your biting toddler:
Get to the Core of Your Toddler’s Anger
If your toddler bites in anger, ask yourself what might be causing this
change of mood in your toddler. Have there been any changes in your
toddler’s life lately? Is your toddler reacting in anger? If your
toddler hasn’t been socialized with his children his age, this could be
another cause of anger.
Stay Calm
If you are already dealing with a biting problem and have lost your cool
with your toddler, don’t feel bad. Parents commonly overreact to toddler
biting. However, shouting or spanking your child probably will not help
the situation. Model the behaviour you expect from your child. Take a
deep breath and count to ten. When you are calm, you are better able to
handle a bite incident.
Warn Her of the Dangers of Biting
Even though toddlers are just learning to talk, they are old enough to
understand pain. They are also old enough to understand cause and
effect. In a calm, but firm voice, explain to your toddler why she
shouldn’t bite. Let her know that biting hurts and she shouldn’t do it.
Teach Him To Use His Words
Some toddlers start talking earlier than others. As your toddler grows
and learns how to talk, teach him to use special words to express his
feelings. “Tommy mad,” or “Suzie sad,” are just a couple of examples. If
your toddler is biting but is still too young to speak, try using baby
sign language instead. You can make up your own signs for pain, hurt,
no, bad, etc.
Set Her Up for Success
If your toddler seems to have trouble socializing in certain situations,
don’t place her in that situation. Give your toddler the best chance of
success by placing her in a situation where there is no opportunity for
trouble. By setting your child up for success, you can show her that she
can play and socialize with other children without biting. As you see
your toddler’s behaviour improving, gradually introduce her to more
challenging situations.
Praise Your Toddler
Calling attention to negative behaviour and its consequences is
important. Don’t forget to praise your toddler when he does well,
though. Pointing out and rewarding positive actions will help your
toddler to remember the desired behaviour and reaction.
Dressing Girls For School
I have spoken to so many parents who tell me it is a monumental task to get
their younger daughters ready for school in the morning. Unless your daughter
has only one set of clothes to wear, she probably wants to change her outfit
three times before choosing the one she will "agree" to wear to school each day.
Here's how we solved the problem in our family...
3 Easy Ways To Make An Awesome Playroom
Are you irritated every time you walk past your kids playroom? Paper here, toys
there, the floor is strewn with stuff that you can't even guess what it is! Most
of us feel a whole lot better when things are organized. Is it natural to be
neat and tidy or is it a skill that must be learned? We'll let you worry about
that question but we'll give you a few simple ideas on how to make that playroom
fun again.
What should you expect at 6 weeks, 6 months or 1 year? We provide useful
milestones and developmental stages so that you can keep an eye on your
baby's development in the first year. Baby Stages
Ideas For Sharing Stories
With Children
This two-part article discusses the ways in which stories and
storytelling play an important role in children's lives. Techniques are
offered for using stories to help develop children's verbal skills and
imaginations. This is part one.
Who Owns The Problem; Parent or Child?
It is tempting for parents to assume ownership and responsibility for everything that goes on in the life of their child. However, when the parent jumps in too soon to solve the problem or give the answer, the child never learns to trust his own judgment and become a critical thinker.
Parenting - Making A Schedule This article on the benefits of scheduling your day as a parent
really struck home with me. It took me a while to work this out for
myself when I had young children at home, and I wish I had done so - and
benefited from the much calmer household that was the result - sooner!
