Why Do Children Bite?

We often wonder why children bite. This is a common habit that occurs for a variety of reasons in children between the ages of 1 and 3. Babies use their mouths to explore, learn, and interact. It is one of the parts of your body that is more developed, and also, with teething, you need to calm your gums, so they often need to bite because they lack self-control.

When they are children between 1 and 3 years old, they begin to socialize through this behavior. But why do children bite? They usually do it to get attention or get a toy. They also tend to do it when they feel nervous or frustrated, when faced  with new situations or when there is a radical change in their life. When children are in early childhood education, this habit usually disappears as they begin to develop new communication skills.

It is important to note that there are other reasons such as that the baby may be presenting emotional problems, so we must be very attentive to their attitudes to determine the cause of this behavior. To learn more about why children bite, we detail some of the main reasons.

5 reasons why children bite

According to studies conducted by the American National Association for the Education of Children, there are mainly 5 reasons that indicate why children bite:

Exploration

When babies are young they tend to acquire this habit out of curiosity in order to know the objects. As we discussed earlier, this is the part of the body that is most developed and helps them learn. Children use their senses to know the world. Thus, it may happen that he takes the hand of another child and bites it. If this situation occurs, just telling them not to do it will be enough.

Claim attention

One of the ways children use to  get the attention of adults and their peers is to bite. In this case, it is very important to explain to him that this is wrong and that he should not do it anymore, because this is causing harm to others. Firmly teach her to express herself through words and without harming other people.

Fend

If the child is beginning to meet other children and finds himself in environments that are not usual for him, he may seek to bite another child in self-defense, thinking that perhaps he is a threat. In this case, you can reassure him, make him feel protected, and tell him that no one will hurt him.

Control of the situation

The child will present a strong need for autonomy and control. When you see the effect of the bite on others, you can start to feel stronger and more powerful. To correct his attitude, we must teach him correct behaviors such as sharing toys, saying thanks, and being kind. It is essential to explain to him that he can have the respect of others without the need to impose himself through violence.

Changes

Another reason why a child may bite is the presence of a strong change or some emotional problem. This can happen, for example, when a new baby brother enters the family, a move takes place or when he begins to interact with other children in the nursery. You can do this with the aim of attracting attention and expressing your dissatisfaction with the situation.

How to deal with this behavior?

Prohibiting a behavior does not mean that the child understands what is right. They copy patterns during their growth; For this reason, it is important to serve as an example, showing them that there are other forms of relationship such as using language, waiting turns, borrowing, caressing their friends, being kind, respecting others and other positive behaviors.

When the child exhibits positive behaviors, we should praise him so that he understands that he is doing well. For example, appreciating and praising them when they are playing peacefully with another child.

What can we do to make it stop biting?

The first thing we must do is observe it to determine the cause of the bites. It is essential to have a lot of patience and understand that the results come in the long term, since it is a behavior that we can correct little by little. What can we do to make it stop biting?

• Think about when and why your child bites.
• We must not lose sight of him when he is with other children. Our presence will give you security.
• If he does bite someone, act calm and explain that it is not okay to do so. Tell him not to bite other children, only food.
• Consult with other people about the strategies they use with their children. They could help you.
• You should not yell at or punish him, you should act understanding.

Remember that growing children tend to adopt certain learning habits that we must help them correct. The most important thing is to understand the why of their attitudes and support them at all times. If you have any doubts, you can consult with other parents and apply new methods that may not occur to you.