This document discusses reasons why toddlers may bite and strategies for preventing and responding to biting. Common reasons toddlers bite include experimenting with their new teeth, seeking attention, or trying to communicate. Teething can also cause biting as toddlers try to soothe their gums. The document recommends separating biters from frequent targets, shadowing or isolating biters when possible, keeping biters occupied with toys or teethers, attending to bite victims first, and firmly telling biters that biting hurts when incidents occur.

1. Suggested Toys Resources
Jackie. Toddler Biting: Why it
Happens and How you can Stop
it. Happy Hooligans Blog.
http://happyhooligans.ca/toddler-
biting-why-happens-how-stop-it/
McCready, Any. Does and Don’ts
to End Hitting and Biting.
Positive Parenting Solutions
Blog.
http://www.positiveparentingsolut
ions.com/parenting/dos-and-
donts-to-end-hitting-and-biting-
for-good-part-1
Understanding and Responding to
Children Who Bite. naeyc for
families.
http://families.naeyc.org/learning-
and-development/child-
development/understanding-and-
responding-children-who-bite
Ouch! It
Hurts!
Biting Solutions
By Susannah Reafsnyder
Why do Children
Bite?

2. Experimenting: Teeth are new to
a child and he/she is learning
what teeth are for.
Seeking Attention: It may be a
child’s way of getting an adults
attention.
Communication:
- “I want that toy!”
- “You’re in my space!”
- “Your crying is
bothering me!”
Teething:He/She is growing
teeth and trying to find ways to
soothetheir gums.
Solutions
 Anticipate fussy/tired times
 Separate the biter from the
most frequent target
 Shadow the biter when
possible
 Isolate the biter when you
can’t keep “close
proximity”
 Keep the biter occupied
 Give a teether or toy to bite
 Read a story about biting
 Tell children, “Teeth are
for food.”
 When a bite occurs, attend
to the victim first
o The bite mark should
be washed with soap
and water.
 When a bite occurs, isolate
the biter for a brief time
 When a biter is caught,
firmly say, “No! It hurts!”