My 2 year old granddaughter keeps getting bite. The little boy doing the biting is 19 months old. She is in a small daycare. The childcare provider is a wonderful lady who truly cares for her kids in care. She watches them closly and this kid finds away to bite her everyday. Is this normal? How do we help the caregiver to help the kids. There is usually a toy that both want. Yes, he also has bitten 2 other boys there. But latly it has been her. The last thime it broke the skin. Does anyone have any suggestions? His mother says she has read up on it and it is normal, if it is, when will he outgrow it?
2006-09-02 18:21:15 · 10 answers · asked by sweethometexas2000 3 in Pregnancy & Parenting ➔ Toddler & Preschooler
It is normal, but not a behavior that needs to be reinforced. Tell the caregiver to give the young boy something to chew on... I work in a center for children with disabilities, and most of the time, biting is a developmental need that has to be satisfied. A child will satisfy this need in any way they can, so if chewy foods (such as bagels, licorice, beef jerky) aren't given, a child will find the next best thing (as in a toddler's arm)! Have the caregiver ask the child's parents if it is ok to give jerky or other chewy foods to the child. Another option is to give the child a chewy toy: we make ours out of fishtank tubing (you can get at ACE hardware or Home Depot). You just poke a hole in the tubing, attach a keyring with a stretchy wrist band to it (or a clip) so the child can carry it around. We have found that these children chew on these and biting stops. Basically, since biting is instinctual and necessary, you need to find positive outlets for the child to use their biting skills on- not try to punish the biter. Of course, the child needs to be told "no" when they do bite, but it should be phrased something like, "We bite food, not people. You hurt your friend." Simple and to the point, lets the child know the consequences of his actions and how it affects others. The best protection for your grandaughter is good prevention... so have the caregiver talk to the parents about giving the child some chewy things. Private daycares have different rules about what they will let slide (as far as behaviors) and generally are not as tolerant of children with behavior issues. However, I would try to work with the parent of the small boy, since he needs some intervention. Otherwise, the next daycare experience for him will be the same. In our area, we are generally a child's "last chance". They have been kicked out of several schools, but with us, that is not an option. About 60% of our children have some identified disability, so we can't kick them out because of a behavior (that would be against the law- discrimination). So, you get creative and keep trying things until they work. Try to work for the greater good of all the children involved.
2006-09-04 10:45:19 · answer #1 · answered by dolphin mama 5 · 1⤊ 1⤋
Yes, biting can just be a phase that some children are more prone to go through, but it could also be a sign of something more serious. A lack of discipline or consistency at home, behavioral issues, aggression issues, etc. I have a day care in my home and when a child bites, I immediately remove them from the situation. I use a very firm voice to tell them no biting, and then I put them in their empty bed for time out and leave the nap room. I tell all the parents ahead of time that this is what I do for hitting, biting, pushing, or any other aggressive behavior. The child needs to learn that it is not acceptable behavior and they will not be allowed to play if they do it. I've only had 2 biters in the last 2 years and a couple of trips to the nap room took care of the problem. It sounds like the mom and they day care provider are not taking this situation very seriously. I would talk to the provider and find out what exactly she does when the biting occurs. In my situation, aggressive behavior is not something I'm going to tolerate and I do my best to end the behavior the moment it starts. I would not continue watching a child that was constantly aggressive towards others, I have to think about the safety of all the children I look after. Another thing to consider is threatening to remove your child from her care. I taught school when my daughter was an infant and she was in a home day care setting where she was being bitten by another child. One day when my daughter came home with a full imprint of the other child's teeth on her leg, I told the provider that I would not allow this to continue and that I would find another child care facility if the biting didn't stop, and it never happened again. There are solutions to the biting issue, the mom of the biter and the day care provider may not like them, but there are solutions. Either this child needs harsher consequences, and a 19 month old knows that sitting in an empty bed, alone in the room is serious, or you might want to consider another day care situation. Good luck, I know it's difficult.
2006-09-03 07:21:14 · answer #2 · answered by disneychick 5 · 1⤊ 0⤋
It is common that some kids have a tendency to bite other kids. It is not acceptable though. The day care staff need to keep a closer eye on the biting child in particular. I am curious to know if the other parents were notified and what they said. I would be talking to the day care staff and the parents of the other child, and looking for a new day care if they won't keep the "biter" away from my child. I am a mom of a 5 month old and I would be hopping mad, but that is just me!
2006-09-02 18:31:46 · answer #3 · answered by PurpleAnkh 2 · 2⤊ 1⤋
Normal? Can she be more ignorant?It may be normal for the kid who bites but it is not normal for the others who get bitten.It's gonna effect them latter on to interact with the others.It's not fair for the others to be always afraid and be fearfull.The childcare provider may be a wonderful lady but she has to do something about it.Have another person to help her,speak with the parent firmly,demand her to do something about it.And the last and the best.Teach your granddaughter to bite back,only to the kid who's biting her.I am 101% sure this will work.And on the end you'll get to tell the other parent that it is normal.
2006-09-02 18:49:10 · answer #4 · answered by avavu 5 · 1⤊ 1⤋
Yes it is normal for a kid to bite another, but not everyday!! The daycare lady needs to either suspend him or keep him in a separate area until he is broken of this. And his mother needs to quit reading and enforce getting him to quit it also. My granddaughters day care will not let biters attend if they continue doing it.
2006-09-02 18:28:22 · answer #5 · answered by busybody12 5 · 2⤊ 1⤋
I hope that you took your grand daughter to the doctor when this boy broke the skin, and I hope the day care provider adised you to do so. If not GET THAT CHILD OUT OF THAT DAY CARE NOW! The human bite is very bad, and if it were me I'd be insisting that the biter be removed from the day care center. This is beyond the "norm" for kids if he is actually breaking skin. Your child could have gotten one hell of an infection from that bite. If the day care provider hasn't asked his mother to remove him the YOU need to remove your grand child. Ther are child care laws that prohibit allowing such behavior to go on in day care centers. The day care provider is going against the law.
2006-09-02 20:15:11 · answer #6 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 2⤋
No matter how nice the childcare provider is your grand-daughter comes first, so I think you should put her in a different childcare centre. My kids go to childcare & they don't get biten by other kids.
2006-09-02 19:05:16 · answer #7 · answered by CJ 1 · 1⤊ 0⤋
in not 100% sure, but id ask the person to seperate the boy hu bites away from ur granddaughter, im sorry if if doesnt work out and it is normal but ask the parents to train him to stop and be kinder =)
2006-09-02 18:27:34 · answer #8 · answered by TaRaNjIT 2 · 1⤊ 1⤋
I had the same problem,after several bites and much complaining,and no results;I told my son,If someone bites you bite them back,he did,the biting stopped almost immediately!!
2006-09-05 11:55:32 · answer #9 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 1⤋
first of all - it is not normal. and..it is not acceptable. the parents of that little boy need to find out why they are raising a little monster. i would tell the parents that if it continues they will be speaking to my attorney!
2006-09-02 18:25:16 · answer #10 · answered by firenice 2 · 0⤊ 3⤋