How do you get 2 years olds to stop biting when they are angry?

Answer 1

This will not be a popular response, or the information you are seeking, but you can't get a 2 year old to stop biting. Unless you plan on sticking a needle through your child's tongue, or cutting it off, there's nothing you can do to prevent it.

It is a phase that many toddlers go through. Time-outs, smacks, denying privileges, and reasoning with them will not help -- these traditional methods of discipline/punishment serve little to no purpose with 2 year old who do not have the intellectual capacity or reasoning abilities to process this discipline the way an older childer of 4 or 7 could.

Certainly, correct the 2 year old by saying "NO, that's not ok," and then re-direct their behavior towards another activity. Re-directing their behavior may mean removing them from the situation.

I have worked in pre-schools and daycares with children aged 18 mos to 5 years old, and re-directing a child's negative behavior has always been the surest way to correct the child' s misbehavior.

Rest assured, your toddler will grow out of this phase! I have seen toddlers bite holes in their shirt sleeves, right through the center of T-shirts, and through the skin of other children. Other toddlers may bang their head on pavement or hard objects when angry. Some may break things. They don't call it the terrible 2's for nothing.

Answer 2

I think all kids have a phase that they go through when at that age that they bite, and if its not stopped quickly then it can turn into a nasty habit. If you have tried the sitting down and talking it out, and the time out steps, then as harsh as it sounds warn them that you will bite them so they can see how much it hurts, and I will probably get a thumbs down for it, but if they are not stopping them bite them back, not hard, but hard enough to make them realize it does hurt, the behavior will stop.

To anyone who's ever had a biter I can understand how frustrating it is, my eldest who is now 10 went through the same thing at that age and no amount of talking and time out would stop her, after one bite back she never did it again. Some times you have to be cruel to be kind.

Answer 3

It's a way to deal with anger. Ask him why he's angry and
take away the anger element.

When the kid is relaxed, let a favorite uncle or auntie (never yourself or spouse) say "you're gorgegous and big boy/girl now, what a shame that you bite ....."

The kid will stop. Willingly.

Answer 4

I'm not sure this is good advice, but my sister had a son that was a biter. She tried everything she could think of to get him to stop. Finally one day he bit the neighbor's child, and my sister, out of frustration, bit him back. Not so hard that it broke skin, but hard enough that it hurt, and then she said "Now that is what it feels like when you bite someone." He never bit anyone again.

Answer 5

I had a biter. He was very frustrated because he couldn't communicate. Help him to do that--I tried the biting back thing and it didn't work.

The hot sauce idea sounds good but for me, he didn't stop until he could talk well. Work on that.

Best of luck--you're going to be just fine!

Answer 6

Bite them back but do not bite hard enough to break the skin and it will not take much to get him to quit it

Answer 7

I know this is going to sound bad, but try a little bit of tabasco sauce. When he bites, put a tiny bit of tabasco sauce on your finger and stick it on his tongue. (You DO NOT need to use alot). Once or twice, he'll stop, trust me. It will get to the point where all you have to do is wave the bottle in front of him.

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Answer 8

Smack his hand. I know it's not a popular choice and I will get thumbed down, but still. And then tell him why you smacked him. Put him in his room for 2 minutes. And then ignore it happened till it happens again.

What ever form of discipline you choose, though, be consistent with it. Keep telling the child that you love him through out it all. And explain each time why you are disciplining him. Don't think that he won't understand you, he will.

Answer 9

Absolutely... BITE THEM BACK..... they have no idea this behavior hurts until they feel it... they will look stunned and probably will cry because it hurts. That is the only way they will know it causes pain. Good luck and Merry Christmas!!

Answer 10

We have a daycare in our home and we use-timeout/lemon we have never bite them-at this age you can talk to them but be short and to the point. Hope this helps.