After the child has the first teeth, he begins to actively bite. Parents find it funny. However, when the baby bites everyone around, mom and dad are worried - is everything okay with their child and how to wean him from doing it.
Why does the child bite?
Psychologists say that biting is quite natural for children. Trying everything to the teeth, they get to know the world. But it is not worth encouraging or ignoring such behavior of the child. Before dealing with unwanted behavior, you need to find out the reason why the baby wants to bite.
By biting something or someone, the child is experimenting. It makes no difference for him what to bite - a toy or another child. In this way, he receives information about the subject. Small children do not yet understand the dangers of actions for themselves and those around them. The child does not know that by biting a person, he hurts him.
It is common for a child to copy the behavior of adults. If the relationship between the parents is rude or the children are physically punished in the family, then the child will quickly learn this pattern of behavior. A child may bite when he cannot otherwise achieve his goal. For him, a bite is a way of establishing his own rules.
If a child feels threatened by a peer, he may bite in self-defense. This happens because he cannot cope with the situation in a different way, does not know any other way to assert his rights. Sometimes a child shows his strength by a bite. Thus, he tries to dominate other children.
The baby may bite in order to attract attention. He may be receiving insufficient attention from his parents. If they pay attention to him only when he has done something inappropriate, he will conclude that you need to behave badly in order to capture the attention of adults.
What should parents do if a child bites?
Don't scream or hit your child. You need to explain to him in a serious but calm tone that this behavior is unacceptable, you do not like it. Scold bad behavior, not the child. You can't tell the kid that he is bad because he bites. If he constantly hears such words addressed to him, he will begin to think that evil people surround him. This can make the situation worse.
Do not bite the child in response to his bite, trying to let him know that it hurts. He will think that biting is a good way to express his feelings, because even mom bites.
If you witness that your child has bitten another toddler, show empathy for the bitten one. Have pity on the victim, ask to see the bitten site, focus your child's attention on the fact that it hurts. Offer the abuser to pet the bite, apologize. Try to evoke feelings of pity and compassion in your child.
If you see that the child is about to bite someone, stop him. Hug the baby, kiss. Explain that doing this is pleasing to the other person as opposed to being bitten. Let him know that there are other ways to express emotions.
Have ongoing conversations with your child about the right behavior: how to play with other children, how to be friends, how to share toys. More often praise the baby for good deeds and a benevolent attitude towards others, give him affection and attention.
