Why Children Bite

Biting is fairly common in young children. But it is often worrisome to adults. A family member, friend, or classmate at daycare or preschool may be the person bitten. Biting can be painful and frightening when it happens. It upsets other children and often angers teachers and other adults.

Biting is often caused by one of these things:

• Experimental biting. Experimental biting is often done by infants and toddlers as they explore their world. They put everything in their mouths and sometimes bite in the process. You can help decrease biting by telling them, "No—biting hurts!" and being firm. Offer them things that they can safely bite on, such as teething rings.
• Frustration biting. Frustration biting happens when young children become frustrated and unable to cope with a situation. Until they learn how to play cooperatively, they may respond to the demands of other children by hitting or biting. Here are some helpful guidelines for decreasing this type of biting:
• Powerless biting. Powerless biting happens when a child is in need of feeling powerful. Sometimes the youngest child in the family uses biting to gain power. To help prevent this type of biting:
• Stressful biting. Stressful biting is done when a child is under a lot of emotional stress. Biting may be a sign of distress or pain when the child is upset or angry. If this happens:
  If your child bites, respond firmly but calmly. Let your child know that you disapprove and remove them from the situation. Help your child learn new ways to handle things. If your child bites repeatedly, talk with your child's doctor about the problem.