Nursery World - What big teeth!

It's a common phenomenon among toddlers, but how much attention should we pay to it? Penny Tassoni explores biting Picture the scene. All is quiet in the toddler room. Children are happily playing, when all of a sudden there is a loud wail. Teeth have met flesh.

Picture the scene. All is quiet in the toddler room. Children are happily playing, when all of a sudden there is a loud wail. Teeth have met flesh.

Biting is one of those behaviours that are difficult to deal with. A child can bite another without warning and sometimes for no particular reason.

Unlike other types of behaviour that have some type of lead-up, such as a squabble over a toy, a bite can really come out of nowhere.

Dealing with biting is difficult, but the starting point should be to consider the background to the bite. It is worth distinguishing between first-time biters, especially those very young toddlers who are simply going a step beyond mouthing, and those who bite for other reasons.

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