In the comments, Sylvie asks:
Please tell me how you got Baby A to stop biting for fun. My 11 month old has been biting for months and nothing seems to stop him. He learnt to never bite me while breastfeeding because he is removed and placed on the floor with temporary loss of feeding rights but unfortunately he still bites anywhere else he pleases.
Well, the quick removal and saying “no” is how I got her to stop biting me for fun. Honestly, I’ve never had a chronic biter (other than Baby A when feeding) so I don’t have much experience. Disclaimer – all of my kids are still young, so I haven’t raised any successful adults (but I have gotten through a fair share of babies and toddlers intact!)
My best tip would be to see if you can spot “warning signs” – does he get a gleam in his eye right before he bites? Does he do it when he’s bored and trying to provoke a reaction? Is it when he’s cranky or tired and trying to wind down from a nap? If you can find his “trigger” you can prevent (again, an immediate “no” and/or removal from tempting situation.)
Sometimes children bite not out of “fun” but because they are seeking input about the world. Small children mouth everything in part for the tactile sensation, and some kids are more “oral” than others.
If this is the case with your child, perhaps you can get a sturdy teether (not one of those fluid filled ones) to give him something it’s okay to bite. When you see him gearing up to chomp, tell him “no bite mommy/brother/dog etc.” and then give him the toy he CAN bite. Over and over again until you think you’ll lose your mind, because that’s how much repetition toddlers need.
My personal experience with children under the age of one is that they CAN understand “no” but sometimes need help with STOPPING after they hear “no”. That is, you can tell a 5 year old “NO” and expect them to cease and desist immediately; a baby, not so much. Or they may stop, only to repeat the behavior a few minutes later. So you have to be proactive.
Pushing INTO the bite also helps for a quick release – i.e., if he bites your arm, push your arm towards his mouth and he’ll let go.
My other advice on prevention and discipline is to trust your instincts. You are his mother; you are the expert on your boy. For some children, a stern “no” will provoke tears and will be more than enough, and other children need quite a bit more intervention.
Anyone else reading this have experience with biting?
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Aurora (1)
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Kaira (1)
Kathy (1)
Sarah (1)
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Oddly enough, yesterday he bit me for the first time in months while breastfeeding. I put him on the floor with a stern no and walked off into another room. He cried for a few minutes until I went back in to pick him up and he hasn’t bitten me at all since. Fingers crossed that he’s cured of that little obsession but only time will tell.
Thanks for the tips and taking the time to respond to my question.
Sylvie