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1/10/01
Question 54
Dear Preschool Teacher,
Please help me I have a 23 month old in my
toddler group that's still bites. She never stops. One day she bit
five different children. What should I be doing? My director doesn't
think it's a big deal. I do! She doesn't believe in discipline.
What should I do? I talk to the child mom already.
Jaws is at it again!
Dear Jaws is at it again!,
I'm surprised that your director doesn't feel
the need to be more involved -- the parents of the other children most
likely would like to know that this problem is being dealt with!
Does the Mom indicate that this is happening in other places?
Watch the child as closely as possible to try to
intercept problems before they happen, talk to the child and tell them
that biting hurts! Tell them "NO." A 'time out'
would be in order -- would the director talk with the child in the
office? Are the verbal skills weak? Try to help the child
verbalize, or verbalize as a model for the child.
I know this is stressful for you! Ask your
director what he/she would like you to do. Are the other parents
complaining? That will frequently get the director interested.
Good luck!
Kris
"Ask The Preschool
Teacher Staff"
Dear Jaws is at it again!,
Biting is a very serious problem that is
common in toddler classrooms and is always a challenge to deal with.
Not only is it painful for the child who gets bitten but it is usually
a visible wound which parents are not happy to see.
While many believe biting is most common in children who
have not yet developed verbal skills, over the years I have seen
biters who just do it 'because'. While shadowing the biter's
every move in order to protect the other children in the classroom is
most effective, it is important to verbalize, as
well as police, when he is about to bite. 'Johnny would like a turn on
the bike but he will wait until you are finished'.
I like to redirect biters to an appropriate biting material and
will say ' we use our teeth to bite food' and will sit them down with
a big piece of apple or hard bread such as a bagel. I have also
found keeping frozen teething rings for biters good as well, for
quite often teething children bite in reaction to the pain in their
mouths.
With older children who bite and understand better than
toddlers, I have given them a big carrot to keep in their cubby and
tell them that if they need to bite they can go bite their carrot. It
is amazing to see all the little bite marks that accumulate on the
carrot during the day!
Good old 'time out' can also help with a toddler. A very
stern 'biting hurts' or 'no biting' and a few minutes away from the
group is often appropriate, especially when your time is needed to
attend to the other children.
I could go on and on, it's a topic that has plagued us ECE
workers forever!
Good luck.
Shelley
"Ask The Preschool
Teacher Staff"
Dear Jaws is at it again!,
You have to really watch the child when they
are playing. What is causing the child to bite? You need
to pull the child from the area and tell them that the behavior is not
acceptable. You need to comfort the child who got hurt and let the
biter know that you are upset with their behavior. We had a
biter in our toddler class and we had enough teachers to where one
teacher had to sit and play with this one child and watch him every
second and find out what was going on that was causing him to attack
the other children. We talked to the parents and they kind of
just blew us off. He's now in the 3 year old and
still bites and scratches the children. I hope this helps some!
Nadine
"Ask The Preschool
Teacher Staff"
Dear Jaws is at it again!,
Biting
usually means the child is frustrated. She probably can't
communicate her feelings to the other children. She may need to
carry something with her to bite on (ie: a washcloth, rubber toy)
when she is frustrated. Sometimes isolating a child for a minute
helps or distracting them when you see she is going to bite.
This requires constant watching is very difficult. It is a stage
of development but is important that she stops. Otherwise you
will have a room full of biters! What did the mom suggest? Parents are usually protective and will make excuses
for her. Watch her as much as possible to prevent it. If she is
doing it because it gives her power, then have her play alone more
often. Also, having several of each toy helps at this age
because they do not share.
Jacqueline
"Ask The Preschool
Teacher Staff"
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