Biting In Daycare – Why Does It Happen And What Do You Do?
Biting is a common occurrence when you put a group of toddlers together in a child care center. Unfortunately, these little creatures don't have the maturity or ability to grasp that biting is wrong and can injure the kids that they play with. Here, you will find some of the answers that you probably have about biting in daycare.
Why do toddlers bite?
Toddlers are working to find a release for anger, frustration, and anxiety. Unfortunately, biting provides many of these kids the emotional release that they need to get over what they are feeling. These young ones don't think about the consequences of biting, so they follow their instincts and bite the person that they feel is causing them to experience these strong emotions.
Very young children don't have the verbal communication skills that older children do. Because of this, they turn to physical communications tactics, such as biting, as a way to be heard.
What do you do if your child is bit in daycare?
First, talk with the child care provider. Chances are, the situation has been handled and the provider has done what is necessary to teach the biting child that it was wrong and did what can be done to put a stop to it. This could include removing the biting child from the area where the other kids are playing or possibly in a time-out area.
If the child care provider had no knowledge of the bite, it can be difficult to figure out which child bit your child, so little can be done. The only thing you can really do at that point is to talk with your child to teach him or her that biting is wrong and that they shouldn't do it. Having been bit, your child may not be so likely to bite another child because they know how badly it hurts.
If your child is the biting child, please, try not to get too upset. It can be embarrassing and heart-breaking to learn that your child is hurting the other kids in daycare. All you can really do is talk with your child about how it feels to be bitten and try to teach your little one how to express his or her emotions. Tell him or her that it is OK to cry or stop playing with a child who is not playing nicely. Let him or her know that you understand that the other kids' actions can make him or her mad, but that biting is not allowed for any reason.
If your child comes home with bite marks day after day, talk with your child's care provider, one like Cottonwood Montessori, to see what is being done about the situation. They may or may not know that it is going on, so your calm discussion could go a long way in improving the situation.