How to get toddler to stop biting?

My 17-month-old has recently been hitting and biting. I just had his sister two weeks ago, and now randomly, he will walk up to me and bite me or slap me or pinch me. At first, I thought it was for attention, but his sister sleeps so much that it’s like I’m still pregnant with her. I’m still primarily playing and cuddling him. Even at night, he sleeps in my bed while she’s in a bassinet. My house isn’t violent at all. The only thing ever on tv is coco melon. I don’t know what to do. I get eye level with him and tell him not to hit or bite that it’s not nice. Why could he be doing this??

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Gotta turn coco melon off. If you pay attention carefully you’ll notice that it teaches violence pretty blindly

Whip his ass and start biting back. You not doing anything is allowing him to be in control and think it’s OK.

Help a mama out and respond anonymously on our forum. How to get toddler to stop biting?

Bite back bet he won’t do it again :woman_shrugging: not hard enough to leave a mark just to let him know it don’t feel good.

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Bite them back.
Don’t break skin. And don’t do it hard enough to leave a mark.
But they’ll learn.

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Do it back to him. Show him it hurts

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Bite him back don’t draw blood but enough he learns it hurts

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As everyone said…the only sure thing to get him to stop is to bite back,just hard enough to show it hurts. I had to do this with my first after she started biting people bc her cousin was biting her and being mean. Bit her on the arm once and she never did it again.

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Ok… lather your kid with aloe vera let it dry… when he goes to bite he would throw his guts up​:joy::joy::joy:… lesson learned

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I pop mine in the mouth, not too hard to hurt them. Just to catch their attention. It really worked.

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Is he teething? Give him an alternative to bite down on after you explain to him that “Ouch! That hurts Mommy when you bite me. Let’a get a piece of fruit/food/drink etc instead.” And then praise him after “yum!! That feels better doesn’t it?”

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My son used to get bit all the time by this little girl the same age as him. I told him to bite her back but he never would.

He doesn’t know how bad those things hurt. If he bites u, bite him back. Hard enough to hurt but not enough to cause damage. Then tell him it hurts doesn’t it? Let’s not do that anymore. Do the same with pinching and slapping. Don’t leave marks or get carried away. U r a lot bigger. I did this with both my daughters. They stopped after that and never did it again. If u don’t know how it feels, u think it’s funny. Once u know, u don’t want it done to u again.

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My daughter was a biter bad she would leave bruises all over my arms to the point where when my husband came home from working out of town he thought someone had been hitting me. Someone also told me to bite her back. I did not work for us she continued. I put apple cider vinegar and water in a squirt bottle and she bit me I gave her one shot of vinegar in her mouth and she never did it again.

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My daughters daycare provider would make them bite themselves, stick a finger in and press up on their jaw a bit just enough for them to feel it. Always with parents permission ahead of time of course but it worked.

My oldest only stopped after I bit him back. My second only bit when she nursed and I would un latch her and sit her down and tell her “no bite”. My youngest (on the outside) he tries to kiss but bits ( has maybe 8 teeth) we just tell him no bit and put him down. Or just tap his diaper.

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If you don’t feel comfortable biting him put his own finger in his mouth and make him bite himself

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Cue the bite them back nonsense haha

Bite him back not to hard but enough to show it hurts…it helped stop my daughter from bitting

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It’s a phase. Try being more stern if he hits, pop his hands and tell him no, I’ve heard people bite back and that stops it I have no tips there cause my oldest never did that, pinching pinch him back show him it hurts. Just be stern.

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Bite him back. My kids were never biters but my momma will tell you it worked with me! That was the good ol 90s though when parent knew how to parents without so much sensitivity.

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It’s a phase, grandsons are doin it too

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I read that making them bite themselves is the most effective way to stop the behavior. They just don’t realize teeth hurt. My daughter bit two times about that age. Both times when it happened I put her hand in her mouth and gently pushed her chin up so she bit herself a little. After that we never had an issue with it again. She’s almost 3.

Spank him and then put him in time out :woman_shrugging:t3::woman_shrugging:t3:

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As horrible as it sounds bite back. He doesn’t realize how bad it hurts. With our first i was adamant i wasn’t biting my child… dad had different plans. Needless to say dad was only bit once while i was bit over 50 times before i gave in and bit back.

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Sorry but do it back. I tried EVERYTHING with my daughter and nothing worked until I started doing it back. Pinch me. I’ll pinch you. Bite me. I’ll bite you. Hit me. And I’ll pop you back. That’s the only way my child understood that it hurts and is not nice.

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Make him bite himself. Once he realizes it hurts he should stop. It is likely a phase or a regression due to having the new baby. Even if it doesn’t seem like things have changed much to you, it can still be stressful to kids having a new baby around and can cause regressions. Make him bite himself and then tell him “biting hurts!” And make him sit on the couch without TV or anything for two minutes and reapproach him and explain biting/hitting hurts and we don’t do that to others. Then give him a hug and redirect him to playing with you.

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Biting back is not the only option, so if you’re uncomfortable with that, try redirection. I’ve stopped my own kids without biting them, and I’ve worked with babies and toddlers for several year, and obviously biting is not an option. It may take a bit more time, but I found it to be worth it in the end.

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I just bought a book on Amazon called “Teeth Are Not For Biting”. In about a week of reading this book, the biting stopped and my 2 year old would recite the book on the way to daycare.

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Smack him and say no :ok_hand:t3::+1:t3:

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My kids would never stop until they got bit back,I tried everything

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bite him and hit him back

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Does he say any words? Is he on track with other development? Is he teething? You just brought home a new born…even if you’re cuddling and attentive he may need time to adjust. Biting usually happens when children are easily frustrated, can’t express themselves or have a need that’s not being met. It’s your choice on how to deal with it…but if it continues more than a few months or you think there’s a developmental/speech delay talk to your pediatrician.

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Most little ones go thru that stage. Try biting him back ( not to draw blood, but enough to hurt). That often works.

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Yo I think makin him bite or pinch himself is genius! If it don’t work on himself… the good ol fashioned bite him back :woman_shrugging:

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Maybe try and just a have a free day with him or even and hour my kids all went threw this and once we have or little break and I showed them they were still important and that I would still make time for them it got better it’s hard no find the time but well worth it for him and you

Please Do not bite back, it sends wrong message that it’s okay and you approve. Children look up to you so what ever you do they will. I’m a toddler teacher so I have lots of experience with this try a chew necklace or chew toy. Lemon juice also works. Tapping mouth and saying no

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It’s what they do lol little a-holes :rofl:

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My daughter bit me one time, I bit back, not hard but hard enough for her to know it’s not right & can be hurtful, she hasn’t bit me or anyone since!

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I know theres a lot of controversy with physical correction but my son started biting same age and since he was in daycare I could not let that become a habit so after trying “gentle parenting” with no success next time he bit me I flicked his mouth, harder than I wanted to but he never bit again :woman_shrugging:t2:

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He is afraid u have a new baby to love … kids want to know they matter regardless of the price they pay for attention. He is just a baby and confused, dont spank him . Have him help feed the baby or something . He will be grown n gone b4 u know it , I dont believe in spankings.

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WHy is he doing this? Because he’s a baby and doesn’t have the words or maturity to express how he feels.

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Hit him back and bite him

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His teeth may be hurting, give him tweeting rings

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My son bit a boy at play school, I bit him and that was the end of that. 28 years later he is a gentle loving man.

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Bite him back… show him how bad it hurts. Everyone I know who did this it worked. Sounds ridiculous, but it works.

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we bit and hit back just hard enough they didnt like it and never did it again

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Nothing worked on my oldest son. He would bite until he drew blood. One day I thumped him in his teeth and he never bit again.

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Hes jealous of the new baby. Imagine being an only child & then waking up to a new baby. Just some extra quality time should help. Its nothing your doing wrong.

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I wouldn’t bite him back. Maybe his teeth are hurting? That would be sad if he was in pain and trying to express himself just to be hurt…

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Bite him back area times and he will stop biting

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My first som did the same thing when his sister was born but it was only me he would bite and only on my arms after failing every attempt to get him to stop i came up with the idea to put hot sauce in my arms and just wait for him to bite me well he did not like that very much and that was also the end of him biting. Not sure if this helps or not

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My daughter went through a very light biting phase for no apparent reason at all. She bit her dad and i maybe 3 or 4 times and then no more just stopped. We went on with our lives. :joy:
I dont know why your kiddo is biting or what will help. Its different for everybody. I do agree with the comment that he may be teething.
Maybe one thing is sure momma, maybe youre a tasty mommy? Lol
Good luck, hope you find what works best for you amd.your kiddo. Congrats on your new addition

Please research Circle of Security. I did child parents psychotherapy with u son at this age and I promise this will give you so much insight in understanding your little man and even your new baby and learn how to read them and meet their needs on a hole new level

Bite back - my kids still talk of being bitten by me! So it’s really stuck with them, and they never bit again either

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Bite back !!! my girlfriend did this with her kid and he never better again!!!

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Bite him back…that is what I had to do to my son

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I never understood when people say hit or bite them back because you are literally doing what you don’t want then to do. My son was doing this and it was because he could say what he felt so he was acting put. Teaching him sign language helped.

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It sounds bad but my son did this. My husband bit him back and he never did it again :woman_shrugging:t2:

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Bite him back, he will stop.

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Amanda Wilson Good advice

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I tried the “bite back” method… it didn’t work with my daughter. She is slowly growing out of it luckily. Some kids cannot be taught not to bite (my councilor is the one who told me to try the bite back method, time out, talking to etc and she’s also the one who told me some kids just do not stop)

When my daughter was 1 1/2-2 , she bit me on my shoulder as I was holding her and I screamed(didn’t mean to but it hurt). My scream of pain scared her, that was the end of her biting. Maybe fake a lot of pain and fake cry??? Lol, idk.

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My nephew was a biter one day he bit the wrong kid and they bit him back, never did he do that again

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My son used to bite my daughter bad when he was 2 but when she did it to him one time he never did it again!!!

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Is there something that’s changed his routine? Even the slightest? Whatever you do. Do not bite him back. That’s showing him if mommy can do it. So can I. Explain in a firm, not screaming tone. That it’s not nice. Or when he bites, overly pretend it really hurt you. Fake cry. Sometimes that works. See if you can tell what’s going on with him at that moment to put him in that mood. Could be the smallest thing.

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Bite him when he bites, pinch when he pinches, smack when he smacks. He needs to know that his actions towards you physically hurt, and that his actions have consequences.

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Please don’t bite him back. Just keep talking to him.

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Bite him back. My son started to bite everyone and I finally bit him back once and he has never bitten anyone else. Just bite enough that it hurts and he will stop.

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Bite him back! It worked for my son. You don’t have to bite hard but just enough so they understand that biting hurts.

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Bite back. They don’t understand it hurts. When you show them usually they stop

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I had to bite my son hard before he stopped

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I would try turning off the cocomelon and try something more calming and relaxing. Even if it’s music.

As a parent…“spare the rod, spoil the child”…a good little pop on the butt will get his attention and teach him, “don’t do that”…spanking is FAR different than abusing. I spanked my kids when they needed it, and they grew up being respectful to others, and not little thugs. That’s how kids learn. I got my butt whooped when I needed it, and it did me good. Hell…I could’ve probably used a few more. That’s how they learn respect, and compassion for others and have values. Look at all the thugs these days who SHOULD’VE had their asses whooped.

My firstborn did this.
I bit her back.
She never did it again :smiling_face:

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When he bites or hits, yell loudly, it will get his attention. And it scared my kids enough lol

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Yup my son used to bite & i bit him back & he stopped it was getting crazy

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When my daughter did that biting thing for the first time when she was about 2 yrs old, I asked her to bite her own arm so she will know it hurts. She said “no it will hurt” so I explained to her that’s the exact feeling if she bites someone & it’s not good to hurt someone if it’s not necessary.

My youngest daughter was a biter, I finally got to some advice from a trusted friend. We found one of those dosing syringes filled it with distilled white vinegar and gave it to her just like cough medicine, we only had to do this 3 or maybe 4 times she stopped biting. She is now 17 years old and she has told us she remembers it!!!

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Bite him back it doesnt have to be super hard just enough for him to get the picture that “hey I dont like that” and then once he is done crying (he will cry and freak out even if it isnt hard) explain that it hurts when you bite and we dont bite…i learned the hard way with my oldest she went through a biting faze and everyone told me to bite back i didnt and she ended up biting her cousin who bit her right back and never had another issue so when my youngest did I bit back

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It is for attention. Whether the baby is sleeping or not, she’s there and he knows it. A new addition is a big adjustment. You need to be calm and firm, reinforce positive behavior, redirect negative. Be consistent, use the same voice, same redirection, same everything, every time he bites/hits.

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When my son would bite he wouldn’t bite me he would bite his brother hard to where at times would break skin. I would take privilege away I would yell. I would talk calm like to him until his brother bit him back he kinda understood like hey this hurts

I had to bite my son back. After about three times a little harder each time he quit. If he bit one more kid at daycare he was going to be kicked out

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Bite him back! not hard but so he understands what he is doing. he will never do it again

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Bite him back, works on cats too!

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I was a biter. I would bite my poor twin sister all over. The only way I stopped was when the family dog bit my sister on the arm and had to be tied up outside for several days to make sure he didn’t have rabies (our county’s rule). My parents told me if I bit my sister again, I would have to be tied up outside for the same amount of time.
Biting back does not work. You are trying to correct a negative behavior with a negative behavior.

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Bite back on the heel tho. Only way to stop my son. But also remember this is fairly normal for kids your child’s age to bite yes it sucks but it’s normal. You can also try a little hot sauce on tip of your finger n put on his tongue literally a tiny drop n when he bites you put it his mouth

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My son is 4 now and was also a biter at that age! My sister is an OT and she recommended I have him evaluated because many times biting and hitting is satisfying a sensory output. This is all completely normal by the way! When he started occupational therapy they were able to give me different methods to help with the behaviors. I def wanted to bite back but honestly it probably isn’t going to do any good in the long run. Biting him back will only validate the action in my opinion. Occupational therapy sounds scary but in reality is probably something most little ones can benefit from in one way or another! Either way you got this and you are doing the best you can! You wouldn’t be a good mother if you weren’t questioning yourself!

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My son was biting and at that time my husband bite him back and after that he didn’t bite anymore

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Bite him back my grandson bit his papa’s leg he bit him back he never bit anyone after that

I pop my niece on her bottom with a diaper on so it doesn’t hurt but my voice is stern and it breaks her little heart!!!

My daughter bit me one time and i bit her back and she never did it again same with hitting she hit me i hit her back ( not as hard obviously) but i told her if you dont want it done to you, you dont do it she never bit again the hitting took a couple more times but was way less

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As a former toddler daycare teacher alot of times that kids bite it’s usually (not always) either they don’t have the words to communicate what they’re feeling (which is why we try to teach sign language) or they could be teething. Mouth pain can cause them to bite because biting relieves some of the pressure on the gums. Honestly I’d try working on simple hand gestures or get things the child can bite on (carrots, apples, anything crunchy) or a biting necklace. And as you can see it’s pretty common for that age group. Kids outgrow it pretty quickly but during the biting stage it’s hard on the parent, the child, and whoever the child is biting

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Help a mama out and respond anonymously on our forum. How to get toddler to stop biting?

Sorry to say this but bite hime back, not hard but enough to where he knows it hurts…I went thru this with my 3 ye old at the time & nothing worked to stop her until 1 day ahe bit me & drew blood so I bit her back enough to where she knew it hurt, of course she cryed & told me it hurt & I told her that’s how it feels when u bite me ; so everytime u bite me I’m gonna bite u back…she never again bit me

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Not by biting them back. I have seen so many Moms do this. Real smart.

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It could definitely still be to do with the change. Toddlers can’t express themselves in other ways. When my son hit or but I would calmly say “no hitting that hurts” “that hurt I need space right now” “biting hurts I won’t let you bite me” then I’d leave the area so he can’t do it again and it would also upset him a bit. Then I’d come back and say “if you bite me again I will not play” or something so he knows there will be a consequence next time too. As he got older I’d ask for a hug or an apology.
I never bit him back. Or hit him. I would not feel comfortable doing that. It did not take long at all for him to understand that he couldn’t do that. Taught him about the cats the same way.

I bit my kids back. Not too hard, just hard enough to get my point across.
Total, my kids only bit me 2 times each
After I bit them back both times, neither of them bit me again. And anybody who says that its cruel or that it’s not smart, are obviously snowflakes who raise crap human beings.

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Spank him or timeout by age.

Idk about biting back but I’ve seen other parents say they do it and it’s worked so maybe if that’s something you think you want to do.

Talking isn’t working anymore so i think it’s time to do something different.

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