Option 1: Biting in Childcare Centers

Biting is a common occurrence for toddlers in group care settings. I have worked in childcare centers and in the public school system prior to my current role, however, most of my experience has been with infants and school-aged children. As the infant/toddler education coordinator, I got my first taste of biting in the toddler age group within the past few years. Anytime teachers called to report a biting incident, my heart would automatically sink to my stomach because I knew how any parent would feel to hear this information. Working in a mega center with over 8 toddler classrooms, you can imagine just how frequently biting incidents would occur. Personally, I knew I was not well informed on biting and in order to work with parents against this issue, I needed to be prepared. I started doing research into biting in toddlers and I quickly learned that, for lack of a better term, biting was a "norm" in toddlers. Being that they did not have the language development nor the ability to regulate their emotions just yet, toddlers tend to bite others in response to these factors. I also stumbled across an article by Hope Solomons that explained how to handle biting incidents and contain them so they do not become a habit. I have linked the article below for any of you whom struggle with this same issue in your roles. I shared this article with my teachers and discuss its contents with parents whom grow concerned about biting incidents. Lastly, I always advise my toddler teachers to read the story "Teeth are Not for Biting" by Elizabeth Verdick. This book explains to children the uses of our teeth and reiterates several times throughout the story that teeth are not for biting. I even recommend this book to parents of children whom struggle with biting. It is always a hit and the children love reading it.

http://www.jpedhc.org/article/0891-5245(91)90060-4/fulltext