The child bites: what are the reasons and what to do?

Our children learn this world - every day more and more. And to taste an interesting thing is an ordinary matter, for sure every mommy has noticed more than once that a child seeks to put various objects in his mouth around him. This phenomenon is due to the fact that it is in the tongue, as well as in the oral cavity, that a huge number of receptors are located - they are one of the tools that allows you to find out how this world works.

Of course, over time, mothers manage to wean a child to drag everything into their mouths. But some people notice that with this habit, another, more unpleasant one appears - the child begins to bite others. The kid bites children on the playground, guests and relatives - it does not matter at all, a stranger or a native. Naturally, such behavior causes shame among parents, they begin to persuade the child, scold - but no methods work. What can be done in this situation, and how to wean a child to behave in this way? You will find answers to the above questions in this publication.

For what reason does the baby behave this way?

Before scolding your child, first of all, you need to understand why he is behaving this way. Indeed, almost always small children do these or those things unconsciously, and therefore, the child does not bite in order to make parents unpleasant, but because there are certain reasons. Let's consider them in detail:

1. Physiological needs. Manifested in children, starting from 5 months. The desire to bite and bite everything is due to the fact that the child's teeth begin to cut. This is a lot of stress, the baby experiences severe pain, his gums swell and itch. How to get a baby out of this situation? Naturally, he begins to drag everything into his mouth and bite - in order to calm down unpleasant sensations. As a rule, this behavior in children persists until 11 months, and there is nothing to be done about it - this is how the baby helps himself.
2. Problems with the expression of emotions. Upon reaching the year, the child can already bite intentionally - but again, not from evil. The child has a very small vocabulary, so he cannot express emotions and feelings (as adults do - verbally). This is especially true for periods when the baby experiences vivid sensations, or stress. Therefore, all that a child can do in this case is to bite others.
3. Features of behavior. From 1.5 to 3 years old, the child already begins to bite due to the fact that he experiences pronounced negative emotions or stress. The most common example is kindergarten, when parents only take the baby to a new environment. He is surrounded by new, strangers, he has to live by the new rules.
4. Diseases of the psyche. To say that your child has mental problems is possible only if the baby has already reached the age of four, that is, it is quite capable of understanding what he is doing. In this case, the help of a pediatric neuropsychiatrist is already needed, he will establish the possible causes of this behavior, and also prescribe the correct and effective therapy.

Which children tend to bite?

Komarovsky claims that all children are inclined to try to bite. However, not all experts agree with his opinion. Some children do not even think of biting, while others do it quite often - such a picture can be seen in kindergartens, and it looks strange and ugly. So which children tend to bite others? Let's consider in detail.

1. Copycats. There are kids who like to copy the behavior of the people around them. For example, a baby may try to bite simply because it copies the behavior of another child from the environment, and in some cases, pets.
2. Too emotional children. You can meet girls and boys who are overwhelmed with feelings - both positive and negative.
3. Deprived of affection, love, care, children. It often happens that parents pay too little attention to their child. In this case, in order to conquer it, the child begins to bite, sometimes pinching. It is noteworthy that if there is no one nearby, the baby can do these manipulations with himself, for example, pinch his arm or leg.
4. Aggression. In this case, we can talk about aggression if the baby has already reached the age of 3. Moreover, parents, as well as educators did everything possible - while the child still continues to bite himself and others. This already suggests that there are some problems in the development of the baby’s personality - there is a high level of aggression. In this case, it is already necessary to contact a doctor who will prescribe a correction of behavior. Naturally, such measures must be strictly observed.
5. A defect in the muscles responsible for chewing. The kid for a long time can not part with the dummy, and after two years it can switch to other objects, while it will be flipping its teeth.
6. Children living in families with scandalous parents. If constant screaming and quarreling in the family is a common occurrence, the child may begin to bite because he needs protection. The kid is afraid because of endless scandals, and therefore begins to bite - he subconsciously tries to protect against such "paradise" conditions.
7. Pampering. If a child is constantly spoiled, everyone permits him and never punishes him, in which case he will bite because of his whim. If you can, then why not try it?
8. Children who are limited in everything. If some children bite because they can, then others may begin to bite because nothing is possible. That is, if the parents forbid absolutely everything to the baby, then this behavior becomes the result of the bans - the child protests, trying to break out of the rigid framework that his family set for him.
9. Lack of physical activity. If the child does not have enough movement - while he needs it, then bites become partly a physiological need.
10. Children who like to bite. And this can sometimes be found - the child simply likes biting others, likes the feeling itself, and does not hurt others.

What can be done?

It should immediately be noted that the methods of struggle directly depend on the reasons why the baby began to bite.

If the baby bites you and the surrounding objects due to the fact that the teeth began to erupt - today there is a huge assortment of silicone rings on sale, as well as toys with small pimples - to stimulate the gums. You can try painkillers and anti-inflammatory gels - but only after consulting a doctor.

If the baby bites while you are breastfeeding, you can stop this behavior by taking it away. That is, the child will develop a reflex - if the bite, then the food disappears, naturally, in this case, the baby will stop biting everything that he sees. Even the smallest will not intentionally deprive himself of his livelihood.

Very emotional babies need to be regularly reminded that they can and should pronounce the feelings that they experience. Do not be afraid to say that he is scared, offended or hurt, let him explain the reasons why he feels these emotions.

With weak chewing muscles, the baby needs to be given more solid food - apples, carrots, etc. The child bites in the same cases not from evil.

If the child is from a dysfunctional, scandalous family - in which case he needs the help of a psychologist. The specialist will be able to eliminate all the factors by which the child has to experience stress. Naturally, parents should reconsider their behavior - to minimize quarrels, or to do this not with a child, but at home to try to organize a friendly and calm atmosphere.

In what cases does a child need specialist help?

You should carefully look at the behavior of the baby. If he is already more than 3 years old, and besides the fact that the child bites, you notice other strange habits in his behavior - this is an occasion to consult a specialist. For example, your child may be cruel to pets, it is difficult for him to concentrate on one task, he does not sleep well at night - this may indicate the presence of any psychological deviations.

Important: You should not punish or scold the child if you do not know the exact cause of the problem! So you will only aggravate the situation, therefore, first of all, you need to observe the behavior of your child, only after the analysis is carried out, you can already draw any conclusions.

Psychologist's recommendations

Quite often, ignorant people give rather strange recommendations. Like, if a child bites you - bite him in response, let him feel what it is!

It’s worth noting that you can’t do this. A child might think that this is such a kind of game - therefore, it will bite several times more, even more painfully. Moreover, we all know that children take an example from us, that is, if mom can bite, so it should be done to me.

Parents need to take all measures in order to stop this behavior of the child. If the baby is already behaving meaningfully, the eye-to-eye contact method is suitable. You need to squat down - so that your eyes are at the eye level of the child, make contact. After clearly telling him calmly that such behavior is unacceptable - never with anyone, whether a person or an animal. If the child does not respond to this method and tries to bite again - in this case, you need to interrupt eye contact, and do not restore it until the crumbs understand that this cannot be done.

Next, you must definitely explain to the baby that bites are painful and unpleasant. You don’t have to follow your child’s lead, especially if he bites in order to manipulate you.

Emotional children will be very unpleasant if you cry out at the time of a bite. An adult must ensure that the child after the deed has consoled and felt sorry for him. No need to be shy to describe your feelings to a child, moreover, you do not need to think that it is useless - children always understand us, and even if not with the help of words, then with the help of movements, gestures, etc.

If at home the child is an angel in the flesh, while biting his peers in the kindergarten, you need to talk with the teacher. Ask that the baby is not put in a corner and loudly scolded with the whole group, since such actions will only lead to a worsening of the situation. The child will bite more often and more - in order to restore authority in the group, as well as to protest.

We hope that this article will help you understand why your child is biting and eliminate it once and for all. Good luck in the educational process!

Video: a child bites mom- how to behave