How to Handle Biting in a Child Care Setting

Young children, when angered, can lash out in any number of ways, including hitting and biting. Unfortunately, both of these things are common problems among toddlers and preschool-aged children in child care settings. This is partially due to the fact that children this age do not know how to handle their anger. To handle a biting, you need to make sure you have a plan in place that includes the biter, the child who is being bitten and the parents as well.

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Notebook for recording biting incidents
• First aid materials
• Form letter
• Parent contact numbers
• "Time Out" area or chair

1. Remove both children from the situation. If you can, have one person attend to the child who was biting, while the other attends to the child who has been bitten.

2. Take the biting child to the Time Out corner or chair. Explain that biting hurts, and it is not allowed. If you can, find out why the child bit and explore what other things the child could have done rather than biting. For example, if the child was angry over another child stealing his toy, he could have come to the teacher for help.

3. Examine the child who was bitten, and treat the bite with antiseptic spray. If the skin is broken or bruised, treat with ice and a pain reliever if you have permission from the child's guardian.

4. Record the incident. It is very important to have a written record of such incidents. Make a copy of the incident and give it to the guardians of both children when they come to pick up their children that day. You may want to have a notebook to record biting, hitting and kicking incidents, and a form letter to give to parents when such incidents occur.

5. Contact the parents right away. If the bite is severe, you may want to contact the parent or guardian so they are not surprised to see a bandage on their child's arm when they come to pick him up at the end of the day. They might also want the option of taking their child to the doctor right away.

Tips & Warnings

• Do not try to force the biter to say he or she is sorry. This is because, usually, they are not sorry, and you do not want to get the child in the habit of making insincere apologies. Instead, remove the child immediately and discuss why biting is not a proper way to react to anger or frustration. If the child then shows remorse, you can take her back to apologize.
• If you are unsure whether or not to contact a parent right away, always err on the side of caution and contact the parent.

Resources

• "When Children Bite" at Childcareaware.org