How Do I Get My 12-Month Old to Stop Biting?

Put an end to painful biting

Most children go through a biting phase at some point. Although it can be frustrating for parents, siblings and playmates, children usually outgrow the biting behavior. Biting is typically a sign that your child is frustrated, angry, jealous or otherwise distressed. Since your young child can not yet express his feelings verbally, biting is a way to tell you that something is wrong. With a bit of detective work and a measure of patience, you can get your 12-month old to stop biting and quickly restore peace to his play time.

Things You'll Need

• Time-out spot

Instructions

Uncover the Cause

1. 

   Most biting happens for a reason

   Watch your child and take note of the situations that seem to provoke her biting.

2. If you notice that your child is about to bite, distract her or remove her from the situation before she has a chance to sink her teeth into someone.

3. If she does bite, let your child know that she can not get her way by biting. If she bit a playmate to get a toy, for instance, do now allow her to have the toy just then.

Educate Your Child

1. Ensure that your child knows basic words such as "no," "stop" and "ouch." Understanding these words is essential for him to grasp the message that biting is unacceptable.

2. When you see your child biting, use familiar language to explain that biting hurts the other person. Say something like "No biting! That is ouchy!" or "James, that hurts Marcy. We do not bite!"

3. If the biting continues, immediately put your child into a one-minute time out. Eventually he will learn that biting leads to an interruption of his play time.

Reward and Reinforce

1. Acknowledge when your child makes a positive choice. When you see her asking for a toy instead of biting, for example, praise her.

2. Continue talking to your child about biting often until the undesirable behavior has completely ended.

3. Keep calm even when your child bites. She may be continuing bad behavior just to get a reaction from you.

Tips & Warnings

• Never bite or spank your child to get him to stop biting others. It sends a confusing message and will not stop the aggressive behavior.

References

• Aware Parenting Institute: How to Stop a Toddler From Biting"
• Sixty Second Parent: How to Stop Your Toddler's Biting
• Better Parenting: How to Stop Toddler Biting