Understanding and Addressing Biting Behavior at Magic Garden
If your child attends an early childhood center, you may have received a message like: "Unfortunately, your child was bitten today," or perhaps, "Unfortunately, your child bit another child today." Hearing this can be upsetting, but it’s important to know that biting is a common behavior among young children.
Why Do Children Bite?
There are several reasons why young children might bite:
1. Exploration: Infants and toddlers often explore their world by putting things in their mouths.
2. Communication: Young children, especially those who are pre-verbal, may bite to express frustration or needs.
3. Insecurity: A child may bite if they feel overwhelmed by their environment or situation.
4. Big Emotions: Biting can be a way for children to release strong emotions, especially since their brains are still developing the ability to regulate emotions.
Biting Is Not a "Bad" Behavior
Biting is often an involuntary response, not a sign of bad behavior. Young children haven’t yet developed the social and emotional skills needed to manage their reactions. They aren't being manipulative; they’re simply reacting emotionally to the world around them. It's important not to label a child as "naughty" or "a biter" because these labels can be harmful and are often inaccurate.
How to Respond to Biting
If your child bites or is bitten, staying calm is key. Children need their parents and teachers to be calm, supportive, and understanding. Here's what to do:
- Comfort Both Children: Attend to the child who was bitten first, but also provide support to the child who did the biting.
- Use Compassionate Language: Describe what happened in a matter-of-fact way, without placing blame. For example:
- To the child who bit: "You were frustrated when Kate took the ball you were using, and you bit her arm because you were angry."
- To the child who was bitten: "Alice bit your arm. That must hurt, and I’m sorry you got hurt."
Helping Children Learn
After the child who bit has calmed down, gently talk to them about what happened and discuss what they could do differently next time. It's important to wait until they’re calm so they can absorb what you're saying.
- Ask what happened before the bite.
- Remind them that biting is not okay because it hurts others.
- Discuss other ways they can express their feelings or resolve conflicts.
- Help them think of ways to make the other child feel better.
At Magic Garden, we take action to make amends, like bringing a cold flannel or ice pack to the child who was hurt. It's important to role model and teach children to care for others and understand the impact of their actions.
We don’t push children to say "sorry" instead, we focus on identifying emotions and modeling words to use in future and demonstrate and involve the biter in actions that show care and concern.
When Biting Happens Often
Sometimes, a child might go through a phase where they bite more frequently. This can be common, especially in group settings. If this happens, we work closely with parents to understand what might be causing this behavior. It could be due to teething, changes at home, or simply the child’s need for more support as they grow.
Our team takes extra care to supervise children who are struggling with biting. We look for patterns and intervene when necessary to prevent incidents. This might involve providing more space, additional resources, or redirecting to alternative activities for the child.
Remember, biting is usually a phase that children grow out of as they develop better communication skills and impulse control. At Magic Garden, we’re dedicated to working with you to address biting behaviors in a positive, supportive, and compassionate way, ensuring a safe and nurturing environment for all children.
If you have concerns about biting or any other behaviors, please feel free to talk to your child’s teachers. Together, we can support your child’s social and emotional development.