How to wean a child to bite: the advice of psychologists
'01.07.2017'
Source: NEWS
Almost all children aged from one to three years old begin to bite. For some, this is due to the fact that teeth are being cut, other babies thus show aggression. Here is some useful tipsthat will help parents wean their child bite.
In kindergartens, babies are divided into two categories - those who bite and those who come home bitten. A bite baby puts parents in an awkward position, besides other children tend to stay away from him. Some consider this habit to be a disorder requiring a psychologist's consultation, others believe that this is a normal stage of development and there is nothing to worry about.
Let's face it.
This behavior should not be encouraged and ignored either. At this age, children go through a stage of accelerated socialization, during which they learn what can and cannot be done. The role of parents and caregivers is to properly explain to the baby how to behave.
Bite is a form of physical aggression. It manifests itself to express irritation and frustration, as well as to achieve the goal. For example, getting a toy or moving the line to the sandbox. Most babies do not want to hurt. This behavior becomes less pronounced by the 3 years when children learn verbal communication and control over their behavior.
Why do kids bite?
Aggression is inherent in humans, but throughout life we learn to express negative emotions through words and suppress aggressive instincts. The reasons for biting children are usually as follows:
- Inability to express needs and emotions in words.
- Exposure to severe irritants. For example, it may begin to bite if it is very noisy, cramped, or too bright a light.
- Attempts to try the environment on the tooth.
- Overwork.
- Tooth growth.
- Support from the environment (for example, adults find it funny to try to bite the child, or if painful bites are considered in the family as a form of caress).
How to wean the baby bite?
You can not laugh if the child is trying to bite adults. When it is clear that the baby intends to bite, it is necessary to keep him from this, for example, switching attention. If a child is not yet speaking well, one must still try to understand what he wants. For example, ask to show a finger.
When teething, you need to give him some object to bite. Teach children to ask for something from other children or ask adults for it, and not to bite. If necessary, pull it by the handle. Do not try to bite a biting child yourself. Do not scold him or call him offensive nicknames like "dog". Don't punish. Do not tell other babies to stay away from a biting peer.
Differences should be made between single bites and repetitive bites. To understand what provokes a bite, you need to observe the communication of the child with their peers during the game. Find answers to questions: what precedes a bite? Does he bite everyone or one person? What did the bite victim do? How did the surrounding adults react? Observations will help develop an intervention program both to prevent bites and after they occur.
With frequent bites, it is necessary to work out a program of action and implement it consistently and methodically. Encourage your baby if he refrains from biting for a sufficient amount of time. For example, if he bites once every half hour, praise for abstinence every 20 minutes.
If a child is “caught” immediately after the bite, then you need to tell him in a confident and calm tone, without turning to screams that you shouldn't bite, it hurts, looking the baby in the eyes. Also, take the time to comfort the bitten one.
