🚨 Advance warning 🚨 This forum will be closing on 1st May – please see our pinned thread for more information.
Options
Help! Biting.
Hi, ladies. I could really use some advice on strategies for dealing with a seventeen-month-old who bites. He only bites me and my husband, usually on the neck while we are holding him but also occasionally on the leg. Usually it is when he is overexcited but it has been a bit more frequent in the last couple of weeks and I am worried that he is starting to think he can get away with it. I don't think he is ready for a naughty step yet (he wouldn't understand it or be able to apologise for his behaviour at the end) so we have been relying on a loud 'No, we do NOT bite'. He seems to understand but it doesn't seem to be affecting his behaviour. Any suggestions would be hugely welcome as I want to nip this one in the bud and definitely before he tries to bite another child! 
0
Replies
It hasn't happened since (not saying it won't every again).
Sorry, not much help but I'll be watching this thread for other ideas!
Sorry again I'm not much help really I think just telling them no and they'll learn. x
I had bruises on the back of my thighs where he would bite me while I was standing in kitchen, owch!
He still bites every now and again but it is much better.
When he was that age we did exactly as you are doing and gave a stern No etc. Often I placed him on the ground and walked away from him. None of this seemed to make much diff but we kept at it.
We moved onto a version of naughty step/time out by sitting him on my knee, facing away from me, and holding him there for a minute.
At 20 months hubby and I were getting stressed that this was still going on and he wasn't growing out of it. So I started using naughty spot.
Was so surprised he actually understood it. Only had to return him twice the very first time and ever since he has sat there until I've gone back for him.
He happily gives me a hug and kiss afterwards (still struggling with the word Sorry but we'll get there) More often than not the warning stops his behaviour rather than actually using the naught spot.
One thing I would say is make sure you and hubby are totally agreed and how it is used. Obviously I've watched more Supernanny than my husband and he doesn't always follow it the way it should be done (I'm training him too though, lol)
It will get better. You just have to stick with it. Good luck. S x
DD has only gone to bite me once and she is nearly 22 months. she was annoyed and went to bite my leg. both me and dh told her off and told her that she must not bite, i then put her straight don on the floor facing away from us na dwalked off. she broke her heart and i felt awful but she has not done it since.
we also use the naughty step nad have done for a few weeks. dd hates being put on it and will sit and fiddle with her fingers in embarrassment it seems. she tries to makes me laugh sometimes but i just look away and ignore her. only had to put her back on it once that first time and since she just stays there until i get her. i only leave her there for a minute and a half as she is not 2 yet (saw on one of the tv shows that you should leave them there for 1 minute for every year of life), i then kneel down in front of her hold her hands and tell her that we musnt do whatever it is then we have a cuddle and a kiss, she tends to put her arms round my neck and gives me a squeeze and sometimes she will give me a kiss too.
like SuzMcH said the threat of the naughty step is usually enough and we only use it maybe once a week at the most after warnings have not worked.
Suz, thanks so much for the advice on naughty steps. I haven't watched Supernanny myself so think I will do some reading up before we try to institute one. I know what you mean about training your husband, though!