Bites: What to do with children who have this behavior?

In the first years of life, the child has not yet made complete acquisition of language, and does not have the cognitive skills to understand his own emotions. Therefore, she develops other means to communicate and express what she feels, especially when she is irritated or anxious.

It is not uncommon for children to bite their peers, or even adults, when they are nervous or frustrated. Despite being related to aggressive behavior, bites can sometimes also be demonstrations. affection and affection, especially in very young children, who are still in the sensorimotor period (from 0 to 2 years).

I'm not going to delve into the theoretical assumptions of psychology here, but since the topic requires an addendum, let's clarify what the sensorimotor period is.

Jean Piaget, one of the forerunners of child psychology, classified child development into stages, the first of these is the aforementioned sensorimotor period, which lasts from birth to two years of age. child.

At this stage, the baby establishes contact with the environment that surrounds him, and acquires learning through sensory experiences, therefore, he uses the senses to know and learn.

Since the small child maintains contact through the senses (touch, smell, hearing, sight and taste), it is easier to understand why he has the behavior of biting. It is a way of interacting, whether through affection and play, or through anger and frustration.

“Experimenting” is also part of early childhood. Every action has a reaction, and children, from a very early age, learn this. So, the act of biting can also be explained through this prism. In some cases, the little ones are just wanting to experiment, through the nibbles, to see what happens next.

Other reasons can also lead the child to behave like this, for example: sleep; tiredness; hectic and oppressive environment; discomfort caused by teething, etc.

But what to do with children who bite?

Stay alert, if you see that the child is about to bite, try to avoid it. As? Offer means of distraction, the little ones keep their attention focused on a certain activity for a short period of time, it is not very difficult to make them change their focus.

If the child does, in fact, bite, react calmly, remember that he does not act that way out of pure evil, it is just a reactive and confused behavior of someone who is learning to live. Teach her how to behave, teach her about the respect one should have with peers, parents and teachers.

If the child is apparently nervous, irritated, try to calm him down. If she is old enough to understand what she is being told, talk to her, explain that acting like this can hurt people, and that there are other ways to relieve her nervousness. Just as there are other ways to show affection, if any.

Some children also bite to get attention. Incidentally, most of the inappropriate behavior presented in childhood is aimed at attracting the attention of adults.

In these cases, do not reinforce the act of biting. Correct, guide, and then change your focus. If the child realizes that he manages to attract your attention, even if it is in the form of a scolding, every time he bites, he will maintain this behavior. All reinforced behavior tends to be repeated.

Even if the little ones are not fully aware of what they are doing, their behavior needs to be remodeled and not reinforced, otherwise they will grow up believing that this is how you must act to achieve things.

It is essential that the adult guide the child to replace his bodily actions with language, so that he learn, from an early age, to communicate and express what you feel, and what you want, and thus change your attitudes inadequate.

Amidst the discoveries and new experiences that are part of early childhood, our children will be right and wrong, over and over again, just as we adults still do today.

And in this immense sea of ​​emotions and confused feelings that is “learning to live”, it is up to us, parents, to mothers, teachers, being guides for our little ones, until they have the autonomy to follow alone.