thread: How do I stop my 1yo from biting me?

  1. #1
    Registered User

    Dec 2007
    Perth
    350

    How do I stop my 1yo from biting me?

    Hello, I have a 1yo baby boy who is a delight, he really is. But, he bites me. Its usually when he's all happy and giggly, or we're having a cuddle...he'll just nuzzle his face into me and bite. It can really hurt!

    I feel bad telling him off, which I have been trying to do as I don't want to encourage biting people. It almost seems like he's doing it out of affection, rather than malice or wanting to hurt me. Like maybe he's getting them confused for kisses?

    Does anyone have any suggestions how to stop him from biting? Anyone experienced this before?

    Thanks v much

  2. #2
    Registered User
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    Sep 2006
    Dandy Ranges ;)
    7,526

    Oh this is really hard my toddler did this too. Ouch, ouch, you hurt mummy, hold a cold pack on her ouchie ... that sorta works, but not really. Once or twice I screamed in unexpected pain when I got bitten, this really scared him and he backed off a bit.

    He will grow out of it at some stage, until then, just persevere. You could try "mummy prefers kisses and cuddles"!

  3. #3
    Registered User

    Mar 2010
    505

    DD did this too.... it really hurts! I yelped in genuine shock/pain which made her upset... and it was enough that she only did it a few times because she knew the reaction she'd get.

  4. #4
    Registered User

    Nov 2007
    Perth, WA
    143

    Hi we had a problem with this. DD was a regular biter until recently. I tried a few different things for a few months, putting her down on the floor, pretending it really hurt etc. but then I taught her to give kisses, where she makes the noise too. everytime she bite me I would say firmly, 'no. Kisses. kisses' and she started giving kisses instead. Occasionly she will go to bite but as soon as I say kisses she will kiss. I found she wanted to bite more when hungry or wanting a breastfeed.


    (edited, forgot to mention our dd age, she is just 13 months now)

  5. #5
    Registered User

    Apr 2010
    Townsville
    2,832

    Not sure if you are allowed to do this these days but when we bit ad children, my mum used to bite us back... I learnt real fast not to bite!! Lol.
    I think if you exaggerate the pain it'll help teach them that it hurts and you don't like it and hopefully then they will stop!

  6. #6
    Registered User

    Aug 2008
    Adelaide
    1,488

    Hi beany, Amelia does this as well. I usually yelp in pain and surprise which startles her. I'm trying to do what Jen did with teaching her to kiss instead. It worked with hair pulling and face grabbing. She never means to hurt, and I don't think she really understands that she does. But we just stroked her face while saying "gentle, gentle" and she got it pretty quickly.

    I do notice that the biting is always worse when she is teething, too.

  7. #7
    Registered User
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    Aug 2010
    south eastern melbourne
    2,533

    my dd is 10 months and since getting her top teeth(now has top and bottom) she has taken to biting, if i make it known, flinch or scream, when it hurts she tends to do it more for the reaction, im trying what worked on the boys, not reacting just pulling her away (out of teeth range) and saying NO. it worked for the boys so hoping she gets the pic to.
    good luck