Toddler Biting And Other Aggressive Behaviour

Toddler biting, hitting, scratching or pulling hair - all these things can be really shocking the first time you witness it, whether your child is on the giving or receiving end.

Parents can feel bewildered and hurt.

Toddler Hitting...

Toddler Behavior...

Time Out...

Toddler Biting Why It Happens
And What To Do About It

Parents start assuming that they have a mini thug on their hands.

We associate it with bullying.

It's easy to assume that this is only the beginning of multiple aggressive tendencies in your toddler.

Here's the good news: generally there is no need to worry excessively. Read on for reassurance... 

Why Do Toddlers Bite And Hit Each Other?

The short answer is because they cannot speak properly yet. We often forget how frustrating it must be not to be able to express feelings verbally. See understanding toddler behaviour for more on this.

Biting is not premeditated - it happens on the spur of the moment. As adults, we have all said unkind things without engaging our brains at one time or another.

Think of aggression in young children as the toddler version of a thoughtless comment.

Your toddler is waiting in line - seemingly patiently - for the slide. All of a sudden she sinks her teeth into the arm of the boy in front. It seemed like a good idea at the time.

It is not the result of a need to bully the other child.

Once children outgrow toddlerhood and can express themselves better, aggressive behaviour becomes much less common and is more likely to be the result of learned behaviour.

As long as aggression is not something that your child usually sees, toddler hitting, biting and so forth is something that s/he will probably outgrow.

What Can You Do About Biting & Other Similar Behaviour?

Go to Dealing with toddler aggression for some tried-and-tested ideas on what to do and what not to do when your toddler bites and hits others.


Beyond Parenting, Edward Christopherson

New Toddler Taming, Dr Christopher Green.

Try to be consistent with your reaction to a biting, if your toddler gets a laugh from an adult, then you can be sure it will happen again.

Biting can be dangerous, should your young child decide to bite an animal like a cat or dog, that will retaliate with instinct. The consequences could be immense.

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