Navigating the Biting Phase: Tips for Parents of Toddlers

Toddlers are rapidly developing physically and socially during the 12-24 -month period, and biting can be a way for them to explore their world, express emotions, and learn impulse control.

Toddlers may bite due to teething pain, a desire to explore their environment, difficulty expressing emotions, seeking attention, or imitating the behavior of others.

Parents should attend to the victim, speak firmly to the toddler, use a brief time-out, explain why biting is wrong, and redirect the child to a different activity.

Parents can provide healthy outlets for big emotions, teach alternative behaviours, give their toddler plenty of attention, and avoid overstimulating environments.

Parents should seek help from a professional if the biting is frequent, severe, doesn’t improve with intervention, or is accompanied by other concerning behaviours like aggression or delayed development.