This weekend, out of the blue, he pretended to bite his father and then bit a shoe (I swear I feed him!). We admonished him and reinforced "no biting". He use to bite about a year ago but we really didn't think this behavior would come back.
We had some friends over to celebrate his birthday and I was completely mortified that he bit my friend's 11-year-old daughter. It was awful, she was crying and he left a big red, black and blue mark.
My husband and I were dumbfounded. We showed him how badly he hurt his sweet friend and sent him to his room.
I came to work and browsed online for help and was surprised there is actually a website called toddlerbiting.org. There are a lot of tips for parents. Tips that we'll be following very closely.
One of the tips is separating your child from any situation that you think may trigger the biting. I was so fearful I didn't leave him alone with his friend the rest of the night.
Another tip: decide on the consequence. Pick a consequence you can stick firmly to such as a time out period, or going home.
One important tip is to fuss over the victim. Be sure your toddler sees your care and concern for the victim and the he knows how badly he hurt his friend.
Finally, deal with the parents openly and honestly about the problem. I think I faltered on this one because I was so humiliated and felt so sorry. I wanted to call the next morning and see how she was doing but I was too embarrassed.
After reading these tips, I think I'll place that awkward call today.
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