h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Hello, new here but would appreciate feedback. My 13 month old son has started nipping me, my husband and, less often, his big sister. He can draw blood even through clothes (hmm, up all night, drawing blood - baby vampire?). Its not chewing as if he was teething and seems to be when he's excited or cuddly rather than through frustration. Other than just saying NO and putting him down is there anything I can try to stop him?

I know it's not what you want to hear, but I've found no cure except a very firm 'no' and then waiting for them to grow out of it, which they do.

When my 2 year old started biting her new baby sister we couldn't get her to stop until one day, after a particularly bad bite I gave her a smack on the bottom. I think it only worked because I'd never smacked her before and it was a bit of a shock, but obviously that only works if it is an immediate reaction to the wrong doing, and if the child is old enough to have started consciously thinking logically. Again, after the first smack the shock value is gone so I don't believe it would work a second time. Charlotte never bit Isobel again but as I say she was two at the time.

I've heard people say that when their baby bit them they bit them back, and it never happened again but I never wanted to try that, it sounds cruel. At least a smack on a nappied bottom doesn't hurt the baby. I wouldn't recommend smacking a one-year-old though.

If you immediately end the cuddle he should soon learn not to repeat the behaviour that provoked the reaction.

Finally, if he's not sleeping through the night, that may actually be causing the behaviour. I've found with mine that if they get into a bad sleep routine for whatever reason, they tend to pick at each other all the time - pinching, poking, just generally not leaving the other alone until it ends in tears - and it always starts off seeming perfectly good natured, they just don't know when to stop. If you can get him sleeping properly he may stop of his own accord. A book that helped us tremendously with this is 'Solve your child's sleep problems' by Richard Ferber, which helped us to get both ours sleeping through the night for 10-12 hours within a week of trying his techniques. You can get it off Amazon, if you're interested.

Good luck with it.

Thanks for replying. Unfortunately it can't be sleeping, as he always has around 12 hours, plus daytime nap.

Asking around a lot of people have said bite him back, but I don't know if I can bring myself to do it. And they'd mostly experienced biting as a form of frustration, which isn't what Lexi has at all. I'm sure he thinks he's kissing us.

I'll just wait and hope he grows out of it. At least he's just doing it to his family and not other people!

Hello miserycord,

Dominic started biting quite recently - not hard, I might add. On one occasion, he was biting my hand I made a big show of saying 'eueewww, all wet, you're licking me' and he thought it was funny and eased up with the teeth.

Worth a go?

Anna

Hi there Anna, I'll give it a try, although the saying no firmly and putting him down seems to be working a bit... As soon as you see him heading towards you with jaws agape you say NO and if he doesn't stop sit him down on the floor by himself. He still tries every day, but hasn't actually bit me for several days. Poor little thing, I really think he thinks hes kissing and seems so confused when you tell him off.