Why Do Children Bite?
The answer to this question has to start with a question: How old is the child? Reasons for biting are much different for infants and toddlers than for preschool children. For infants and toddlers, some of the reasons are: • Exploration: A toddler doesn’t make a distinction between a cigarette butt found in a park, a rubber toy, or a person’s body. All are fair game for this natural form of exploration. • Teething: This could be a cause for periodic biting, as the pressure on the mouth and gums relieves the pain and discomfort of teething. • Affection: The toddler also hasn’t learned to distinguish between her feelings and those of others. She experiences relief from her discomfort, and she isn’t able to understand that this experience isn’t as pleasant for others as it is for her. • Lack of skills for expressing needs: Young children don’t have words to express feelings of frustration and anger. They may use physical actions (biting, hitting, grabbing) if they want a toy, if they are
