Ugh, biting. Help, please!

libbyann

Will is biting like crazy lately. Everything...me, the dogs, DH. It's all I can do to keep him from biting the boy I watch. Every time he attempts it, I tell him very sternly, "No. Teeth are not for biting." and redirect him. But he's so freaking stubborn that he comes right back with a big grin on his face and does it again.

He's not mad when he does it - he thinks it's hilarious. He thought the same thing about biting while nursing a few months ago. I'd tell him it hurt and he'd laugh like I'd just done the funniest thing EVER. Well this morning he got me when I wasn't paying attention and I screamed at him "OUCH! THAT HURTS!"  I felt bad, but it was totally a knee-jerk reaction (I still have a huge welt on my arm ~3 hours later - not good!). He laughed hysterically. And then attempted to do it over and over and over again for the next 20 minutes because he thought it was soooo funny.

Please tell me what to do! I think it'd be easier if he was a little older and was biting out of frustration, but he's totally not. I don't think he's teething either as his other two top teeth broke through earlier this week. I think he's just being a toot.

rssnlvr

I would start putting him in timeout. They say one minute for every year they are old, right? So just putting him somewhere removed from everyone--his room, the hall, a "timeout corner," for one minute where he can actually see real negative consequences of the behavior.

Sorry, L! Hopefully he'll understand soon that biting is not acceptable.

balihaigirl

OMG I am having THE SAME EXACT PROBLEM right now!  Including the biting during nursing.  Every time I tell L to stop he starts laughing at me and bites me again.  Lately he's had a fascination with biting my nose!!  WTH!?  I don't know what to do about it either - I'm just hoping that the phase will pass or that he'll eventually figure out that when I say "No, that hurts!".  Sorry I'm no help - I can only relate. 

userdeleted

Leo went through a phase where he was doing this. We would very sternly say "No bite!" and then immediately move him a few feet away from us, and not speak or look at him for probably 30 seconds. Then we'd go right back and keep playing. It took some time, but it seemed to work.

Temp13436125005166

I'm sorry  If it were me I would just keep doing what you're doing and keep re-directing him.  We never had the biting problem but there were other things (the cat water dish comes to mind) and eventually it worked but it took awhile. G/L!

kiarox2002

Kate loves to bite me while she's nursing.  I've tried everything, but she just thinks it's hysterical.  DH has started calling her Dexter...

libbyann

kiarox2002:

DH has started calling her Dexter...

haha, that's hilarious!

Thanks for the advice. I think I need to start trying something else since the stern talking isn't getting his attention...we may try mini "time outs" and see how he responds to that.

burntorangetang

DS was also a biter, so I feel your pain.  Time outs and redirecting helps and there's also a "Teeth Are Not for Biting" book that you can find on Amazon.  I think the book helped to a certain extent because you can talk to him about the different people getting hurt, etc.  You'll get through this!