How do you deal with biting/hitting at DC?

WifeofaMarine

If upon picking DC up from daycare you learn that he/she had bitten/hit another child during the day, do you do anything besides talk to them about not hitting and biting, we have to be nice to our friends, etc.? 

When I picked DS (will be 3 in September) up from daycare (small in home), he was just getting out of timeout for biting DCP's 1.5 year old DD because he wanted a book that she had. I felt really bad, and told DS that it was not nice to bite our friends. I asked him to say he was sorry and give her a hug, and he did. On the way home (less than a few minute drive), I again talked to him and told him that we don't bite or hit. 

I did tell him we weren't going to the playground tonight since he bit today (we go a few times a week), but then I started wondering if that even makes any sense because he was already given a timeout at daycare for the biting.

Fortunately, DCP understands that the occasional bite is normal for his age, and didn't make a big deal out of it, even though it was her daughter that got bit. I told her I was really sorry that DS bit her DD, and told her we talked again tonight about not biting or hitting our friends because it hurts.  

This is only the second or third time that DS has ever bitten anyone, but I want to make sure I'm taking the right steps as a parent to try and make sure it doesn't happen again.  

chelwig89

The only person my daughter has ever bit was me, and I bit her back. I don't know what I'd do in that situation, but I think you did the right thing! As a DCP, it's really annoying when you tell a parent that their child bit someone and the parent just says, "Oh ok." HELLO! Yes biting is normal, but you have to teach children that it's not an ok way to communicate. Anyway, small vent over, but I think you did that right thing

FutureMrsCaesar

Personally I think you handled it well, and I think the 'no park tonight' was fine as long as he was clear on why there was no park (b/c he bit someone, he lost a privlidge).  I guess the age at which they can understand current action == future punishment varies, but I know that my DS understands that sort of thing if I make it clear.  He has actually told DH when he got home from work that he didn't get to do X that day because he wasn't listening to mommy (or whatever).

Kim-n-Eric

my son went through a biting stage too.  When he would bite, we would tell him things that DID bite ("alligators bite, bears bite, tigers bite, etc") and then we would say "but nnnnnnoooooootttttt aiden!" He really liked the sing song way we would say it and it only took a few times before he completely stopped biting.