Toddler Biting - Worrisome?

patchen30

My good friend's DS is 17 months old.  Since he was probably 10 months old he's been a biter.  My DS, who is 3 1/2 months younger, is often a victim.  When they were 7 and 10 months old we laughed off and dismissed the behavior b/c they were so young and no one was really hurt. 

However, yesterday at a play date my friend's DS bit my DS three times within a 10 minutes span.  He was also biting other children and the dog!  He didn't seriously injure him but my DS was crying and upset, and of course my protective mommy response kicked in and I'm quite bothered by this behavior now and wondering what the story is with this child. 

This is a friend I met as a mom so I haven't known her that long.  I don't want to judge her and want to be a supportive friend, but she has struggled with motherhood - enjoyment of it - as well as depression, and I get the idea that she and her husband have a pretty volitile relationship and their fights get pretty crazy (throwing glasses, etc.).  I also think the two of them may drink a bit excessively.  All of this leads me to wonder if this doesn't have something to do with the biting.

Maybe I'm jumping to conclusions and this is "normal toddler behavior", so I wanted to see what others' thoughts were.  Also, what is the appropriate response from us?  My friend just kind of acted exasperated and snapped his name, but that was it.  I was just comforting my DS.

ilove613

My 14 month old went through a biting phase for a few weeks...Mostly when he felt threatened by another child. The key is consistency every time: Immediately tell him "NO" in an assertive voice, remove him from the situation, and say "No biting! Our mouths are for kisses, not bites!" When he played next to another child nicely, positive reinforcement and praise...

mben1119

I don't know what her toddler's biting phase has to do with her drinking or relationship with her husband. It is a very normal phase, and all you can do is more closely monitor their play. You can say something to her, but don't expect it to go over well, especially if she is, as you suspect, suffering from depression.

patchen30

mabenner1:

I don't know what her toddler's biting phase has to do with her drinking or relationship with her husband. It is a very normal phase, and all you can do is more closely monitor their play. You can say something to her, but don't expect it to go over well, especially if she is, as you suspect, suffering from depression.

I guess that was my question...is the biting normal toddler stuff, or could it be linked to the other troubling things going on at home - i.e he's witnessing aggressive behavior so he's aggressive, etc.