Have a plan
“When my youngest started biting her brother and sister – and other children at nursery – I avoided meeting up with other mums and dreaded the nursery manager asking for ‘a quiet word’,” explains Michelle, 38, from Cheshire, mum to Adam, 10, Sarah, eight and Isobel, six. “Eventually, the nursery staff and I developed a strategy for avoiding situations where Isobel might bite. At home, I’d make sure her older brother and sister played games fairly with her so she didn’t end up feeling powerless and frustrated. At nursery, staff worked out what was triggering the biting (large groups, strong emotions) and intervened first. It was really hard not to show anger but, when we all responded in the same way – calmly and firmly telling her “No, we don’t bite”, and taking her away from the play area or other children, she soon got the message.”
Why play matters
Distracting your child with play is a great way of stopping the challenging behaviour in its tracks. Whether you get building blocks out, read a book or break out the arts and crafts, play matters as it helps with their development, builds bonds and makes a young child feel content. Vist our section on play ideas and games for more advice.