Why Does my Toddler Love Biting?

Why are Toddlers Biting?

There are many reasons why our toddlers love biting. Below are some:

Most of the children do biting when they are frustrated. This is because they can’t talk, and they don’t know how to get what they want. One good way to prevent is teach them essential signs and words so they can express what they want or what they need. Besides being frustrated, they might feel anxious. If their little bodies cannot handle these feelings, they might start biting. One of the causes might also be the common life stressors in life. Let’s say for example the family is moving houses, parents change jobs, divorce, death or sickness. Our children can feel all of these. Think about what is going on and think about how you can support your child.

All children experience teething. Each experience varies from one child to another. For some it may cause fever or other complications while others are just normal. You can consult to your dentist for suggestions and ask for natural pain reducers like essential oils, etc. You can also talk to your doctors for some baby Tylenols and other medications. You can also use some cold popsicles to relief pain. You can also let them bite some apple because sometimes they just need something to bite on.

Sometimes our children can feel something from their bodies that needs more sensation. This would be for the children who are biting all the time. In some cases, these children like to bite other people or themselves or even their clothes. This is a really common problem for children with Autism and it is called Sensory Integration Disorder. These children have common sensory avoidance or seeking behavior. Although there are also some children with the same sensory needs but do not have Autism. Biting does not equal Autism. If you are seeing a lot of these behaviors and you are concerned about it, consult with an occupational therapist. You can get referrals from your pediatrician or you SLP (speech-language pathologist).