Biting at Daycare: Understanding and Addressing the Behavior 2026

Biting is one of the most distressing behaviors in early childcare settings. Whether your child is biting or being bitten, understanding why it happens and how it's addressed helps you navigate this challenging phase.

Why Toddlers Bite

Developmental Reasons

Normal development:

• Limited verbal skills
• Oral exploration phase
• Intense emotions
• Impulsive behavior
• Cause and effect learning
• Lack of self-control

Common Triggers

Biting often happens when:

• Frustrated
• Overwhelmed
• Overstimulated
• Tired or hungry
• Wanting attention
• Defending space/toys
• Excited
• Teething (younger)

Not a Character Flaw

Important to know:

• Very common in toddlers
• Not a sign of "bad" child
• Not predictive of future behavior
• Developmental phase
• Most outgrow by 3-3.5

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If Your Child Is Bitten

Immediate Response

What should happen:

• Immediate first aid
• Cleaning wound
• Comfort for child
• Incident documented
• Parent notification

What You'll Be Told

Programs typically:

• Inform you of incident
• Describe injury
• Explain first aid given
• May NOT identify biter
• Document for records

Confidentiality

Why biter not named:

• Privacy policies
• Protects both children
• Reduces blame/conflict
• Industry standard
• Focus on your child

Your Response

What to do:

• Comfort your child
• Check the injury
• Follow up on care
• Communicate with program
• Stay calm and reasonable

If Your Child Is Biting

When You're Notified

Expect to hear:

• What happened
• Context of incident
• How it was handled
• Ongoing plan
• Request for partnership

Your Response

What to do:

• Don't overreact
• Listen to full information
• Ask questions
• Partner on solutions
• Avoid excessive punishment

Working with Program

Collaborate on:

• Understanding triggers
• Prevention strategies
• Consistent approaches
• Communication plan
• Progress monitoring

How Programs Handle Biting

Immediate Response

Standard protocol:

• Separate children
• Comfort bitten child
• Simple, firm response to biter
• First aid as needed
• Document incident

Prevention Strategies

Quality programs:

• Watch for triggers
• Supervise closely
• Teach alternatives
• Create calm environment
• Reduce frustration sources
• Shadow if needed

Ongoing Plans

For persistent biting:

• Individual plan developed
• Increased supervision
• Trigger identification
• Skill teaching
• Parent partnership
• Progress monitoring

Prevention Approaches

At Daycare

Programs should:

• Maintain good ratios
• Anticipate conflicts
• Teach emotional vocabulary
• Provide enough materials
• Reduce frustration
• Active supervision

At Home

Parents can:

• Ensure adequate sleep
• Full breakfast before care
• Teach "use your words"
• Practice emotional labels
• Consistent expectations
• Model gentle behavior

Teaching Alternatives

Help child learn:

• "I'm mad"
• "I want a turn"
• "Help please"
• Walking away
• Getting adult help
• Physical alternatives (squeeze ball)

Understanding Program Response

Typical Policies

What to expect:

• Incident documentation
• Parent notification
• Prevention plan
• Increased supervision
• Skill teaching
• Possible consequences

If Biting Continues

Programs may:

• Require parent meeting
• Develop behavior plan
• Suggest evaluation
• Temporary suspension
• Ultimate dismissal (rare)

Know the Policy

Ask about:

• How is biting handled?
• What's the notification process?
• What are consequences?
• How do you prevent?
• When would dismissal occur?

When It's More Than Normal

Concerning Patterns

Seek help if:

• Persists after age 3.5
• Extreme frequency
• Doesn't respond to intervention
• Other behavioral concerns
• Causes significant injury

Getting Support

Options include:

• Pediatrician consultation
• Behavioral evaluation
• Developmental screening
• Early intervention
• Behavior specialist

Supporting Both Sides

For Parents of Bitten Child

It's okay to:

• Feel upset
• Ask questions
• Request prevention measures
• Express concerns
• Expect communication

Try to avoid:

• Demanding biter's name
• Confronting other parents
• Overreacting
• Removing child immediately
• Excessive anxiety

For Parents of Biter

It's okay to:

• Feel embarrassed
• Be concerned
• Ask for help
• Request partnership
• Work on solutions

Try to avoid:

• Excessive punishment
• Shame or humiliation
• Denial of problem
• Blaming program entirely
• Giving up

Key Takeaways

Biting is normal:

• Common in toddlers
• Developmental phase
• Not a character issue
• Most outgrow it
• Not predictive

When bitten:

• Comfort your child
• Check injury
• Communicate with program
• Stay calm
• Focus on your child

When biting:

• Don't overreact
• Partner with program
• Work on prevention
• Teach alternatives
• Be consistent

Work with program:

• Understand policies
• Partner on solutions
• Communicate openly
• Trust their expertise
• Collaborate on plan

When to get help:

• Persists past 3.5
• Extreme frequency
• Other concerns
• Doesn't improve
• Seek professional input

Biting is a challenging but typically temporary phase. With patience, partnership, and consistent strategies, most children move through it successfully.

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