Upcoming Events:
Brie teaches an infant massage class every Tuesday morning at Scripps Mende Well Being located in UTC.
Contact her for more information on this overview course.
Click Here For Map
Brie also teaches a more comprehensive 4 week course at the
Lawrence Family Jewish Community Center
Contact her to learn when the next program begins.
|
|
|
Your child's not so-loving biting behavior
If you have ever felt the pain of your little tot sinking his newly crowned teeth into your arm, then you know you have fully arrived to the land of parenthood. As parents, you realize it’s not a rare event and that most toddlers go through a period of biting others for a variety of reasons.
- When children are frustrated or stressed, they often quickly resort to the surest way they know to vent this tension. By attempting to take a chunk out of you, they are able to release their frustration as well as witness first hand a cause-and-effect reaction.
- As toddlers, they are experimenting with their independence and power to influence another. Biting is way for them to express this newfound autonomy both metaphorically and physically.
It is also possible that they need additional oral stimulation. If this is what they crave, let them suck on a lollipop. Crunch on some carrots. Or if old enough, gnaw on chewy licorice or beef jerky.
- Using the pads of your fingers, rub around your child’s mouth by making small circles above and below her lips to reduce any muscle tension or to give added stimulation.
- Take a damp washcloth and allow her to chew on it or rub it briskly against her lips.
- If she’s needing to bite, give her a teething ring to gnaw on.
When she does bite another, make sure you are firm in telling her that it is not appropriate to do so and help her express her anger or frustration with words, not teeth.
Never bite your child back as a way to show him how this feels. As a parent, it’s important to model the behavior that you wish to see your child exhibit and not reinforce the response of harming another in order to get what you want.
For most children, biting won’t last. However, in the meantime, keep plenty of band-aids on hand.
|
|
