Nursery World - Positive relationships: Let's talk about ... biting

It's a common occurrence, so why does a child's biting cause so much upset? Annette Rawstrone spoke to practitioners at a private day nursery. Illustration by Clare Nichols.

Q: Why do you think that children bite?

When children are around two years old they may become frustrated because they can't speak or express themselves well and biting can be the result, and with some of them it is a common occurrence for a time.

Reasons also include teething, because they want attention or sometimes it's just a natural defence instinct.

Some children are pleased once they've bitten because they have got attention. Others are scared and confused - they do not really know what happened because it was just a reaction. You can see some children feel awful about what they've done and the hurt they've caused.

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