2. 1.Why Little Ones Bite 2.What To Do (and What Not to Do) When Biting Occurs 3.Changing the Toddler / Two Environment to Reduce Biting Incidences 4.Handling a Biting Epidemic

3. Phoenix Children's Academy Family of Schools

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5. Phoenix Children's Academy Family of Schools  horrifying stage some children go through  major crisis for the group  traumatic for parents and teachers a natural phenomena that has virtually no lasting developmental significance

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7. Phoenix Children's Academy Family of Schools Teething Impulsiveness / Lack of Self-Control Make an Impact Excitement / Overstimulation Frustration

8. Phoenix Children's Academy Family of Schools There really is no one to blame but a good program should accept responsibility for biting because it recognizes that biting is a natural phenomena

9. Phoenix Children's Academy Family of Schools Prepare parents for the possibility of biting ahead of time. Notify your School Director and keep a log of incidents Never use the name of any child involved; maintain confidentiality. Empathize with all parents involved Articulate your efforts to balance your commitment all children Inform parents in advance of the school’s policy on biting; how long is the school willing to “stick” with a child “stuck” in a biting pattern. Remember that punishment doesn’t work to change the behavior—whether it happens at home hours later or at school!

10. Phoenix Children's Academy Family of Schools Yell or raise your voice. This will do nothing more than scare all children involved Emotionally abandon the child Assume that the child is willfully misbehaving.

11. Phoenix Children's Academy Family of Schools 1.Focus more attention and care on the child who is bitten. Minimize the amount of attention you give to the child who’s bitten. Avoid drama. “Biting is not okay---biting hurts.” 2.The child who bites shouldn’t return to play until you can talk to him/him on a level the child can understand. 3.Communicate that you understand the child’s frustration /pain and are willing to help him/her achieve self- control. 4.Avoid making promises that you can’t deliver: “I won’t let you bite.” 5.Redirect the child to other play.

12. Phoenix Children's Academy Family of Schools 5.Closely examine the each incident and look for patterns. Crowding? Overstimulation? Too few toys? Is the biting child getting enough attention? Does she need help engaging in play? 6. Change or adapt the environment. 7. Work with parents to reduce the child’s stress. 8. Make special efforts to protect potential victims. 9. Avoid labeling the child as a “biter.”

13. Phoenix Children's Academy Family of Schools 1.Analyze the room, daily schedule, routines and expectations of children and staff to minimize: Congestion Disorder Children having to wait Boredom Competition for toys and materials 2.Avoid large groups; break up into small groups 3.Find ways to calm children Calm music Gentle physical contact with caregivers Calm transitions

14. Phoenix Children's Academy Family of Schools 4.Promote security and stability Maintain a predictable schedule; help children anticipate what’s coming next; develop individual and group “rituals” Utilize primary caregivers Develop semi-secluded “quiet places” in the room Avoid staffing changes 5.Engage children more effectively What choices are they given? Are activities and toys developmentally appropriate? Challenging? Provide duplicates and multiple options of the same activity Consider adding more motor and sensory choices 6.Group children appropriately; avoid combinations that lead to conflict Avoid putting those who bite together with likely “victims” Avoid grouping typically aggressive children together

15. Phoenix Children's Academy Family of Schools Role model the skills of self-control, empathy and positive social skills in action! Teach children how to calm themselves and help them to think of alternatives to conflict Accentuate the positive and express hopeful expectations. Give positive feedback!

16. Phoenix Children's Academy Family of Schools 1.Staff should meet with the Director or Assistant Director on a daily basis 2. Log every biting occurrence—including ‘near-miss’ bites 3.Evaluate how all staff responds to each incident 4.Regularly analyze the log; are patterns evident?

17. Phoenix Children's Academy Family of Schools Anticipate biting situations Teach non-biting responses Reinforce appropriate behavior in potential biting situations Adapt the program to better fit the individual child’s needs

18. Phoenix Children's Academy Family of Schools Anticipate biting situations Teach responses to potential biting situations so children don’t become “victims”

19. Phoenix Children's Academy Family of Schools If allowed by licensing, consider early transitions of children “stuck” in biting behavior If necessary, bring in outside observers to help analyze the entire situation

20. Phoenix Children's Academy Family of Schools Communicate continually Remind them of your philosophy Work together as partners to develop strategies for change Prepare parents for the worst

21. Phoenix Children's Academy Family of Schools Maintaining good relationships during biting epidemics requires all the trust and good will that a good program’s built up.

22. Phoenix Children's Academy Family of Schools No Biting: Policy and Practice for Toddler Programs by Gretchen Kinnel. St. Paul, MN: Redleaf Press, 2002 Infants, Toddlers and Caregivers: A Curriculum of Respectful, Responsive Care and Education by Janet Gonzalez-Mena and Dianne Widmeyer Eyer. Boston, MA: McGraw-Hill, 2004 So This is Normal Too? Teachers and Parents Working Out Developmental Issues in Young Children (chapter 16) by Deborah Hewitt. St. Paul, MN: Redleaf Press, 1995

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