1. Whack! Chomp! Aggression & Biting in Young Children Dawnita Nilles Extension Agent/Family Resource Coordinator NDSU Extension Service, Grand Forks County/Region IV, CSCC Serving families in the Counties of Grand Forks, Nelson, Pembina and Walsh

2. There are no magic remedies for aggression and biting. The most helpful responses begin with one essential element: observation and supervision.

3. The Basics Biting is common in young children. The way you guide a child’s behavior affects his ability and willingness to learn. Children need your help to learn the appropriate behavior.

4. What about biting? When does this child bite? Does this child seem frustrated? Does this child bite when there is less adult supervision? Does this child bite one person in particular? How much language is the child using? Does your child bite other siblings or you? How many times each day is the child biting?

5. Why Do Children Bite? Exploration Teething Cause & Effect Attention Imitation Independence Frustration Stress

6. What Can I Do? Acknowledge the Child’s Feelings Try Prevention/Alternatives Teach a New Behavior Encourage Desired Behaviors

7. For Parents and Teachers Work together Trust each other Deal with the incidents that occur when the child is with you

8. Biting Happens… Teaching a child to make appropriate choices is like teaching a child to write their name… They need to make mistakes before they perfect the method