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In an article for Exchange, "Reality Bites: Biting at the
Center, Jim Greenman and Anne Stonehouse, offered these thoughts:
Biting is a horrifying stage some children go through and a major problem or
crisis for the group while it is happening. Yet at the same time, for the biting
child, it's a natural phenomena that has virtually no lasting developmental
significance. It derives its significance from the group care setting. It is not something to blame on children or parents (or teachers).
A child who bites is not on a path towards being a discipline problem, a bad
person, or a cannibal. Yes, it is an anti-social act, but an act of an individual
not yet equipped to be fully social, just beginning life as a citizen...
No other situation requires as much perspective, thoughtful responsiveness,
and careful communication as an epidemic of biting. Doing the following are
important:
* Prepare parents for the possibility of their child being either a biter or
a victim before the fact, as early as the intake into the center. If it is not
un-likely to happen, then let's not hide it.
* Empathize with all the children and parents involved, and the staff. It's
a difficult situation for all.
* Make sure parents are aware of all the steps that you are taking to minimize
biting and end the crisis before they become upset. They need to know that our
understanding biting as a natural and common phenomena does not mean we throw
up our hands in resignation.
* Have a sense of how long you will stick with a child "stuck" in
a biting pattern, and communicate that to the child's parents right away. Fear
of a sudden loss of child care adds to the tension. Again, it is better if parents
know this before a crisis occurs.
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