Children love to bite:

When a baby bites someone with its newly erupted deciduous teeth for the first time, parents may be very happy: "The baby is teething, our baby has grown up!" But if as time goes by, , when the baby still retains the "hobby" of biting, parents start to worry.

Psychologists believe that biting someone (or something) is the most primitive human instinct like sucking. The instinct to bite is deeply buried in the subconscious. For example, some adults will bite their lips and nails when they are excited, and they will bite pens and erasers when thinking about problems. These are all biting reflexes performance.

A baby's biting is a way for him to vent his emotions (positive or negative). Due to his age, he cannot yet distinguish between good and bad behavior. Therefore, parents need to understand the hidden meaning behind the baby's biting behavior. reason.

“My teeth are itchy”

Q: The baby is more than 4 months old and has a tooth. He always bites my nipple when feeding. What should I do?

Analysis: When babies first teeth, they are not used to new things in their mouths, so they will try to bite their mother's nipples when feeding to try to get rid of their new teeth. Another possibility is that the baby's latch position is incorrect, and he feels that he is not being held firmly, and instinctively bites the nipple to prevent him from falling.

Countermeasures: If you feel the baby biting the nipple, you can gently push the baby's head towards the breast and block his little nose. If the baby has difficulty breathing, he will automatically open his mouth. At the same time, in order to meet his teeth grinding needs, you can give him something safe to bite, such as teethers or teething toys.

"Mom, thank you"

Q: My son always bites me hard every time after feeding. I am now scarred and reluctant to wean myself, what should I do?

Analysis Most of the baby's happy emotions are gained during breastfeeding. A baby who is full will often bite his mother. This is his way of expressing gratitude to his mother and saying: "Thank you, mother, for giving me such delicious milk."

Countermeasures for sudden severe pain Causing the new mother to push the baby away or scream. The mother's behavior is understandable, but it's best not to do it, as it will scare the baby. Of course, there is no need to grit your teeth and let him bite. When babies bite their nipples, they usually don’t want to eat anymore. Pinch his little nose, or insert your fingers between the nipple and your baby's gums to get him to relax. But don't put him back in his crib right away; he may not want to say goodbye so soon. Play with the baby for a while, so that he understands that the mother will not leave as soon as he lets go.

“I’m not feeling well”

Q: My baby is 6 months old. He cries often and even bites his toes when he cries anxiously. My friend told me not to hold him to avoid irritation. Dependence psychology, is this true?

Analysis: When a half-year-old baby cries, parents often adopt a cold treatment method and ignore him because they are afraid of spoiling the baby. But if your baby bites his fingers (toes) while having a tantrum, it means he feels uncomfortable and is sending you a distress signal. Babies who feel pain often bite their own bodies rather than others.

Countermeasures When your baby cries, you first need to find out whether the baby has physiological needs. For example, is it uncomfortable to lie down or does it have stomach pain? If the pain is caused by teething, you can give the baby something to bite. Toys and solid foods to chew and chew.

"I'm so scared"

Q: My baby is one year and two months old. During this period, he often bites and pinches people for no apparent reason. Is there something wrong? What disease?

Analysis: A one-year-old baby still cannot express his wishes and feelings in words. If the caregiver ignores the baby's safety needs and leaves him to play alone, it will cause him to be afraid and fearful of new and unfamiliar environments. Biting became his only way to protect himself and overcome fear.

Countermeasures In order to help your baby regain a sense of security, you need to give your baby more patience and love. The baby craves attention and love, and it is very important for him to protect him when he needs it and to always be there for him. Don't laugh at or punish your baby for being timid, especially boys.

The fear will not disappear, but it will do great harm to the baby's psychology. Don't force your baby to overcome his timidity, as this will make him even more timid. The best way is to talk to your baby often and tell him repeatedly how much you love him, that you are his protector and will not allow anyone to hurt him. In this way, the fear will naturally disappear after a period of time, and the baby will no longer bite.

"I love you so much"

Q: My baby is 1 and a half years old and has 16 teeth. He always bites me when I play with him. This is normal. ?

Analysis: A one-and-a-half-year-old baby suddenly bites his mother when he is having fun with his mother. The more he lets him go, the more he bites and refuses to let go. Why is there such a bizarre behavior? The baby's idea is: "I love my mother very much, so I can't help but bite hard. I am expressing my love for my mother! Isn't it allowed?" Sometimes he gets angry. A mother will bite her child back, which is a bad example.

Countermeasures If you bite your baby back, he will be more excited, think you are playing with him, think biting is allowed, and will not understand that this behavior is hurting others. Therefore, the mother should try to control her emotions and influence the baby's behavior by hugging him and kissing him. At the same time, you should clearly tell him "Mom hurts". You can let him try to bite his finger and let him feel the pain personally. At the same time, tell the baby that biting is not a good way to express love, and guide the baby to express emotions through language, gestures, and hugs. Otherwise, the baby may think that biting is not allowed, and expressing love is also wrong.

“I need attention”

Q: My husband comes home from work late every day, and my son has a very special way of welcoming his father back. He always bites his thigh, which makes him very sad. . What can we do to change the current situation?

Analysis: The baby only bites his father but not his mother. The most likely reason is that his father spends too little time with him and he behaves in this way. express dissatisfaction.

Countermeasures There is absolutely no need for us to give up our personal work and life and dedicate ourselves wholeheartedly to our babies. The length of time you spend with your baby is not the most important, the key is how to maximize parent-child time. Please remember that the parent-child relationship is not a time relationship, but a quality relationship! The quality of family affection is the most important factor in developing the baby's parent-child relationship. Therefore, it is best to set a special parent-child interaction time every day for the baby. The whole family can play games together and temporarily let go of work and housework. This is the best choice to enhance the relationship.

"I am very angry"

Q: My baby is almost two years old and always likes to bite children. Sometimes he is fighting for toys, and sometimes he bites people for no reason. We tried many methods, but they didn't work. Is this related to his father sometimes hitting him?

Analysis: If the baby is often beaten and scolded, he is likely to bite the children. This is a way of emotional displacement, venting his inner anger and dissatisfaction on other children. On children. At the same time, it can also be said that he is imitating the behavior of adults.

Countermeasures: Aggressive biting is an intentional violation, which is not conducive to the baby's interaction with others and the establishment of good peer relationships. It requires great attention. You can suggest that the baby use methods that do not hurt others to divert negative emotions, such as beating pillows, tearing newspapers, etc. It is necessary to repeatedly emphasize to the baby that biting is a very bad behavior, and neither parents nor children like it. It will hurt others and is not a good behavior for a baby. At the same time, you also need to re-examine your own education methods and concepts, and consider whether it is appropriate to punish your baby, otherwise double standards will appear. The baby will be confused: Why can adults use violence, but he can't...

If you choose the correct behavioral countermeasures, then the baby whose emotions gradually become more stable will not bite again after the age of two. However, babies aged three or four will continue to bite because of emotional stress and anxiety. They can seek help from a child psychologist to find out the real cause of the baby's anxiety and provide treatment.