Age 1
Biting and Scratching
When your child can’t express her feelings in words, she may express them in actions. As she becomes more able to express herself in words, these actions will gradually disappear.
Why does my child bite and scratch？
If your child bites or scratches another child . . .
When playing at the park or a friend’s house . . .
Let your child know it’s not OK to bite by saying things like, “Look, _______ is crying. It hurts when you bite her,” or “Don’t bite.” To the child who was bitten, say, “I’m sorry. That hurt, didn’t it.” Tell the other child’s parents, too.
Advice
- While acknowledging your child’s feelings and the reason she bit someone, teach her useful words such as, “Can I have that?”, how to control herself and how to share.
- Help children understand each other’s feelings in words by saying things like, “______ wanted to play with that too.”
- Cut your child’s fingernails often.