Q: 
“My daughter is a two-year-old who frequently bites other children as well as adults. This is now limiting her access to other children. Please help!”
A: Two-year-old children can be very anti-social. They are just beginning to learn how to behave socially. I understand that you feel unable to take her out in company, but limiting her access to other people is not helping her to understand how she is supposed to behave in certain situations.
The behaviour that your daughter is displaying is classic ‘terrible two tantrums’. She performs like this because she feels frustrated and at the moment does not know any other way to deal with that frustration. She probably bites another child when they have something that she wants and she cannot understand why she cannot have it. By far the best way to deal with terrible twos is distraction. It is best to let her mix with other children as much as possible, but watch out for situations where you feel she may be getting frustrated and distract her attention away from the situation quickly. Carry something with you when you go out, that you know will distract her. It may be best to try this with friends first. If you explain the situation to them, hopefully they will be sympathetic.
If she does sink her teeth into somebody’s little angel, do not be tempted to go over the top with your chastisement. Take her away from the situation, while quietly apologising to the mother, with perhaps a quick explanation about how you are dealing with this problem. It may be her little angel who is biting next week. Good Luck!
Debbie Honer, Babyworld Health Visitor.
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