Biting at Nursery

Janepig

Bitten, you don't say how old your child is, but I'd assume he/she is still very young so I'd agree with the posters who've said that it's not much to worry about really. My DD was bitten and also bit when she was around a year old and going to day nursery. The thing is, when a child is that young, how do you punish - I assume the nursery staff do their bit and tell the child off for doing it, but by the time you go to pick your child up then they have no idea what you're talking about if you tell them off then. I know I was really embarrassed when I was told that DD had bitten another child, but realistically I was thinking "well what do you expect me to do now?" because she was far to young to be disciplined so long after the event. Obviously if I'd caught her doing it then I'd have given her a proper rollocking and I was more than happy for the nursery to do the telling off in my absence.

A different kettle of fish is what happened to DD in school last week - she's now 5 and in reception class, and she was doing some cutting out and one of the other girls in her class wanted the scissors off her. Because DD wouldn't give them to her she bit DD - ON THE FACE!!!!! To be fair I don't lay blame with the school, and the child concerned was marched to the headmaster (along with DD so that he could see what she'd done) and her grandfather was told when he picked her up. Now that did upset me. Although I was cheered up when another mum told me on Friday that her little boy had had a row for pushing the same girl who bit DD so hard that she banged her head. Justice!:D:o

Jxx

surreysaver

A lot of little kids do this. Ours did, but grew out of it within a few weeks. Us and the nursery reckon it was teething - and if kids stick their fingers in mouths they're gonna get bitten! One kid got put in a room of older kids - that sorted the problem out! It isn't anything to worry about if they're young.

Gangstabird

Goodness, this is close to my heart. A couple of weeks ago I went to help out in DS nursery (pre school) and a boy went to bite a girl and I saw. I yelled and he was dealt with quite harshly: he was sent to sit on a seat with a TA whilst the other children continued with their stuff.

Two days ago, my CM was called to one side because my DS had gone to bite someone. OK, I expected to be told off and we have told him that if he does it again he will get some serious priviledges removed; tv, sweets.

But this did make me think that we are not parenting too well at home:

But Daddy told me to punch and Mrs XXX told me that punching was wrong so I bit him instead.

Apparently Daddys answer to my DS was if other people hit you, hit em back!!

Double ended sword. You don't want them to be bullied but you don't want them to be the bully. Endless............