My daughter is three and she keeps biting my eight month old....?

Question

How do I stop this? How do I punish or discipline for this? She is acting out because of my husband's deployment, but this is not acceptable! She hasn't broken through the skin yet, but I fear she will. She bites her on the face, arms, etc. while I am cleaning or turning my back. I just want to cry, I am so frustrated.

Answer 1

Contrary to what others say, you should get right down to her eye level, and bite her back...on the top of the hand.  Just hard enough to pinch the skin.  Then while keeping eye contact and a stern voice you should ask, "That hurt didn't it?  It hurts sissy when you bite her.  NO MORE Biting."  You can try biting yourself on the top of the hand to get a feeling of how hard to bite.

This is the fastest way to stop biting.

When you look her in the eyes try to put some "fire" behind your stare.  She needs to be intimidated so that she doesn't do it again.

Answer 2

Whatever you do, don't bite her back.  That's the worst thing you can do.  What do you normally do as punishment?  Try a time out.  They say one minute for each year of age the child is, so try making her sit in a special "time out" chair for 3 minutes someplace like the kitchen where there's nothing fun to do and no TV to watch.  Also, try to be extra loving to her when she's being good.  She's obviously feeling insecure because daddy's gone, and there's a smaller child in the house that needs a lot of the attention that she used to get, so try to have some special time just with her each day, even if it's just 15 minutes of reading books or something after the baby is asleep.

Answer 3

Your daughter is jealous of her sibling and/or is missing her dad. When she bites the baby, grab her hands, look into her eyes and say, "No. You don't bite <baby's name>. Then put her in a time out.

Answer 4

I may get the mob after me for this one but I say bite her back. Just enough to let her know it does not feel good. I have seen people do it before and it works. Just remember three year olds put their hands EVERYWHERE nose, pants included so bite at  your own risk.

Answer 5

Put her in time out for biting..You put your child in time out for 3 minutes. If she's 4, then it's 4 minutes, so on. When her 3 minutes are done, tell her why she's in time out. This is not exceptable to bite your sister. Everytime she misbehaves, you put her in time out. If she gets out before her time out is finished then you put her back on the mat with no words. Watch Nanny 911 it so helpful with raising your child.

Answer 6

smear your baby with bad tasting ointment and your 3 year old will soon stop!

Answer 7

does she bite in anger? or affection?