How do you stop a baby biting?

[Sausagegirl]

My 13-month-old daughter loves biting fabric and cloth such as blankets, sheets, clothes and cuddly toys. We don't have a problem with that. The problem comes when she gets really excited to see mummy or daddy, runs up to us, squealing with delight and buries her head in our clothes than chomps down not realising we're underneath.

My husband is currently sporting a fetching bruise on his forearm while I have a perfect indentation of her gob on my leg.

She doesn't do it maliciously and she doesn't do it on bare skin and she doesn't (yet) do it to the other children at nursery but we're worried she might start.

She's too young to reason with so how do we nip (ho ho) this in the bud?

[B00]

Sorry I'm still laughing over the "perfect indentation of her gob" bit........

Have you tried sternly (not shouting) saying "no" when her gnashers are heading your way?

[andy-hughes]

She is at the age where most of her exploration is done with her mouth - it will change to her eyes in a few months. When she tries to bite your clothes, and therefore you, move her gently just out of reach and say "Nooooo" in a low firm voice, letting your voice rise a little at the end. Be patient, and she'll get the message.

I have a lovely photo of my youngest daughter at about that age - she was crawling on the floor towards me, so I got right down on the floor and pointed the camera to take her picture, by which time she had opened her mouth as wide as posssible to give the camera, and her Daddy, a great big sloppy gummy kiss - it looks like something out of Jaws! It's my fave photo of her.

[tinythang]

get her a baby teether...preferably one with textured surface. try looking on www.ebay.co.uk for a cheap one....good luck xx

[QueenOfSheba]

Hi Sausagegirl,

Have you and Mr S considered extraction? (hee hee!) Only joking!

I sympathise as my little one, 6 months old and very much teething, bites everything in sight, could baby still have a few more toothypegs to come out?

It's sometimes the only relief that'll help at all for my tiny one, biting things (and it's normally my finger!)

Otherwise, fingers crossed that she grows out of it soon.

QoS