2 1/2 Year Old Biting 15 Month Sister

My son has just started to bite a little, but he is biting me and mostly out of teething and excitment not out of anger. He gets a time out for biting. If it turns into a habit or out of being mad at me I will put soap in his mouth immediately, probably a bar of soap just for a second so he can know that biting is not acceptable. My mom says it worked every time the first time with us and we never bit again. I hope you can figure out what will work best for you to have the biting stop.

Ahhh a biter is in house. I had this when my now 10 yr old was about 18 months to 2 1/2. It is a phase and we did everything... immediate time out, praise for doing the nice, good thing. I also showered the victim with affection. The bite back to avail I started to carry around ice packs and lolly pops for the victims. It passed once she had all her teeth. Good luck you are not alone and with the phases this too shall pass though painfully.
J. O

My suggestion is to watch carefully for any times he uses acceptable ways of getting what he wants. Reinforce this enthusiastically by giving several sentences (not just, "Good boy") of praise for his behavior, clearly creating a visual picture with your words of what he is doing that is right. Then compare this to how he can use this behavior when he wants something from his sister. Also, when he does bite use NO emotion in response to him...just put him immediately into a time-out, quicky and quietly. Sometimes kids opt for negative behavior if not getting enough individual attention. Try also making it a point for one-on-one time with him. Other significant people in his life can support him in the same way.

It is ROUGH when your kids are so close in age. I wish I had a magic solution for you, but I don't. But, yes, I do think it is the first of many tough phases. Mine didn't bite -- they hit. When he was 15 months, my son starting hitting my daughter HARD over her head. Despite trying, we found there was very little discipline that has a significant impact on a 15 month old. Yet, I had to come down really, really hard on my 2 1/2 yr old daughter for the same behavior. This meant a really "serious" time-outs in which I separated her from the room we were in. With my consistent, serious disapproval (I looked deadly serious and spoke in a very cold, calm tone) and my immediate, consistent application of the "serious" consequence, she has stopped the hitting. (I'm still working with him.)

I do not agree with biting the child back, but that's just my personal opinion. I have always believed that my role is to model the appropriate behavior. But you'll need to do what's best for your family.

Because these close-in-age sibling problems never seen to go away, I've recently been given a suggestion to create a "private" area/corner for each child in the room where we spend most of our day. The other child is not allowed to enter the other child's private area. It should have a comfy chair and those special toys/things that the child is not willing/able to share. I have not tried this yet, but I know it would be perfect for my daughter. But, quite frankly, my son wants to be in his big sister's space (and use her toys) all the time...so I'm not sure how I can teach him to stay out of her area. I think it's a great idea, if you can execute it. Good luck and let me know how things go.

the best advice I have heard and have personally used with daycare kids is to seperate the biter from the other person for 2 wks. Create a fun area for both kids so they can both play - I use play yard sections to do this. Make very clear to the biter that they can not touch nor go near their victim for 2 weeks. At the end of two weeks you let him near the little sister and he should be fine. If not you go back to seperating them for another 2 wks.

I've never known a single child to continue to bite if you bite them back. Once maybe twice and they are done. Not hard, just enough to make the eyes wide.

My cousin was so bad his daycare was threatening to kick him out. He bit my brother so hard he drew blood. So my aunt finally bit him and told him...see son it hurts. you don't bite.

He never did it again. Worked for him and my younger brother whom both love their mothers dearly and are both well adjusted adults with great kids of their own.

It also worked with both my girls the first time. Neither of them has suffered ill effects and they are both sweet, loving children.

Bite him back. He doesn't understand that it hurts and that he will suffer consequences that means something if he does it.

Sounds crazy, but I bite them back. I do not think they realize what they are doing. It usually only takes a couple times and the biting stops. We still have the occasional bite, when he is absolutley at the end of his rope with his brother! I also have the same age gap. Good luck!
J.