7 month old biting!

[Brittny27]

Kaelynn has started biting my shoulders and my arms. She is also clawing at my face. I can't even count the times she's scratched my face and neck. I grab her hand and tell her no. Then usually put her on the floor which usually makes her cry or scream because she wants to be held.

With the biting I've been telling her no biting then sit her down. It worked when she was biting while nursing which she only does occasional now.

She just got her 5th tooth through. I really hope it's a phase she's going through and it will pass soon.

Anyone else having this problem? Any suggestions on how to get her to stop biting?

[Brittny27]

I swear her first word is going to be NO. I say it to her so often and re direct her attention to her toys. She's always getting into something she shouldn't be and stuff I can't move or put out of her reach.

She loves grabbing my hair and pulling I wear it in a pony tail most the time but the back bottom layer is to short to put up so that is the part she grabs. The clawing my face is the worse and she claws my chest and pinches while feeding her too. I try and give her something to hold onto to distract her from clawing and pinching. Sometimes it works but most the time it doesn't.  

I know that she doesn't understand the word no yet but will soon. I think it's a little to early to even try the whole biting her back to associate pain with biting. Maybe if she's 2 1/2 years old still doing it. I keep her nails really short so it helps but she still gets me.

I'll keep doing what I'm doing and hope that one day REALLY soon she will start to understand.

Thanks ladies I'm glad to know that I'm not the only one with this problem.

[JoyRenee]

You're doing exactly what you need to do and NO you're not alone! My Zoë is almost 17-months and she loves to claw at our faces playfully (sometimes when she is angry too). I just tell her no and put her down. Because she is a toddler I let her throw a fit. But your little one is still a baby so I'd just say, "No", put them down and take them to a new activity like reading a book or playing with blocks.

[martikadragoon]

:Both my children have tried biting and scratching.  My 2 1/2 year old still scratches but I'm keeping his nails clipped very close so it doesn't hurt.  This may not be something others agree with practicing but When myself or my 3 younger brothers would try biting my mother would grab our arm and bite us back. NEVER enough to leave a mark or bruise or break the skin but enough to show us that it does hurt.  

I've done it with both sons and it works. I only had to do it maybe 1-2 times with each but they don't bite. My older sone TJ (2 1/2) likes to claw me to get a response but he's slowly stopping it.

The only reason kids bite and stuff like that is mainly the response they get. Kids want attention, any kind of attention so when they figure out that doing something bad will get them attention they do it even if it's negative attention.

[Ashelen]

I think it's definitely a good idea to gently deter (move hands/face away gently and say "no") at this age but that's correct, they just don't understand yet. After going through the 6-12 month period with Kahlan and now Grey is 8 months it's amazing...you will definitely recognize when she starts knowing what "no" means. one day you will just notice it "click" for her.

So gently distract her, move her hands away, if she bites you act hurt and make a big sad face "owie! that hurt!" and give her some time to learn the meaning of it. she probably honestly isn't even connecting her biting with you putting her down at this point, most likely it just confuses her, but it's definitely OK to keep doing that....because someday soon she WILL understand it and you don't want to not be doing it by then, you know? Like for instance when Kahlan was little and would bite or hit I would say something like "no baby that hurts, you don't like it when you get hurt, so why would you want to hurt me?" and people would always say "she doesn't understand" and I would "well no of course she doesn't understand YET...but I want to get in the habit of doing it so that the day she DOES understand, she has a good foundation."

so it's never too early to gently re-direct and say "no" just don't expect anything to come of it for quite some time. making faces and acting hurt will help her understand WHY she's not supposed to do it, by the way (the alternative to the "bite your child for biting you to teach them it hurts" method...this way you don't have to hurt them, but they get the idea that it hurts) - just don't overdo it, lol.

if she's still doing this around a year, then you can begin to consider alternative discipline. sorry - the biting phase stinks! kahlan didn't go through it for too long though (and blessedly Grey hasn't really gone through it..here and there he nips but he's not really a 'biter') but I remember how frustrating it was and how much I WANTED her to understand.

hang in there...this, too, shall pass!

[Clysta]

I'm been having similar issues with Kylie, but especially when she nurses. She always has her hands up in my face and is scratching and clawing at my (and whoever holds her) eyes, mouth, cheeks and nose. I tell her no, but she just smiles and laughs. She doesn't bite my arms or anything too much. Just my chest. I don't know how to make it stop. If I give her anything to hold it ends up as a weapon and she bashes me in the face with it.

[HeatherLF16]

I have been reading up on babies and teaching no.  At this point they don't know that it hurts.  Franky doesn't bite yet, but he does the clawing thing.  It is usually when he is touching my face soft then he will claw not knowing that it hurts.  I have read that they do this to show affection.  So, I say "no" sternly and then take his hand hand and make him touch soft.  And say "be nice".  It has been working he has been touching me very gentle usually when snuggling with me... it has worked with the hair pulling too.  So, if he does bite I will do the same thing... say "no" sternly and maybe distract him and hand him a teether.  I always give him something to chew on because he is teething heavily as well and wants to chew on everything even his blankets...lol.  I am very surprised he hasn't got me yet.

They don't understand "no" at this age I have read.  But, it is great to start telling them "no"... then distract to something else.  I have heard that the stern look helps when saying "no" also.  They naturally want to make you happy.  So, if they hear that voice and see that displeased look they will eventually start to get that it doesn't make you happy and stop doing it eventually before they learn what "no" means.  =)