Originally Posted by Unregistered:
Abuse?? Toddler on toddler abuse?
I currently have 3 toddlers in my care. One has a problem with pushing. Pushes the other kids multiple times every single day (often for no apparent reason and sometimes really hard). I have another that hits. With his hands or he will just whack someone with whatever toy happens to be in his hand. The 3rd just likes to follow the others around and steal whatever they are playing with and run away. All of these things would certainly be considered abusive...if they weren't toddlers! But they are toddlers and these are all normal behaviors in a toddler. We have to teach them and work with them not to do these things but it doesn't happen over night. It takes time and patience.
Biting is also normal behavior for some toddlers. It is unusual, in my experience, that a child bites just occasionally. Either a kid is a biter or they're not. What makes one kid a biter but not another I don't know but it is what it is and it could just as easily be your child doing the biting. The child that bites another child is not being abusive to that child anymore than the child that hits or pushes another child. They are just being toddlers. They have yet to learn that these are not appropriate ways to handle themselves.
This child was bitten 4 times in 2 months. That is not excessive to me. A child that is going thru a biting phase and spends his/her day with other similarly aged children will likely try to bite multiple times every single day! If your child is comes home with 4 bites in a day or a week then yeah, your provider is not on top of the situation but if your going to put your toddler in a place with other toddlers they may come home with a bite now and then.
Biting is not a fun phase for anyone involved but it really isn't as big of a deal as some people make it out to be and it isn't so easy to stop. But, bites don't usually break the skin and even when they do it is highly unlikely to be serious or require any more attention then some TLC.
It could just as easily be your child doing the biting...What then?
It is lack of proper/adequate supervision. NO child deserves to be hurt, especially repeatedly, all in the name of a "phase".
Yes, children DO go through phases, but OUR job is to separate, identify triggers, and prevent injuries until the child gains enough self control to regulate their own behavior.
I don't tolerate any physical violence towards other children. I have a 3 strikes bite policy, but honestly after the first bite (or bite attempt) the child is so shadowed/supervised that it NEVER occurs again. Same with all other physical aggression. I also do not keep kids who don't quickly learn not to physically hurt others. I have an excellent reputation for safety.
Originally Posted by Blackcat31:
I agree!
I think that 99% of all biting that happens in daycare (excluding the first time) is due to supervision issues.
