Unregistered 04:05 PM 09-28-2009
My son recently started biting, but only at daycare. It started with one boy who he bit twice, both times he was provoked by the other child (being pushed, etc.) My son is currently 1.5 years old. Since September 2nd he has bitten 8 times in total. He doesn't do this at home and I feel horrible about it happening. I'm not sure what to do as a parent who isn't there when it happens.
As background, his father and I split up a few months ago, when he started daycare before then he was with his dad all day and me at night. When we split, his dad moved out of town so it wasn't viable to continue that arrangement so he started at this daycare. For the first couple months things went well and I had nothing but good reports from the daycare about how his days were going. Until the first biting incident. Now it is to the point that I am dreading dropping him off because I dread being told that he bit another child. He is in a center, not a home. The only consistent thing I have been able to figure out is it is around the same time of day 10-11 AM every day. The manager told me that he is one of the youngest in his room, but one of the kids who has been in the room the longest (due to summer vacations/etc.)
They don't do time outs and say they are showering the other child with attention when it happens, but the frequency keeps increasing. Today, he bit two other kids within 10 minutes of each other.
I am at my wits end. I don't know if it is something at home, at the daycare, just his personality, or what. What makes me especially sad is when I ask him about it he starts hitting himself which I don't understand at all either. I am trying to figure out what to do and have absolutely no idea at this point. When it started occuring I made it a no TV house... not even when I didn't think he was watching it. When he is at home all we do is play or read books. He doesn't do this with his siblings/counsins who are prime targets.
I don't know if I should call his ped for recommendations or find some other sort of advice. Online it seems fairly limited regarding resources.
Michael 07:46 PM 09-28-2009