Even so, preventing toddler biting can be much easier if you know why a toddler bites other people, and the most common reasons are:

1.  They get angry and use it as a means of communicating their anger because they still haven’t learned an alternative method to deal with these types of emotions. 

2.  They imitate other toddlers’ behavior.

3.  To get attention from people around them.

4.  They’re teething.

5.  To gain control of situations such as fighting over a toy with another toddler.

It’s important to understand that until they’re about 24 months old, toddlers can’t understand their biting is actually physically hurting the other person!  Keeping this fact in mind can put preventing toddler biting into perspective; it won’t be easy, but since it involves for the most part, learned behavior, you can certainly do something about it.

Try the tips if your toddler bites others, or if you want to help any toddler correct their biting habit:

1.  When it happens, make it clear right away that their behavior is unacceptable in a firm, but empathetic manner.  Never show anger; the child will most likely revert to trying to get a reaction from you again in the future.

2.  If the bite victim is crying, calmly explain to the biter that they hurt the other child and emphasize they’re crying because of the bite, that you understand the biter’s emotions, but that they need to deal with their emotions without hurting others.

3.   This goes without saying; once you’ve identified a biter in any group, observe them closely while they’re playing, and prevent the biting before it begins.  If you see the biter get into a conflict step in and help that child deal with their emotions too the best of your ability before the biting occurs.

In summary, you can be successful in preventing toddler biting by understanding the causes, by stopping the action before it begins, and by using positive reinforcement once it occurs.