Some young children, especially between the ages of 14 months to 3 years, go through a phase of biting.  For most, biting will disappear once they are able to express their feelings and needs with words, but in some cases it can continue.

If biting occurs in our Nursery, the approach we will take is as follows:

  • We will respond calmly and quickly.
  • A member of staff will comfort and attend to the child who has been bitten.  The bite will be washed with warm, soapy water.  If the skin is broken parents will be advised to seek medical attention.
  • Another member of staff will speak to the child who has bitten.  It will be made clear to the child, depending on their stage of development, that this behaviour is not acceptable.
  • The member of staff will show this behaviour is unacceptable by the tone of their voice, body language or if the child is old enough to understand explanations he/she would simply say that it is wrong to hurt others.
  • We will reconcile the children as quickly as possible with adult supervision.
  • The incident is logged in our Child Behaviour Incident File ,stating where, when it happened, who was present and how it was dealt with.
  • Both sets of parents will be informed separately and privately, without identifying the other child, at the end of the session.  If it is felt the child needs medical assistance or is too distressed to stay in the setting, we will contact the parent/guardian as appropriate.

If biting continues in our Nursery, the approach we will take is as follows:

  • We will speak to the parents, away from their child, who has bitten to reassure them that we will track the behaviour to establish any pattern.  This could be due to frustration, hunger, attention, teething, curiosity etc.
  • If a pattern is identified, we will draw up an action plan and a copy will be given to the parents and staff, to be reviewed after two weeks, and we will adjust our routines accordingly.
  • If it is felt necessary, we will seek advice from the Early Years and Childcare Service with the parents’ permission.
  • We would speak to the parents of the child who has been bitten and explain that the other parents have been informed and we are working together to resolve the issue.

We are a fully inclusive Nursery, and we will work with parents to resolve any behavioural issues.