Biting Incident

A few weeks ago, we were getting ready to go to Bill Nye's woodworking class, when he came downstairs and said, "Tinkerbell bit me."  I asked him what he did after, and if she stopped when he asked her.  She did, so we went to woodworking, and I didn't mention it again in front of Bill Nye.  When we got back in the car though: I turned off the radio; I told her she better not interrupt and I started talking about her biting Bill Nye.  I try not to raise my voice to the children, but I did a little bit and I became very stern.  So stern that she cried.  She doesn't usually cry unless she is physically hurt or is trying to get attention (and I know she didn't want any more of my attention).  I asked her why she did it.  Would she like it if someone bit her?  Next time you talk to me or another adult before you decide to bite.  But I am worried.  There is no history (that I know of) of her biting, and I hope there is no future.  However, I have noticed that she definitely has trouble expressing her anger and it usually comes out in stomping feet, hitting or screaming.

I sent the mother a message, and talked to the father when he got home.  Before this, I told Tinkerbell that her parents might be just as angry as I was.  The father was shocked by this news, but I don't know if they talked to her even more.  It had been addressed and when I asked her "What did you learn today?" She told me and her father that she's not allowed to ever bite anyone again.  

I decided to look up why children bite, and what the best way to handle the situation is.  "The literature strongly suggests that caregivers and parents not bite the child back as a punishment or to show the child how it feels to be bitten."  To me, that is obvious, but I guess that is a good & valid point to make.  Let me stress that in no way would I ever even dream of biting a child.  I found this chart that I also find helpful in a much easier "use in real life" kind of way.  I know that both children treat each other ways they would never treat their friends, which I find good and bad, but I also want to prevent this ever happening again, and being well informed is the best way for me.

*Since then, there have been no other biting incidents.*