Biting, hitting and pushing can sometimes happen while young children are learning how to communicate, how to regulate big emotions, and interact with others.
If this happens in your setting, the priority is to keep everyone safe whilst helping the child learn more positive ways to express their needs.
At tiney we believe that children’s behaviour is communication. When a child bites or hits, they are usually telling us that something feels difficult for them in that moment. Understanding what might be behind the behaviour helps us respond calmly and support the child to learn.
Why children might bite
There are many reasons a young child may bite. For example:
Teething discomfort
Frustration or strong emotions
Limited speech and language
Sensory needs
Feeling tired, hungry or overwhelmed
Changes or stresses in their home life
Children are still learning how to regulate these feelings, and sometimes biting is their way of expressing them.
What to do if a child bites
Stay calm and intervene
Respond quickly and calmly.
Use a calm, clear voice to say something like: “Stop. Biting hurts.”
Children learn how to regulate their emotions by experiencing calm, regulated adults around them.
Comfort the child who was hurt
Support the child who was bitten first.
Comfort and reassure them
Check the injury and provide first aid if needed
Acknowledge their feelings with simple language, for example “Thomas bit you. It looks like you’re feeling sad. Would you like a cuddle?”
Important: If the bite breaks the skin, parents should seek advice from a healthcare professional.
Support the child who bit
Once everyone is safe, support the child who bit.
Explain simply: “Biting hurts.”
Help them name their feelings and reassure them that their feelings are okay, but the action was not “It’s okay to feel cross/angry/upset. It’s not okay to bite.”
Encourage safer ways to communicate “If you are feeling cross, you can stamp your feet or squeeze this ball”
This helps children begin to understand how their actions affect others.
Recording the incident
All biting incidents should be recorded.
You should:
Complete an accident form for the child who was bitten
Complete a separate incident form for the child who bit
For confidentiality reasons, parents should not be told which child bit their child.
Looking for patterns
If biting happens more than once, it can help to look for patterns.
You might notice:
It happens at certain times of day
The child is tired or hungry
It occurs during sharing or transitions
The environment feels busy or overwhelming
Using a behaviour or communication tracker can help identify possible triggers.
Supporting the child over time
You can support the child by:
Anticipating situations where biting may occur
Offering appropriate alternatives (for example teething toys)
Helping children use words or gestures to express themselves
Providing calm space if a child feels overwhelmed
If a child is going through a phase where they are persistently biting you might need to adopt a ‘shadowing’ approach, where you stay very close to the child ready to step in
Working closely with parents so everyone supports the child in the same way
Considering sensory needs or SEND
Sometimes biting can be linked to a sensory need or a special educational need or disability (SEND).
For some children, biting provides strong sensory input that helps them regulate their body or emotions.
For example, a child might bite because they:
are seeking oral sensory input
feel overwhelmed by noise or activity
are struggling to communicate their needs
are experiencing strong emotions they cannot yet express in words
In these situations, the goal is not simply to stop the behaviour, but to help the child meet that need in a safer way.
You might support this by:
offering appropriate items to bite or chew (such as teething toys where age-appropriate, and SEND specific resources)
providing crunchy foods at snack time (for example apple or carrot)
creating calm spaces where children can regulate if they feel overwhelmed
helping children communicate through words, gestures or visual cues
If biting is frequent or persistent, it may also be helpful to:
talk with the child’s parents about what you’re noticing
continue observing and tracking patterns
seek advice from the tiney SEND support team
seek advice from your local SEND support services.
Early support can help you better understand what the child may need and how to support them within your setting.
If behaviour continues
Supporting behaviour can sometimes feel challenging, especially when you’re caring for several children at once.
If biting continues:
Keep communicating openly with parents, reassuring them that biting is a normal stage of some children’s development
Explain to parents how you are supporting all of the children and share your Supporting and Understanding Children’s Behaviour policy with parents
Continue observing and recording patterns
Reach out to the tiney team for guidance
Consider whether additional support (such as local authority advice) may help
The aim is always to support the child’s development while making sure all children in your care feel safe and supported.
Need more support?
If you’re finding behaviour in your setting difficult to navigate, you’re not alone.
You can reach out to the tiney team through the app for advice and support.
You may also find it helpful to revisit tiney training sessions on: