Biting Hurts III
Triggers and Stress

How do we determine what triggers biting behavior? First of all, I never recommend that you ask young children, particularly toddlers or two year-olds, why they bite or engage in any other particular behavior. "Why did you bite?" is a rhetorical question in which we are just giving voice to our frustration regarding the child's behavior and our inability to adequately respond to it. We never will receive a satifactory answer. Even as an adult, I'm often not able to explain why I do some of the things I do. I just do them.

As you see, behavior can be unconcious and a function of habit or impulse. Even when behavior appears purposeful, that is, apparently concious and calculated, habit and impulse can continue to be a factor in children's behavior. While children may "choose" to engage in a particular behavior, unconcious processes may still play a significant role in initiating the behavior. Unusual as it sounds, it's as if I can't help myself from deciding to act this way.

In a way, you could consider that habit and impulse trigger behavior. However, its very difficult to address a phenomenon like impulsiveness. However, we can look at stress factors that create anxiety for young children and might lead to impulsive behavior. In my conversations with parents, I am always interested in what stress factors may be present in the home environment and whether children might be responding to stress through their biting or other behaviors while at childcare. In assessing stress, first determine that the child is sleeping well, eating appropriately and getting adequate exercise. These three "legs" create a strong foundation on which to build children's behavioral skills. Disruption or loss of sleep, poor diet and lack of exercise create significant amounts of stress for a developing child. Any efforts you make to affect a positive change in behavior will be handicapped if these three basic needs are not adequately met. Other stress factors that affect children and may be present in the home environment include; sickness or death in the family, frequent moves, mental health or substance abuse issues and loss of work or income, among others. In the case of the parents I had recently met with, none of these issues appeared to factor into the biting behavior. However, one issue did present itself and that was...a new baby on the way! And, wouldn't you know it, new babies in the family can rank pretty high on children's stress scales. More about new babies, stress and triggers in my next post.