Toddler Biting-How To Manage Your Toddler Classroom Aggressive Behaviors
If your toddler teacher you probably have experienced first hand toddlers biting, hiting, or kicking. Teacher bestie do not feel alone! Aggression with toddlers is a common struggle in the early childhood classroom. Toddler biting daycare is extremely common.
Sadly, your students don’t need to be taught negative behaviors. How do you stop a toddler from biting at daycare? In this guide I will be going over understanding aggressive behavior in young children and give you some practical strategies to address and manage these behaviors in your toddler classroom.
So if you’re a toddler teacher your in the right place. Here are my favorite tips to help toddler teachers when kids bite, hit, and kick at daycare.
What causes toddler biting?
When kids act aggressively by hitting, kicking, or biting, it can be tough and stressful for teachers. This behavior can disrupt your classroom and kids can even become extremely hurt. But when your understand why it happens and how to deal with it can make a gigigatic difference in your classroom.
So why do toddlers bite? It’s actually normal for your toddler students to engage with aggressive behavior like hitting, biting and kicking. It’s easy to forget that toddlers are just learning how to explore and manage their worlds
Why do toddlers bite, hit, or kick?
Toddler have limited impulse control, emotional regulation, and communication challenges. These factors often contribute to toddler aggressive actions like hitting, kicking, and biting.
How to prevent your toddler from biting hitting or kicking?
Now that you know why toddlers bite, take these steps to prevent it from happening.
Make a Calm Learning Environment-
Step one to prevent toddler biting is to create a calm classroom. Does your room include stuffed animals? Comfy chairs? Cozy lighting? Calming scents like lavender? Not only will it make your classroom and cute environment it will also make a safe one. Try to create a calm and welcoming room. This will help students feel at ease in a not overstimulated environment.
This calm environment also includes you being a calm collected calm teacher.
This calm attitude includes your tone of voice and your attitude. Young children are like mirrors they will reflect what they see. If they see your calm demeanor they likely will have one as well.
Help reduce waiting time in your classroom.
Always have a backup plan. Young toddlers normally have short attention span. So be ready to got to the next activity. Check out my free centers planner by clicking here.
Help your students learn to regulate big emotions-
Did you know that even toddlers can learn to regulate their emotions? You can introduce regulation tools and techniques throughout your day. When this becomes the norm, children are able to learn great techniques. These techniques include deep breathing and talking about different emotions
What to do when toddlers bite?
So, you just what How do you respond to toddler biting or hitting?
Stay Calm-Toddler often bite or hit to get your attention. Acting like you’re not bothered can stop kids from being aggressive for attention. It shows them that hitting or kicking won’t get them what they want. Instead focus on the victim. Express their feeling of sadness at being hurt by another friend.
Keep other students safe- Safety of children is your top priority. Movie kids away from each other. Make sure to move or take away dangerous things like hard blocks or chairs.
Make Boundaries and Set Rules- Every student and teacher that comes into your room has the right to feel safe. Tell your toddler student what’s okay and what’s not . They need to know that hurting others is not allowed. Everybody has the right to have a safe body. Explain when we hurt others they are making that person unsafe.
Let students express negative emotions- It’s okay for toddlers to be upset. Letting them feel their feelings is important, as long as they don’t hurt anyone.
Next Steps
As you explore different emotions you might want to check out this free all about me activity for toddlers. It’s great for helping toddler students learn more about themselves. Grab it here
Finally, If you enjoyed this post about how to stop toddler biting make sure to share with teacher friend.
To sum this post up now you are ready and equipped to stop toddler biting, hitting and kicking. In conclusion you now you have the tools to help with your toddler classroom management. Make sure to check out my fun and easy preschool activities. This includes ton of great activities to keep your students engaged for hours.
