Biting help

[kelpie169]

Have a 3.5 year old boy who has some delays. Mostly speech...he doesn't say many words an communicates by signing or pointing etc. I also have a 1.5 year old.
There are times when I have to stick them both in their room to play. I'm having an extremely hard pregnancy and if I don't get away from them for a few mins, they climb on me all day long. And I need to do some light housework which is literally impossible with them trailing after me.
My problem is that occasionally my oldest son will bite my younger one. Only when I'm not there. Since I don't see it, I don't know exactly what causes it. I know he gets a little more physical when he's frustrated but this HAS to stop! We've been redirectin, telling him no, separating them--we've even spanked him a time or two-which I hate. But those times he drew blood and left massive bruises. Not even hard spanks either but I still hate it.

Any advice you can give would be welcome. We have an appt with his neuro in mid August for a routine heck in an well be bringing up some other behavioral issues and this biting issue. But in the meantime I need to do something! Thanks!

[cristy_1996]

I would personally separate them. Maybe you can get one of those gate things for the 1.5 year old to play in while you are getting some cleaning done and DS1 can play in his room. If he is drawing blood, I just wouldn't leave them alone together honestly.

My son was the one being bitten but by a kid in daycare and this is how she handled it until we pulled him out since the kid biting was also developmentally slow and couldn't communicate well.

[TwinKristi]

Separating them is the best idea. I watch an 18 month old who's a biter and I cannot leave him alone with anyone. He bit my baby on the ear and I was right there but not on top of them. He almost bit him again but I was close by and stopped him. His new DCP has a small baby and I worry that he'll bite there too. He even bites his older cousins. Someone else suggested giving them something that IS ok to bite. My DS4 was the biter when I did daycare when he was a toddler. When they improve their verbal communication is when it usually starts getting better. :-) good luck!

[Rdesonia]

Can you put the younger one in a playpen or is he a climber?

Could/would your older child be a "mommy's helper"? Like distract him by having him pull clothes out of the dryer and into a basket while you do laundry? I use to have 2 baskets. Dump my wets into a basket. Then as I folded the dry/ loaded the washer... he put the wet out of the basket into the dryer to "help". It took him forever to do it and that was a good thing! Then he helped me put them away by opening closet doors etc. (or carrying a basket with one or two of his items!)

While cleaning the living room... put on a video with each an assigned spot. If they get up... video over!

While cleaning the dinning room... have then eat a snack. Or give them a dry rag to each help wash off the table/high chair.

When cooking dinner, put the youngest in the highchair and let the older one bang on a pot. The older one can also help "set the table". (Folding a napkin in half and putting it at everyone's spot)

You can get creative in how you distract them and how they "help".

[kattayanna_mom]

This is a great website that should help you out giving you answers as to why toddlers bite,ways to prevent biting and so forth.
http://main.zerotothree.org/site/Pag..._social_biting