When Kids Bite: Roll With the Punches

It seems even infants aren’t immune to the Twilight phenomenon.

At least that’s how I explain why my daughter was bitten by a playmate last month.

The actual story relayed by our daycare worker was that CeCe and a little boy both wanted the same book.

Being a 1-year-old, he became frustrated and chomped down on my little girl’s cheek.

By the time I picked her up, CeCe had long forgotten the incident and didn’t even have a scar to show for it.

But the boy’s mother was distraught. The apologies came pouring out. “He never does this! I don’t know what came over him! He usually isn’t an aggressive child!”

She seemed concerned about her child being labeled “a biter.” At the tender age of 1, his fate would be sealed and his nickname by kindergarten would be Hannibal Lecter.

But honestly, I wasn’t really upset about it.

My daughter is probably going to be bitten again, or someone will knock her down on the playground, or snatch a book away from her.

She might even do some of things herself. Some of these children may grow up to be bullies, but most will avoid serious jail time.

But how does freaking out over a bite mark help the situation?

I’m glad this mom was apologetic, because it showed me she won’t tolerate physical aggression by her child.

But for me to make a fuss over it won’t help my child learn how to deal with the situation.

Had CeCe needed stitches, I might have reacted differently. But getting angry over the actions of a 1-year-old wouldn’t have helped anything.

They are babies. The concept of right and wrong is still pretty new.

So while we suffer through the days of “We hug our friends, not bite them” and “We use soft touches when we pet the doggie,” I’m going to try to stay level-headed and roll with the tiny little punches.

Follow Katie on her mommy blog at mynewheartbeat.com.