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Path: utzoo!watmath!clyde!bonnie!akgua!akgub!cylixd!charli
From: charli@cylixd.UUCP (Charli Phillips)
Newsgroups: net.kids
Subject: Re: 2-year old Biting
Message-ID: <352@cylixd.UUCP>
Date: Wed, 9-Oct-85 12:46:56 EDT
Article-I.D.: cylixd.352
Posted: Wed Oct  9 12:46:56 1985
Date-Received: Sat, 12-Oct-85 18:13:44 EDT
References: <726@decwrl.UUCP>
Reply-To: charli@cylixd.UUCP (Charli Phillips)
Organization: RCA Cylix Communications , Memphis, TN
Lines: 44
Summary: 

In article <726@decwrl.UUCP> marks@yogi.DEC writes:
>
> 
><We're having some problems getting our
><2 year old daughter to stop biting.
>    ......
><Any ideas would be greatly appreciated.
> 
>
>My suggestion is this:  . . . . 
>figure out what your 2-year-old really likes (she
>seems to enjoy going to Chuck E. Cheeses, e.g.) and let her know
>that if she goes for a certain amount of time without biting anyone
>she will be rewarded by being taken out or being given something
>she likes.
>
>Experiments were done using candy. . . Sometimes pennies did the trick.
>Generally, there is something that is not too expensive and unwieldy
>that will thrill the small child.  
>R.M.

Any kind of reinforcement, to work well, must be *immediate*.  (Of 
course, what is immediate can vary with the age and maturity of the
child.)  A trip to Chuck E. Cheeses is probably not immediate enough 
for a 2-year old.  Set *small* goals, and use candy, or grapes, or
whatever as a reinforcer.  And, as R.M. noted, *be consistent*, at
least initially.  After the behavior you want is established, 
random reinforcement (and substituting praise for the candy or fruit)
will do more to keep the behavior than consistent reinforcement.

As a second thought, if you tell her she can't bite, it might make
it easier for her to stop biting if you tell her what to do instead.
It might be impossible for her to do *nothing* when she's in a mood
to bite, but you could, for example, set aside a "hitting pillow",
and say if she wants to bite, she should hit that pillow instead.  If
she does, out comes the candy (or grapes or whatever) and lavish
praise.

Role modelling can also help.  Tell her "Mommy doesn't bite.  Daddy
doesn't bite.  Santa Clause (or Superman or whoever she admires)
doesn't bite."  Reinforce these ideas as much as you can.  (But don't
use the "biting back" technique if you're going to try this!)

	charli