Biting Policy

Biting is a natural developmental stage that many children go through. It is usually a temporary stage that commonly occurs in young children. The safety of the children at Nishkam Nursery is our primary concern. The Nursery’s biting policy addresses the actions the staff will take if a biting incident occurs. Children bite other children for many different reasons. A child might be teething or overly tired and frustrated. He or she might be experimenting or trying to get the attention of the carer or their peers. Young children have limited verbal skills and are impulsive without a lot of self-control. Sometimes biting occurs for no apparent reason. Nishkam Nursery will discourage the children bite if they become angry or frustrated. The staff members will maintain a close and constant supervision of the children at all times. THE FOLLOWING PROCEDURES WILL BE TAKEN:

• The biting will be interrupted with a firm "we don't bite, it’s not good"
• Staff will stay calm and will not overreact.
• The bitten child will be comforted.
• Staff will remove the biter from the situation.
• The biter will be redirected into another environment.
• The wound of the bitten child shall be assessed, and cold compress applied if needed. The parents of both children will be notified of the biting incident. Appropriate forms will be filled out (Incident Report).
• Confidentiality of all children involved will be maintained.
• The bitten area should continue to be observed by parents and staff for signs of infection.
• If this is a recurrent situation, the child will be observed or shadowed by a carer (e.g. shadowed for 10 minutes at a time without hindering their play or activities) and the observations will be monitored to see why the biting is reoccurring.
• The child will be given appropriate activities (sensory activities) to help cope with the biting.
• If we have a child who is biting on a regular basis, we shall put a behaviour management program into place with the full involvement of the parents/carer.
• If the situation is deemed serious enough and other children are at risk the child may be sent home.

 Updated April 2019