Toddlers have so many annoying habits; it is challenging to keep up.
One week they are hitting you and others, the next week they are licking everything, then they are hiding your things, and now your toddler is biting!
The thing about biting is it hurts.
An excellent way to get your toddler to stop is by using a good old-fashioned story. Stories capture the imagination, and when coupled with superb illustrations, they result in a compelling message that toddlers understand through enjoyment.
With that in mind and a rushed need to stop your toddler from biting, here are my top 5 books about biting for toddlers to read and listen to.
5 Of The Best Books About Biting For Toddlers
Before we start, I suggest that you look at his post about how my friend stopped her toddler from biting others. I am not suggesting it is as good as a book, but it certainly includes helpful tips on how you can deal with this pretty annoying phase.
1. People Don’t Bite People
Author: Lisa Wheeler
As humans, our brains are created to identify patterns in everything we do. It helps us understand, especially when we are younger.
One of those patterns is rhyming. When books use rhymes, it makes learning our language much easier.
This is where People Don’t Bite People comes into its own. The rhymes laid out in this book are fun to read, fun to listen to, and contain light-hearted messages about why it is not nice to bite.
It is not only the rhyming in this book that got my attention and practically forced me to include it on this page. The colorful illustrations are incredible and really will capture the imagination of your toddler.
It is clear that a lot of thought went into the production of this book.
2. Kindness is my Superpower: A children’s Book About Empathy, Kindness, and Compassion
Author: Alicia Ortego
Ok, so Kindness is my Superpower is not specifically about biting, but that doesn’t mean that you can not use it to combat this unkind behavior.
Positive discipline is a much better way of dealing with these (hopefully) phases that toddlers go through. So instead of calling out biting as bad behavior and trying to rectify it, why not spend your time reading a book about being kind?
Kindness is my Superpower does precisely that. It follows a child called Lucas and teaches your toddler how to be kind and empathetic (read this for signs of empathy in your toddler).
The book is written in an entertaining style that identifies ways in which your toddler can demonstrate kindness. There are many examples, and even has a page dedicated to acts of kindness you and your toddler can do.
3. Teeth Are Not for Biting
Author: Elizabeth Verdick
Amazon reviews are full of positivity for this book! It is clear that Teeth Are Not For Biting has helped several parents ween their toddlers off of their biting habit.
The message of this book is solid and basic. If you feel the need to bite, do something else instead. Choose a more appropriate response.
Instead of biting someone, why not pick up a chew toy? Go and tell an adult, or ask for a hug instead. These messages train your toddler to redirect their behavior to something more positive.
Not only does it help your toddler understand how much biting hurts, but it will also give you some tips for dealing with it too.
4. Little Dinos Don’t Bite
Author: Michael Dahl
You automatically think of a T-Rex when you think of dinosaurs, right? Well, I do. Some things stand out about T’Rex’s:
- They have short arms – probably easy to beat in an arm wrestle
- They tend to be very angry
- They have sharp teeth and bite things
Naturally, we have a book, aimed at toddlers who bite, about a dinosaur.
The Little Dinos Don’t Bite board book is written very well and is easily understood by little kids. You can see from the various reviews that it has helped many parents whose toddlers are going through the same phase.
If I could change one thing about the book, I would reduce the number of times it says ‘don’t,’ but that is mainly because I love more positive phrases instead.
Either way, this book will help if your toddler is biting!
5. Benjamin Monkey No Biting: An Early Reader Picture Book for Kids
Author: Big Red Baloon
Last up; we have the consequential book Benjamin Monkey No Biting.
This is a very simple book, which is perfect for toddlers!
As with many books aimed at this age group, the protagonist is a monkey who has a biting problem.
Benjamin learns that biting others has some very negative consequences during his journey through this book.
The main consequence is losing his friends if he doesn’t stop.
Biting Hurts – So Don’t Feel You Should Just Live With This Biting Behavior.
I’ve mentioned a few times in this post; I use positive alternatives to discipline my kids. I find it works well for all of us.
Learn how to deal with your toddler’s biting habit. While it is a good idea to purchase books that help drive home the message, it is also a good idea to learn redirection phrases and elements of positive discipline to eradicate the behavior entirely.
Conclusion
The 5 books I’ve highlighted on this page will absolutely help your toddler move away from their biting behavior.
Almost all young children go through the biting phase, by the way!
Your toddler must understand the ramifications of biting. Ask them to explain to you how it would feel if they were bitten. Get them to feel empathetic towards the victim of their biting.
Then, collaborate with your toddler to think of different ways to act when they are just about to bite someone. Instead of biting, suggest that your toddler:
- Has a drink
- Tell an adult they are angry
- Has some time out
Work with your toddler to develop a fuller list of appropriate responses. I appreciate that you may not get any kind of response from your toddler, but it will get them thinking. Each time they go to bite someone, they will revisit your conversation in their mind, and it may help them choose a different method of expressing how frustrated they are.
Good luck!
