For a baby of 18-20 months, I think our encouragement of drastic measures
like ammonia, lemon juice, etc., is drastic, unrealistic and cruel.  I think
any daycare facility that used those measures would probably lose its
license.  I'm cringing at the thought of that ever being done to my baby.
Please, Mark, tell us you didn't encourage your student along those lines.
Don't we laugh at washing a kid's mouth out with soap as being "old
fashioned"?

I think also that the understanding that we're dealing with a baby puts
things in a different perspective.  (Although I still can't see drastic
things like spraying her with something.  She's not a cat eating plants...)
I suspect the biting is a temporary learned response, though of course it
must be dealt with for the protection of other children.

If she were my baby, I'd get her out of daycare for a couple of weeks,
difficult though that might be, and pay attention to her, distract her, give
her new things to learn and think about.  A baby of that age isn't really
even playing WITH other children much.  Why does she have so much access to
other children at that age?  Perhaps the continued interaction with lots of
other children is overwhelming to her.

Beth Benoit (Mother of 5, Grandmother of 5 - does that count??)
University System of New Hampshire


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