Biting is normal kid behaviour – here's how you can help build empathy after they do it.

If there’s one thing I’ve come to learn (and have unfortunately experienced firsthand) in the past few years, it’s that young kids like to use their teeth to try and make a point – whether that’s to convey teething pain, air annoyance because someone snatched something, for sensory-seeking purposes or to handle some other frustration they can’t quite put into words.

But what happens when your child bites another kid in your presence? What should you say to them?

Ryan Allen is an early childhood mental health therapist and the author of children’s book, Friends Are Not For Biting. In a video on TikTok, he suggested a simple 30-second response to teach a child empathy after they’ve bitten someone.

The phrase helps to name the emotion the biter is feeling – for example, anger – but then puts the focus on the other child who got hurt and how they’re feeling.

“Once the situation has calmed or if it’s calm enough, you can make sure you point out the child’s emotion – the one who bit – you can say: ‘I know you were feeling angry’, which encourages them to reflect on their own........

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