Parenting: How do I deal with biting?
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Joanna Fortune from 'Parenting on Moncrieff' addresses four common parenting challenges in a candid, empathetic tone. She begins by normalizing biting in 21-month-olds, explaining it as a developmental phase tied to limited emotional and verbal skills, not malice. She advises a firm 'no' with a serious tone, immediate redirection, and co-regulation through touch, while emphasizing that biting often stems from frustration over a new baby or teething. Next, she tackles the Lego dilemma, cautioning against choking hazards for children under three, and suggests supervised play at the table, using a Lego mat to contain pieces, and setting clear boundaries. For an 11-year-old struggling with weekend visits to his father, she validates his complaints as normal preteen resistance, urges the parent to listen without fixing, and encourages the child to communicate directly with his dad, while acknowledging the father’s own stress. Finally, she addresses persistent bedwetting in a six-year-old, stressing the need for a GP visit to rule out medical causes before behavioral interventions, and recommends gentle nighttime routines. She also discusses sudden vegetable aversion in a seven-year-old, attributing it to developmental milestones, sensory sensitivities, or past negative experiences, and advises non-pressured exposure, sensory-friendly food prep, and modeling positive eating habits. Throughout, Joanna emphasizes empathy, developmental context, and avoiding power struggles.
Biting at 21 months is a normal developmental phase due to limited emotional and language skills; respond with a firm 'no' and immediate redirection.
Use co-regulation techniques like holding hands and gentle rhythmic touch to calm a biting toddler.
Supervise older children using small Lego bricks with younger siblings; use a Lego mat and table-based play to contain risks.
Listen to children's complaints without fixing them—especially in post-divorce parenting—validate feelings and encourage open communication.
Rule out medical causes (e.g., UTIs, deep sleep) before addressing bedwetting; don't rely solely on alarms if the child is a deep sleeper.
…and 3 more takeaways available in PodZeus
Biting in a 21-Month-Old: A Developmental Phase
“She might be delighted with this little baby, but there's also the part of her that can't express this little usurper has come in now and upscuttled my world order.”
Managing Lego Access for Younger Siblings
Joanna addresses the safety concern of small Lego bricks for a 3-year-old. She recommends supervised play at the table, using a Lego mat to contain pieces, and clear rules about tidying up. She acknowledges the older child’s desire for 'grown-up Lego' but stresses safety over convenience.
11-Year-Old Resisting Weekend Visits: Listening Over Fixing
“He's not refusing to go, just to be clear. So it's not for this parent to say, do I just keep making him go or encouraging him to go? He is going.”
Persistent Bedwetting in a 6-Year-Old: Medical First
“This is a bright, talented, active little girl and she hasn't been able to develop this skill. So I would be a fan of ruling out the medical.”
Sudden Vegetable Aversion at Age 7: Developmental & Sensory Factors
“I avoid an emotional charge around food at all costs because I think you solve one problem while creating another and it really doesn't pay off.”
“This is a bright, talented, active little girl and she hasn't been able to develop this skill. So I would be a fan of ruling out the medical.”
“She might be delighted with this little baby, but there's also the part of her that can't express this little usurper has come in now and upscuttled my world order.”
“I avoid an emotional charge around food at all costs because I think you solve one problem while creating another and it really doesn't pay off.”
Host
Guest
Joanna Fortune
person
Sean
person
Lego
brand
GP
organization
Duplo
brand
Newstalk
media
UTI
other
Bed Alarm
product
Sore Throat
other
Peeler
product
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