When Toddlers Bite

On a recent evening, as I was standing at the kitchen counter checking my email, I felt something pinch my rear end. I spun around and was surprised to find my almost-three-year-old, Ben, looking up and baring his teeth at me. Yep, that was no pinch I'd felt -- he'd just bitten me on the butt. It was the first time he'd bitten anyone -- and luckily the only time (so far). And while I was glad that it had happened to me and not his baby brother or a nursery school classmate, I was still alarmed that it had happened at all.

But, fellow moms of toddlers, take comfort. The good news (and the bad) is that toddler nips are neither uncommon nor unusual. To, uh, bite into this meaty issue, we sought the expert advice of a developmental psychologist, a pediatrician, and an early childhood educator. Read on to find out more from about this disturbing (but normal) phase of development, and how to handle it.

Plus:
6 Solutions for Kids That Bite
Teaching Your Child to Handle Anger
5 Tantrum Stoppers That Work