Hello,

I am more of a "reader" than a poster. We have GGB triplets. They will be four in Jan. We have been having problems with our son.
Last year they attended preschool three mornings per week. He was biting often. He would bite his sisters & others. He seemed to stop this year. They now attend everyday in the mornings. He is in a class w/o his sisters. He is now biting (not as often), talking back to us & his teacher. He seems to be "sorry" after he acts out, but continues to repeat these behaviors. We have changed many things in the past few months. We have moved & he is no longer in his crib. He has his own twin bed & is alone in his room for the first time. Should I take him to be evaluated? Is it too soon for that? Is this behavior more common among multiples? I feel so helpless. Thanks.

Eugena

My kids are a lot younger than yours, but it sounds like he might be stressed from all the recent changes. Have you tried talking to his about it? Maybe when he is in a good mood, ask him if he misses sleeping in the same room with his sisters. Ask him if he misses the old house and his crib. Ask him if he feels sad that he doesn't get to be at home with Mommy as much now that they go to school every day.

Maybe not all these questions at once, but hunt and peck til you can try to figure out what's bothering him. Take his answers and see if you can make a few minor changes to make him feel more at ease about all the new changes. I am pretty sure that learning to backtalk is common for this age, but there could be some things that are bothering him that are exacerbating this normal phase.

Like I said, my kids are way younger, so I could be way off. It's worth a shot, though.

Jenny
single mom to spontaneous BBB 34w 2d

http://lilypie.com>

Eugena
This may be way off or a long shot but he sounds a bit like one of my dds. We had her IgG allergy tested and eliminated the most reactive foods. She is so much better. It is like those foods were torturing her little system. She was such a troublemaker and even after correction it was like she did not "get it". She was also up and down with her moods throughout the day. We used a company called Us biotek. You can probably google it to get it to come up.

Is he getting enough rest? That would be one other thing that might be something to look at. Does he still nap and how is his nightime sleeping?
Best of luck and HTH
Tracey
GGG 2/04

Eugena~

Sorry you're dealing with this biting issue. Whenever I think of a little child biting, I think about their language skills.

Is he articulating his thoughts and requests? Is he frustrated because his speech is hindering him from conveying his thoughts?

Maybe the next time you visit the pediatrician, see what she thinks about his speech development. See what his pre-school teacher says, too. She might have some great input on the biting episodes.

Good luck!

Lisa

i agree with what lisa is saying. how is he doing verbally? with two others to compete with, it is often difficult to be heard and your son might feel he gets "heard" most efficiently by biting? one of ours went through that stage...

do check out what the teacher says about speech development, also, when passionate about something, how your son's speech is. can he speak clearly then? that is when a lot of kids resort to biting.

good luck.

tess
mummy to 6yr old ds & the triumverate born 2004

"the days are slow but the years fly by quickly"

I'm reading between the lines here, but the biting seems to be secondary to your overall concerns about him. If the biting is the ONLY issue, I'd say it is probably just a phase. But it sounds like your little guy really wants to be good but he is having a hard time controlling himself. Almost like he has some compulsive behaviors. That can be a sign of more serious developmental concerns. The good news is that there are options. I would get him evaluated b/c obviously you are very worried. It will never hurt to rule out developmental issues. That way, you can feel better about using discipline to curtail the behaviors if it is indeed preventable.

I also recommend reading a book called: The Explosive Child. It is really good.

Owner:Cutie Tooties Cloth Diapers & Natural Baby Products
WWW.CutieTooties.com

Sorry, we have been so busy that I have not had a chance to read responses.

No, he is not getting enough sleep. I have not been able to get them to take naps for many months now. Hopefully, after things settle down at our new house, they will take naps again.
He has a mild ear infection, also. He is almost finished antibiotics.
Last year I took him to pedi about biting. She suggested testing his hearing first. It was fine. She did think the biting was a communication issue. His verbal skills could be better.
Today I kept him home from school & brought his sisters to school. He seemed to respond well to the attention. He was very well behaved this afternoon..no biting, etc.

Yes, his behavior is compulsive. I will get that book.

Yes, I am very worried. Thanks for all the advice. It would help to rule out any developmental issues.

Thanks,
Eugena