No need to gasp, he didn’t bite me. Actually, this tale is one of insight into the minds and behaviour of young children.
There are times when, no matter what I say or do, my toddler ignores me or chooses to rebel. In fact, thruth be told, my husband does the same (but don’t tell him that I dobbed). There is something deep within me that means that when I talk I need to be heard and responded to. If I’m not, a tsunami of frustration fills my mind and body with an energy that has to be released. And so, one day when my charming three year old had switched his good listening ears off, this almost primeaval urge to bite grabbed hold. My teeth clenched and my jaw throbbed. I wasn’t being heard. Communication was failing and I didn’t know what else to do to get the response that I desired…
Perhaps, I thought, when reflecting upon my reaction, this is what littlies experience when they do not yet have the language or speech to communicate their needs and emotions with words. Perhaps when a little person feels ignored or misunderstood a ball of frustration rises from the pit of his or her tummy and into the jaw, and the energy has to be released. The result, of course, is that whomever has failed to heed the message, or whoever is closest, gets bitten. Something to think about.
