Why does a young child bite other children and parents, and is it normal?
Applies to age: 12–36 months
In short
Most young children occasionally bite, hit or push another child; toddlers are curious and may not understand that a bite hurts. This does not mean the child will grow up to be aggressive.
What is normal
All claims: international norm
- Most young children occasionally bite, hit or push another child.
Source: NHS – show the original wording (EN)
Summarized and translated by the editors, not an official translation. Verbatim quote from the source, in its original wording:
Most young children occasionally bite, hit or push another child.
NHS · open the source · accessed: 2026-10-14 · license [1]
- Toddlers are curious and may not understand that biting or pulling hair hurts.
Source: NHS – show the original wording (EN)
Summarized and translated by the editors, not an official translation. Verbatim quote from the source, in its original wording:
Toddlers are curious and may not understand that biting or pulling hair hurts.
NHS · open the source · accessed: 2026-10-14 · license [1]
- A child biting or hitting does not mean the child will grow up to be aggressive.
Source: NHS – show the original wording (EN)
Summarized and translated by the editors, not an official translation. Verbatim quote from the source, in its original wording:
This does not mean your child will grow up to be aggressive.
NHS · open the source · accessed: 2026-10-14 · license [1]
- Temper tantrums usually start at around 18 months of age and are very common in young children.
Source: NHS – show the original wording (EN)
Summarized and translated by the editors, not an official translation. Verbatim quote from the source, in its original wording:
Temper tantrums usually start at around 18 months and are very common in toddlers.
NHS · open the source · accessed: 2026-10-14 · license [1]
- Hitting and biting are also common in young children.
Source: NHS – show the original wording (EN)
Summarized and translated by the editors, not an official translation. Verbatim quote from the source, in its original wording:
Hitting and biting are common, too.
NHS · open the source · accessed: 2026-10-14 · license [1]
When to worry
All claims: international norm
Worth discussing with a doctor:
- If your child's behavior seriously worries you, it is worth seeing a doctor.
Source: NHS – show the original wording (EN)
Summarized and translated by the editors, not an official translation. Verbatim quote from the source, in its original wording:
If you're seriously concerned about your child's behaviour, talk to your health visitor or GP.
NHS · open the source · accessed: 2026-10-14 · license [1]
See a doctor
- If something about your child's behavior worries you, it is worth talking to a specialist and using the advice of a midwife, nurse or pediatrician.
Source: Portal Pacjenta – show the quote
Verbatim quote from the source:
Polish original
Warto jednak skonsultować ze specjalistą to, co Cię zaniepokoiło i korzystać z rad położnej, pielęgniarki czy pediatry.
Portal Pacjenta · open the source · accessed: 2026-10-14 · license [2]
international norm “International norm” next to a section heading means its claims come from a non-Polish source, because no Polish source in our registry covers this topic. When this applies to only some of the claims, the foreign ones carry the same label next to their source.
Sources
- NHS (nhs.uk, Anglia)License: Open Government Licence v3.0. Source: NHS (nhs.uk, Anglia). Content summarized and translated by the editors; changed relative to the original. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. The summary is ours and is not attributed to the NHS.
- Portal Pacjenta (pacjent.gov.pl)License: CC BY 3.0 PL. Source: Portal Pacjenta (pacjent.gov.pl). Content summarized and translated by the editors; changed relative to the original.