Ava bit a kid at daycare today. Hard enough to break the skin, apparently. The daycare’s policy is not to name the bitee, so we couldn’t confirm the injury. I guess it’s like some sort of kiddie witness protection program.
Anyway, when we got to daycare at 5 to pick up Ava, she was sitting by herself in a corner, sobbing, since the other policy at the daycare when a biting goes down is to isolate the biter and give that kid a timeout. Leah was livid that a child as young as Ava had been given a timeout, since kids under two years don’t have any way to understand what their isolation means.
Now we’re wondering what happens if Ava turns out to be a serial biter. She bites us every now and again, and we always tell her to stop and ask her to use her “gentle touches,” at which point she usually gives us a pat and a hug. She’s still teething, which we suspect is part of the problem. It’s conceivable that she could be asked to leave the daycare if she chomps on someone every day, but I don’t think it’s going to happen; Ava’s a lover, not a biter. Hopefully the daycare workers will keep a closer eye on her when she moves in on one of her playmates now.