2 yr old wont stop BITING his ARM!!! HELP!!!

My 2 year old will NOT stop biting his arm, His arm looks really bad, hes not just nibbling, im talking biting and pulling the skin! Me and my husband have tried punishment, by time outs, or telling him no, and taking his arm down and telling him thats bad, but nothing seems to work. Hes not a thumb sucker, hes an arm biter, and i have never known any other young child to do that. Any advice? or anyone ever had this problem? ****PLEASE HELP!!!****

 

my dog used to do that. We taped his arm to prevent him doing any damage. Eventually he lost interest. I know, I know, this is your kid, not a dog, but the same basic principle exists, doesn't it?

 

like medical tape????

 

That is not easy sometimes to control. I am sure he is curiously amused. Unfortunately it is not the best past time he could have picked up! Maybe try putting something harmelss on his arms....Like Lemon juice with a little bit of hot sauce. Once he tasted that, maybe he will stop! Plus he won't look funny with tape wrapped up on him, which he could rip off again and start all over again.
I heard of the lemon juice/hot sauce trick to make kids stop biting their nails, perhaps it will stop this too! Worth a shot, and it won't harm him. Good Luck!

 

yeah, we used this foamy medical tape that sealed really well. You couldn't find the end, and its realyl hard to peal off. In fact, we usually cut it off when the time came. It comes in bright, fun colours and washes well. Good luck with what ever you plan to do!

 

ok I deal with issues like this at work. I modify behaviors. do not say "NO" or "Stop doing that!" because these remarks sometimes makes the behaviors worse. Instead, redirect his arm and try avoid giving him attention for it. If you say anything, then say "Do we bit our arm?" then ask him why we don't bite ourselves. If it is occuring at a high frequency then do not say a word when the behavior occurs because any verbal response will reinforce the behavior. Give no eye contact while redirecting his arm. He most likely does it because it feels good. When he is acting appropriate give him positive reinforcement, but do not mention anything related to the bitting. For an example do not say, "You're doing a great job at not bitting yourself." Just say, I'm loving the fact that you're sitting nicely or something along these lines. I hope I helped. If you need anymore info, then let me know. It can be very upsetting when we witness a child harming him or herself.