Mom Bites Kid, Mom Goes to Jail

re: Mom Bites Kid, Mom Goes to Jail

christa — Thu, 02 Oct 2008 03:25:44 GMT

My parents used this technique when I went through a biting phase as a toddler (didn't work. I just started biting myself after I bit someone. smart kid). Probably not the best idea, but five MONTHS in jail?? That sounds excessive. How does that happen when elsewhere in the UK an 8 month old baby died from broken ribs AFTER a doctor said that his many other previous injuries were indicative of abuse, but the court refused to act? www.timesonline.co.uk/.../article4718109.ece

It makes no sense.

btw, "offences" is not incorrect; it is a variation of spelling, used mainly by the British.

re: Mom Bites Kid, Mom Goes to Jail

Manjari — Fri, 26 Sep 2008 18:09:27 GMT

Yes, but this mom's bite was hard enough to leave bruises. Can anyone really defend that?

re: Mom Bites Kid, Mom Goes to Jail

Knitty — Fri, 26 Sep 2008 17:04:28 GMT

I don't see any difference between biting (that doesn't break the skin) and spanking other than one is considered socially acceptable and the other sounds primitive and animalistic.

I know mothers who have bitten their kids to teach them that biting hurts, and they report a 100 percent success rate. As my grandmother used to put it "them's that don't hear have gots to feel!'

re: Mom Bites Kid, Mom Goes to Jail

anon. — Fri, 26 Sep 2008 14:52:05 GMT

I have bitten both my children, when nothing else worked, as a way to show them how much it hurts. I didn't think I was abusing them, I thought I was teaching them empathy. I didn't just bite them as a reaction, I actually explained to them that "this is how it feels when someone bites you." I know a lot of people would flame me with responses like how I might hit them back if they hit me, etc. I can only go with what I think is right at the time. Parenting is such a slippery slope. It doesn't sound like they took into account the whole situation or what kind of mother she is in general. What a shame! And for the record, biting back only worked on one of my two children. I stopped doing it to my second child when it proved not to be effective. Maybe it was bad judgment, which I think EVERY parent is guilty of at some point, but my intentions were true and I was also going on the advice of some other parents who told me to try this method when I was at my wits end. Under these circumstances I think a lot of good parents would be put in jail, myself included.

re: Mom Bites Kid, Mom Goes to Jail

another_mom — Fri, 26 Sep 2008 13:36:05 GMT

My 2 1/2 year old son used to bite his 1 year old brother (as well as my husband and I). One afternoon a few months ago, after a particular heinous bite of his brother, I bit him. Not hard enough to bruise or leave lasting teeth marks, but enough so he could feel it. And guess what? He's never bitten since. Was it revenge? No. Crazy protective mode? No. Moment of uncontrollable rage? No. It was calculated effective discipline.

re: Mom Bites Kid, Mom Goes to Jail

Manjari — Fri, 26 Sep 2008 12:56:35 GMT

I can't believe she bit her own kid! Maybe she went into some kind of crazy protective mode about her baby? I used to say (when I was childless) that I couldn't understand how anyone could ever hurt a child. Now I DO understand, because there are times when I feel like giving one of mine a smack. I don't actually do it, though! I think physical pain is the worst discipline idea, and I know I would feel so guilty later. Hitting, biting, etc. are all things we don't want our kids to do, so it seems obvious that we shouldn't get violent either.