Milk teeth can be effective weapons, as many toddlers discover to their glee. Parenting expert and child psychologist Dr Pat Spungin, CEO of Raisingkids.co.uk, has some tips on getting toddlers to keep their fangs to themselves.

Raisingkids member's problem
My 13-month-old son has suddenly started biting people! It's not everybody, and not all the time.

He bites me, and his younger cousin too, but I've noticed he only bites when he's with his cousin. My son's running around now but his cousin's 10 weeks younger and still crawling. She tends to hang on to my son, and I think it annoys him. How can I stop him from biting? And how long is this phase going to last?

Dr Spungin's advice
Don't try and stop him biting by smacking him or biting him back! Calmly but swiftly remove him from the scene and say 'No biting!' in a stern voice with a serious expression. Biting can sometimes be a way of gaining attention so be careful not to give more attention to the biter than the victim. Remember a big telling off still means your son's in the spotlight - even if he's getting into trouble.

Toddlers often resort to aggressive behaviour when they feel insecure. Pick your little boy up and cuddle him when visitors arrive. While he's getting used to them, let him stay close to you. Don't vanish into the kitchen straight away for coffee but show him how to play with your niece by joining in yourself for the first ten minutes.

How long is this going to last? In my experience, most children tend to outgrow the bolshy, disobedient phase by their 30th birthday.

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