Very young children learn by touching, hearing, smelling and tasting. She puts it in her mouth. Tasting and mouthing is something that all children do. Very young children do not always understand the difference between biting a toy and biting a person. When infants begin teething, swollen gums can be tender and painful.
Infants sometimes get relief by chewing on something.
Around 12 months of age infants become interested in what happens when they do something. When they drop a toy on the floor, mommy picks it up. When they bang a toy on their crib, it makes a loud noise. Some adults react to a young child s biting by laughing, but this only encourages the behavior. Older toddlers may bite simply to get attention.