Jack has just got his first 4 teeth and he has realised that he can bite...he has bitten me and Dave on our shoulders so hard that he has broken the skin. The first time I said "No" really loudly and he cried..but the second time i did it

What do we do when our angel child bites?  Bite your child back.  WHAT?  No way.  I have heard of so many people that boast they have bitten their children back to teach them not to bite and they've never bitten again.  Don't even try to explain the logic in that.  Children of different ages bite for different reasons. To answer the above query, we'll deal with infants biting.

Children up to 12 months of age bite for a number of reasons. 

Why do breastfed babies bite during a feed?

• boredom; so they are experimenting 

remove them from the breast with a stern "no, we don't bite" wait a few moments before resuming

• if you are tense or distracted and that let down reflex hasn't occurred                                    

find and avoid the source of your distraction.

In all this, remain calm and do not smack your child

Why do infants bite?

• generally, a teething baby will bite on anything they can get to counter-act the pain.

Try to remain calm, without a major reaction....which can be hard, they bite so hard.  Sometimes a reaction can be an overreaction to a baby and can frighten them. It can also increase their want to bite people if they were entertained by your reaction.  Either way, gently and firmly pull bubs away with a stern "no, we don't bite" and put the child down for a few moments.  They eventually make the connection.  Provide alternatives and have them close at hand so they learn the alternative.  What's the alternative?

There are a multitude of teething and chew toys available.  The only problem is deciding which to buy.  Chew toys with different surfaces or textures are always a good thing.  Your child can choose a favourite surface, which changes, and eventually they will have it on them most of the time.  They will prefer their favourite chew toy over a shoulder or hand.

Treating the pain:- there are so many homeopathic and pharmaceutical preparations on the market.  I can recommend Brauer Homeopathic teething relief and trusty Bonjella.  Everyone has a favourite and I'm sure you'll get those ideas soon.