Encouraging Positive Behaviour

Lately my baby has taken to biting.  It started with biting my nose now it’s nose, fingers, arm, stomach, basically wherever she can sink her teach in.  It all started with the nose though.  Baby would lean in for the chomp grabbing my ears to make sure I couldn’t escape.   At first I thought it was funny and would make the funny I’m in pain noise and then tickle her.  She is usually not ticklish except when she is tired or when she is trying to bite me.  Clearly we have established the biting tickling routine.  I still tickle her and think it’s quite funny but I’ve been wondering if I’m just encouraging negative social behaviour.

This is actually something that I am always wondering no matter what I am doing with baby.  I always ask myself what is she learning from my behaviour.  For us playing with a child is just fun.  For the child though this is an important socialising experience.  Through play children learn how to be human.  They also learn how to be human by observing everything we do.  My daughter has learnt that humans sweep and vacuum the floor and so always wants to do this.  This of course is a positive behaviour which we encourage.  It’s up to us to make sure they learn positive social behaviour.  Sometimes I make a funny noise when my daughter hits me.  I wonder if this is the starting point for bullying behaviour latter on.  Did a bully learn that if i hit someone they make a funny noise when they were toddlers?  Whether it is true or not I am always checking my behaviour.  Making sure that I am encouraging positive behaviour.