If you’ve found yourself searching this phrase late at night while worrying about your child, I just want to start by saying that you are not alone.

And neither is your child.

Seeing your child bite themselves, chew their hands until they’re sore, or hurt themselves when overwhelmed can feel incredibly upsetting as a parent or carer. Your instinct is often to stop it immediately, protect them and “fix” whatever is happening as quickly as possible.

But very often, behaviours like biting are a form of communication.

Especially for children who are:

• overwhelmed
• anxious
• frustrated
• sensory-seeking
• neurodivergent
• non-speaking
• emotionally dysregulated
• struggling to process the world around them

Sometimes biting becomes a coping mechanism.

Why do some children bite themselves?

There can be lots of different reasons.

For some children, biting creates sensory feedback that helps regulate their nervous system during moments of stress or overload.

For others, it may happen during:

• frustration
• transitions
• overstimulation
• anxiety
• excitement
• communication difficulties
• emotional overwhelm

And sometimes it becomes a deeply ingrained comfort habit because it temporarily relieves tension in the body.

As upsetting as it can be to witness, I think it’s important to try to look at the behaviour with curiosity rather than shame.

Your child is not “bad”.

And you are not failing as a parent.

Looking for patterns can really help

One of the most useful things can be gently observing when the biting tends to happen.

You might notice patterns around:

• noisy environments
• tiredness
• school or nursery
• transitions
• hunger
• sensory overload
• frustration
• changes in routine
• anxiety-provoking situations

Sometimes understanding the trigger helps you support the child before they reach overwhelm.

Safe alternatives can make a huge difference

For some children, having safe oral sensory alternatives available can genuinely help redirect biting behaviours away from their own skin.

This is actually one of the reasons we eventually developed the Gummee Mouthing Glove range for additional needs children and adults.

Over the years, I heard from so many families whose children:

• chewed their hands constantly
• bit themselves when overwhelmed
• damaged skin through chewing
• needed oral sensory input to self-regulate

Many parents told us they struggled to find products that felt safe, durable, comfortable and socially acceptable for their child to wear.

Every child is different, and no product is a magic solution, but sometimes providing a safer chewing alternative can reduce injury and provide comfort during stressful moments.

Try to reduce shame around the behaviour

I think this part is really important.

Children who bite themselves are often already overwhelmed, dysregulated or struggling internally. If they sense panic, anger or shame from the adults around them, it can sometimes increase their distress.

That doesn’t mean you ignore the behaviour — safety absolutely matters.

But approaching it calmly and supportively where possible can help preserve trust and emotional safety too.

Small things that may help during overwhelm

Every child is unique, but some families find support through:

• sensory tools
• chew-safe alternatives
• reducing environmental overwhelm
• predictable routines
• movement breaks
• quiet spaces
• visual supports
• emotional co-regulation
• occupational therapy support
• identifying triggers and early warning signs