Ryan, the biter...

I went in to pick up the kiddos this afternoon and saw a piece of paper folded in half taped to Ryan's cubby. I thought to myself - that can't be good...and I was right. Ryan has a bit of an issue with biting these days. This is now the third time he has bitten another child (one of which was his sister) in his class. I can't imagine this tender hearted teddy bear of a sweet little boy biting other kids, but he's "that kid". No one wants their child to be the biter in a class, but he seems to be the one that has won the title over the last few weeks. Riley has also bitten once, but with Ryan I'm hoping three times is the charm. They tell me there is nothing we can do other than talk to him about not biting because this is just a phase (hopefully) and that this is just how he is expressing himself right now...especially since he's teething. I'm hoping not to receive this note ever again, but I have a feeling I will see it once or twice more. I'm betting we'll get this at some point with the check mark on the other line where someone has retaliated and we'll know what it feels like to be bitten rather than being the biter. I don't think it feels good to be on either side of this issue. We'll just keep on reading the book "teeth are not for biting" and keep our fingers crossed that this "phase" passes sooner than later!

In all of the drama of the biting, I almost forgot to mention that Ryan and Riley each "said" a new word today! When I said to the kids "are you ready to go home"? Ryan replied back to me and said "HOME"! Out of nowhere - just like that - he said this new word...like he's been saying it for days. I was amazed. Then when I was buckling Riley into her seat she was tugging at the straps and I asked her "are you going to help me strap you in"?, she responded with the sign for "help"! I've been trying to get her to use the sign rather than whining when she needs help with something and she totally got it! She used it in a totally different context than we've been teaching her, but she definitely knew what she was doing! Way to go kiddos!

---proud mama again (even when they bite)