Feeding Issues - Am I Doing the Right Thing?

G., I had the same issue with my son. I think that the throwing the bowls and sippy is just a game for them to watch us pick up whatever it is they are throwing on the floor. I actually took my son out of his highchair and he now sits in a booster seat that straps to my dining room chair. The move seemed to distract him and gave him a new perspective on eating at the table with the rest of us. I'm not going to say that he doesn't throw food anymore, I still pick up my fair share off the floor, but I can usually tell when it is going to get to that point and it usually is because he is done eating. I hope this helps, good luck!

My oldest was a grazer from awhile as a toddler. Some kids throw food because they don't like what you gave them, aren't hungary, or don't want to be strapped into a high chair. I always had small healthy finger foods available on a kid table for him to grab as he wanted it didn't last very long and he always had to sit at the table when we had a meal even if he didn't eat I didn't take him down til he asked to get down just like you would expect an older child to ask to be excused. Its just a phase and it will pass. If she throws it don't say anything just take it away clean up the mess and tell her "down please"

Hi G.,

15 months is just too young to try to teach these particular manners. I have 3, and they all went (1 is currently going) through that phase. Reprimanding isn't going to do anything, but probably cause her to think that you're playing with her, and she'll do it again because you reacted. Just pick up the food, and throw it away, or just take it away. My 16 month old will eat for a while, and then begin throwing her food too. I just pick it up, and take what's left on her table. I don't say anything, I just assume she's done, and just remove her from her chair. She's doing it less often now, so I know it's just a phase, just as it was with my other 2.

Good Luck!

M.

My son did the same thing, but not for long. I used the same techniques you did and he stopped. He has very good table manners at 21 months. We can go out to eat anywhere and he is fine. We have been eating at restaurants since he was a baby. If she drops something on the floor do not pick it up. She is testing you. Don't give in. This should stop soon. You can use a time out as well. My son knew what a time out was when he was a year old. So that might work as well.

Maybe if you stand near her and if she throws something on the floor say "no throwing", take her out of the chair and let her get upset, wait 30 seconds and put her back into the chair, and repeat. Don't get upset, it may take a few times and a few days. My 17 month old has been pushing limits to. Good luck!

My son did the same thing and we handled it pretty much like you did. We ignored a lot and also had him pick up whatever he could as a consequence. We never thought it would stop, but he eventually outgrew it. I hate to tell you, but it's kind of a wait it out and hopefully sooner than later she'll grow out of it. Good luck!

you are doing fine.. keep it up.. it's a game to them and yes food is a control issue. it always will be.. but if you take her food away when she throws things, she will eventually figure it out.. good luck oh, and don't get upset with her.. sometimes they do it to see your reaction. just matter of factly take it and say no.

This is a late response, but have your daughter pick up her food from the floor by putting your hands over hers and showing her how to pick up the food. She will not throw food again after doing this with her a couple of times. It works, learned this from my MamaSource recently, as she had to do this with my daughter in daycare.

Good luck!

My son is fourteen months old and does the same thing. I also remember my daughter going through this stage at about this age too. I think toddlers throw food when they are not particularly hungry or when they don't want to be restrained in a high chair.

When my son throws the first bit of food off his high chair tray, I say something like "No throwing food." or "No, thank you." If he does it again. I said "All done." I don't get mad or annoyed. I just remove him from the high chair.
Throwing food is the end of the meal.

I try again when I think he's hungry, or when the family sits down for the next meal.

I have also started putting a few cheerios/goldfish and a sippy cup on a small child-sized table in our kitchen. I think at this age moving around and walking is more important to a toddler than eating. My son eats a few pieces of cereal and then walks around the room and plays with stuff. I like feeding him this way better - he eats when he's hungry. Just put a three or four cheerios on the table at a time - otherwise they will get thrown everywhere. By the way, children this age are very messy. Invest in a good vacuum or get a dog :-)

I wouldn't worry about teaching manners at this age - way too Y..

Have patience - this is the age of independence. Don't get in a battle of wills with eating. Your daughter will eat when she is hungry and your house will be clean when she is in college.

T.
SAHM of three (8, 7 and 14 months)

I have 2 thoughts, as my 12 month old has done a similar thing:
The first is perhaps she isnt hungry. My son usually knocks the food off his tray at the end of a meal, or throws his sippy cup when hes done with his juice. Instead of punishing him, I recognize the reason behind his behavior.
My second thought is that instead of putting food on a plate or in a bowl, put it directly on the tray of her high chair, or on a place-mat on the table if she doesnt use a highchair. This solution presupposes that the food isnt soup or a puree of some kind. If I put my sons food on a plate, he picks up the plate and dumps it off, because hes curious about the plate.
Lastly, I think you might be expecting too much of her so early. Shes only 15 months old, and she WILL throw food on the floor, and picking up food off the floor is just part of being a parent to a toddler. I would also advise against taking the food away when she behaves like this. Making food conditionally dependent on "good" behavior has the strong potential to create a complicated relationship with food when she grows up; this is how things like eating disorders begin.

Our little one has done this too, it is a phase. I have had her picking things up that she drops since she was 12 months, or so. She is now 21 months. We also put her in time out, if it got too much, during dinner. Until she started throwing something, pointing to herself and saying beep, because we would set the timer! Then we started turning her highchair around! We now have uninterrupted dinners, and a happy girl facing us most of the time! Good luck!
L.

My 14mo son did this for a while. I started ending the meal as soon as he threw something - no lectures, just took away the food. He stopped throwing food within days, and now hands me his bowl nicely when he's full.

It's absolutely age-appropriate behavior. It did not last very long in this house but I think they all do it at that age. Really, you cannot worry about teaching her to behave with manners like a girl, she is still a baby. This in particular drove my DH crazy, but once I accepted that it was a normal phase it got easier for me to deal with. DD has perfectly reasonable manners now at 28 months.

I just gave small portions, kept a towel under the high chair so it was easier to clean up (and I could pick it up and put it back on her tray this way as it was a clean surface) and when she did throw food I did NOT give an interesting reaction. I simply said, with no emotion "we don't throw food" and continued with my dinner. There really is no need to punish her by leaving her alone. We didn't spoon feed at all so the food had to be put in front of her. If she was just throwing and not eating anything, I ended the meal.

It really will pass before long, so I wouldn't make it into more than it has to be at this point by making it really cool to aggravate you, yk? This absolutely will pass if you do nothing.