18 Month Old Loves to Throw Food!!

The best thing to do is just take away his meal and make him leave the table immediately. "Throw food, all done!!" Plop him on the floor "No throwing, bye-bye."

Kids usually throw when they get bored with the meal, and so it's good to be preemptive. Don't let him sit there endlessly until he gets so frustrated that he throws. A toddler can't sit through a whole adult meal.

At first my daughter usually doesn't care if I dismiss her from the table. But after a few minutes, she wants back at the table. I say, "No throwing" and we try again. Kids will eat if they are hungry, so I wouldn't worry about feeding him enough. This worked really well with both my kids (5 years and 19 months) and after a few days/weeks the behavior stopped.

However, I currently need to increase my daughter's food intake because the doctor is concerned about her weight. I refuse to give in to her not wanting to eat what I make. However, since I worry about her weight in particular, I have started feeding dinner her a little earlier. Whether she eats our family dinner or not, I usuallly give her a bedtime snack after an hour or so of something I know she likes like yogurt. That way, I don't feel like I am letting her dicate the meals, but I know she is getting the calories she needs. I don't think you need to do that with an average kid though. If he is healthy, he will eat when he is hungry.

Oh, and by the way... make him get out and clean it up. Don't let it be a game. But I found tha thelps too.

My daughter is 16 months old and she is doing the same thing. I've been trying to put the dog away while she is eating in her high chair, and it's been working. They just love feeding the doggies,lol....good luck!

Hi there. It is normal for a child this age to do just exactly that.. For one he is trying out his independance, two he is at the point that he is wanting to share. By the way he is throwing it on the floor, knowing that the dogs will get it. He will not starve trust me.. They know when they are hungry and when they are not.. If you punish him for throwing food, than he will be more likely to "reject" food. At 18 months they are trying to get into their own personalitly, they are not a baby, but they aren't the "big kid" either.. Be patient hun.. it will work out. I have 3 kids who have done and are doing the same thing. My baby just turned 2 yesterday and he still does it.. I do not suggest taking the food away from him for the main fact that he will get angry and harbor some resentment.. They get smart really early.. I would maybe suggest a baby chair for the kitchen table to he can eat with the family. At 18 months they love the interaction. You could probably even get him to eat new foods.. That's what we did. You seem like a great Aunt so just keep up what you are doing.. :) God Bless

Hi J.,

My son did the same thing for several months. It was really frustrating. What worked for me was to just conistently explain not to do that, that mommy has to clean it up now, etc...Eventually, something just clicked and he stopped doing it.

Good luck!

G.

i wouldnt worry that he wasnt eating enough. he will let you know if he isnt.

My son is 15 months and he does this when he is finished eating or doesn't want what he's been given. When he does it, we take the food away. A few minutes later I offer to feed him again, but if he refuses or throws it, than I just get him out of his chair.

Our pediatrian said today that its not uncommon for toddlers to eat less and skip meals. We need to focus more on his nutrition based on the week rather than based on each day. There is no need to worry as a toddler will not starve themselves.

As for the dog, we put ours in another room and close the baby gate so Cody can't feed her.

This is a phase. Thankfully not a terribly long one.

Other posters said their child did this when they were full. While that was definitely a trigger, my daughter enjoyed throwing food even when she would still eat and was still hungry.

I closely observed her eating. When she would start to play with the food, I would take it away. After a period of time I would ask her if she wanted more. Often she would eat. When she attempted to play again, the meal was over.

I found it helpful to ration her food. If she had too much on her plate, she was far more inclined to play than if she just had a reasonable eating portion. I think she would get overwhelmed with the amount.

I am sure he is getting plenty to eat. If he were hungry, his first instinct would be to eat, not to play.

I would first try to put "bites of food on his tray ...when he eats that one he gets the next ... this way there is no food to throw .... when my girls did that that's what I did ... and if they threw the bites I gave them .. then were done eating ... when hungry they ate up .... he is probably getting enough to eat unless you see signs of failure to thrive .... his body will tell you ... just look for signs ....

Children instictually know how much food to eat and when they are full. They will not starve themselves. Be sure to let him know that it is not OK to throw food on the floor, even if the dog loves it. One way around that is to put less food in front him, remember, his stomach is about the size of his fist, so about 1/2 cup of food total may fill him up. Also, he is getting old enough to help clean up his mess, he may even eat a bit more while cleaning

My son does this as well (and there is no dog). We take his plate away when it starts happening. He seems to be eating enough - still gaining weight - not acting hungry. If your nephew is hungry, he will eat what he wants first.

It's normal behavior. When my daughter starts to do it I take the plate off her tray. It happens when she's done eating. That's her way of letting me know. At that point I just take her out of the chair and life moves on. Try not to make a big deal out of it, just monitor and when it happens remove the food from him. I will stop shortly.