22 Month Old Throws Food

sadly, I think you just have to wait for her to outgrow it. You are doing all the right things. she WILL get over it, it will just take time.

This was an issue with my daughter, who is now 2 1/2. A more recent issue has been smearing food on the table or pouring liquids. In both cases we have had her help clean up and that seems to sink in with her. I see it as a natural consequence. Even if she wipes up one little part or picks up two pieces of whatever she had thrown, at least she is taking ownership of the mess she made.

By throwing do you mean tossing to the floor? My little one screams at me when he's told no, and goes right back at it. Give her an alternative. Maybe have an empty bowl ready, and when she throws it, say something along the lines of "food is not for throwing, hey, show Mommy how you can put it in this bowl!" If she knows it's no longer a battle the throwing will stop. She'll lose interest. If she continues throwing, just give her an "Uh-OH" and have her help you clean it up when the meal is over. (within reason) even just picking up a few and putting them in the bowl you tried to get her to use instead will help get the point across. Good luck!

Kids usually throw food because they don't want it (either because they are full or they don't like it). I would continue to take the food away but not the timeout. She will learn that she needs to eat when food is available. Offer food every 2-3 hours and she should continue to gain weight. Also think about how much liquid she is drinking. Liquid can fill their little tummies quickly and make them full before they even see the food.

Hi P.,

Is there a reason she is not hungry and wants to throw her food instead of eating it? Most babies start throwing food at a much younger age...I'm surprised she waited until 22 mos. to start doing this. You need to pick a punishment, be consistent, and don't give in. She is definitely old enough to understand what you are telling her. Children are so smart, so hang in there. You say you hate to take her food away when she is at the bottom of the weight charts, but if she is throwing it on the floor she is not going to be eating anyway, but then don't give in and give her a snack a few minutes later. The next time she eats she might be hungry enough not to want to throw it.

C.

My son is 11 months old, and I only put literally a tablespoon or two of food in front of him at a time. So, when he decides to throw stuff, very little is wasted and I don't have a big mess to clean up.

Also, I give my son one, and only one, warning about throwing food and then mealtime is over. After going through this a few times, my son got that I was serious and the warning usually works.

When little ones play with their food, they are telling us that they are no longer hungry, they are bored, and want to be out of their high chairs. Hungry kids don't throw food--they eat it!

Most kids go through this when they get to feeding themselves. I would just keep correcting her but not punish her. She just needs patience and reminders and she too will outgrow this stage. Teaching table manners are important and learned better with patience and reminders then punishments. It also helps to have a dog for the mess...lol.

On the same subject of food on the floor...
One thing most moms don't remember is when kids are at this age and even older, when eating out, if their children drop food on the floor, please pick it up after you are done eating. I was a waitress for a lot of years and this is where parents seem to lack common sense. I always wondered if they left food on the floor while guests in other peoples homes too.

I just went through this with my 23 month old. Typically she does this when I'm (gasp) trying to get something else done in the kitchen and not paying enough attention to her.

I have taught her to put food she doesn't want on the table (vs. the floor), since she does not like having food she doesn't want to eat on her high chair tray. This way I can tell if she really doesn't want the food (if she sets it on the table) vs. if she is just looking for attention (throwing it on the floor).

When she does throw food on the floor, I *immediately* take her out of her high chair and have her help me pick it up. If she refuses to pick up, she will go in a very short time out and then we try picking up the food again. Once the food is picked up, she can go back in her chair and eat again (since my daughter is also on the small side and I don't like to take away food).

It's hard work being consistent, and it definitely makes meal times last longer than I would prefer but I have started seeing improvement.

This is so normal and such a developmental phase that I don't think punishments like time-outs work for it. I'd give her just a little food at a time and interact with her a lot while she eats. A lot of kids throw food just because they want to play. If you are already talking/singing/interacting with her, she'll be less tempted to throw and more tempted to eat. If she is small already I wouldn't take the food away - I'd work on distracting her to eat more.

Good luck.

The one thing that really worked for my son was having him clean up the food off the floor immediately after he had thrown it. At first it was alot of hand-over-hand to have him clean it up, but after a couple of times he realized that he needed to get it done. I always let him put it into my hand and then I would throw it into the trash for him. Then he was able to get back up to the table and finish his meal. It is a hard phase to go through - good luck!

I thought 2 was easy, the third was a big transition. But it wasn't all bad, it was just chaotic at first. Counting heads and being out numbered. (you only have 2 hands) But since your two will be older, it will probably be wonderful! Your older one will be able to help out a ton, and the younger one will be able to help fetch things and be a great playmate.

After that, it gets really easy. The more I have, the easier it gets. The big ones help out a lot. And before any crazy large family haters say that I am making them parent the young ones, try stopping a 12 year old girl from taking over baby duty! I dare you! They LOVE helping with their younger siblings. I rarely ever have to ask for help. You won't, either.

Enjoy your new baby!