Teaching Toddlers to Eat

I know with my kids they did the same thing and what i did was buy a mess mat to put under the high chair and everytime they tried to dump something or did dump something i pick it up put it back on the plate or bowl and set back in front of them. I kept doing this over and over and finally they just stopped. It might sound like alot of work but it will payoff in the end. the purpose of the mess mat was to prevent any food from getting on the floor. I did not put the food that fell off the high chair tray back to them. And for the suction bowls or plates they are a waste of money. My kids learned quick how to pull them off. Try a booster seat seat or something along them lines and have him sit at the table with you. Good luck.

Hi S.,
I have 4 kids, and two of them are a 3yo and a 17mth old.

My 3yo to my annoyance still will dump his food on the floor. :) It doesn't happen often... but now when it does...now he has to pick up the mess... that has reduced his boldness in testing those limits. :)

But, anyway I think it comes down to finding the cleanest food you can put in a bowl. Cheerios (no milk), pasta with little to no sauce, soup "guts" (no broth), cut up hot dogs, cut up chicken nuggets.

I have tried the suction cup bowls... I think they draw more attention to the "throw me!" factor!!

But I use paper plates/bowls or plastic for the them.
Because unfortunately... dumping food, throwing bowls, etc... is all part of curiosity, cause and effect, and seeing what they can get away with.

We introduced plates and bowls to to our 17mth old when she was about 14mths... and at first she was very curious and investigated the bowl, dumped out the contents... and ate from the table... BUT now she is doing quite well with them.
When we first introduced them... we sat with her and everytime she picked it up we would look at her, tap the table, and tell her to put it down. At first she thought we were hysterical but she got the hang of it.

But just remember they WILL make a mess... and good luck!!!

S.

S.-
At 14months if he is doing well with silverware you are already on the plus side. The bowls etc. that stick to the hichair are a joke! I would get him a booster seat that straps to a regular seat at your kitchen table so he will feel like he is eating with the family so he might stop turning the dishes over to get attention. Also having him at the table brings him closer so you can stop him and tell him that is not what we do at the table....
As for the sippy cup - if you think he is ready try introducing a regular cup at meals - I would try a covered cup with a straw first... and move on from there... I don't know give them a try and good luck!
S. B.

I would get a high chair the fits in your chairs and have him sit at the table with you. and when he sees you useing a plate right he will want to do what you do. I have a 2.5 year old boy and thats what we did and it worked out fine for us. good luck!!!

give him at least 2 spoons, so he has his hands more occupied by silverware. He may still want to grab the bowl, but that is just something that he will take time to learn about.