Time-Out

Time out is really just a time to stop and re-direct to something else.
People tend to think it's a punishment but it's not if used correctly.
You are already doing this if you are re-directing.

This is such a common phase - she's playing 'fetch' with you.
She throws it and you fetch it back! What Fun, Mommy!

Just refuse to play that game.
Next time she throws anything - don't give it back.
If it's thrown - it's gone.
When the throwing starts - her meal is done.
She'll learn that meals are for eating - not for playing.
Also - don't give her anything that will do any damage if thrown.
She gets plastic utensils until her throwing stage is over.

I agree with B -- throwing food merits losing what she throws, not putting her in time out.

And Gamma G. is right; at her age she is far too young to connect her actions with the consequence of a time out. Please don't use time outs yet. Distract and redirect her instead.

Someone suggested putting her into her crib for time out. Please do not put her in her crib, ever, for a time out or as any kind of discipline. Doing so will eventually mean she associates her crib with being disciplined --and you do not want that! She will begin to resist bedtime, fuss and fight against the positive that is going to bed -- she will only see it as "I'm being put in that thing where mommy puts me when I don't want it!" Never use a kid's crib, bed or bedroom as a place for discipline or even for time outs for older kids. Time outs need to be in neutral places like the bottom step of a set of stairs or the end of a hallway -- never in anywhere as interesting and positive as a kid's own room. And...besides, she's just too young for time outs at all. And she will be for a while.

Remove what she throws, distract, proceed with meal, end the meal if she keeps throwing. Do it all swiftly and without fussing at her or over-talking it with her. If you talk and talk or try to explain what she's done wrong, or get her to say "Sorry" etc., she will only see throwing stuff as a great way to get mommy's attention so she'll continue to throw things. She only knows attention is good, even the "negative attention" of what the adults think is discipline. She doesn't have that concept yet and won't for a while -- many kids are around three or a bit more before they really relate their action with a consequence and can even start to foresee that doing X results in Y.

Not going to work. She doesn't have the cognitive ability to understand time out.

You might try just not giving her utensils. Let her use her fingers and eat her food cut up into bite size bits. Finger foods are okay too. I wouldn't give her mashed potatoes without a spoon but if she had not mushy foods she could just eat them.

You can say "Well, you threw your fork away so that must mean you are finished eating" then take her food and wipe her up. Sit back down and eat your meal and ignore her screaming for food. Let her learn that throwing her fork means no food. If she calms down and is back to normal you can offer her some more food. She shouldn't do without food but if she continues to throw stuff she loses food during the meal then you can give her bits of food while you clean up. So she isn't going without food but is not eating with the family. No special attention or anything during this time, it's her eat time and not attention time. I'd ignore her but keep an eye on her for choking. She needs to be in a high chair and not able to climb out.

In child care all toddlers do this. It's a perfectly normal phase. They're testing their limits and will do what ever they can to push you.

You are playing "fetch". When the food and utensils start flying, that's when eating time is over. I wouldn't give her back anything she has thrown. When she realizes that you aren't playing she will learn.

For the specific problem you have, I think the more appropriate response is that once she throws it, she doesn't get it back.

However, to answer your question, yes, we used timeout at that age. They are very brief, and almost really just a pause to help redirection. Rule of thumb is 1 minute per year old, so a 1 minute break is all the longer the time-out would be.

When they throw something they lose it. That's what I always did. A kid who throws her food is clearly "done" anyway. Offer healthy small snacks between meals, she's not going to starve. Same thing with anything else she throws (other than a ball of course!) say "no, we don't throw the ____" and then take it away, every time, she'll learn.
Kids learn best by natural consequences, all the way through the teen years.

Time out should be a minute for every year of age. It is very effective at this age. She doesn't have to understand the concept, she just learns that she is removed from the situation when she behaves improperly.

Try it and see if it has an effect. I don't know why you'd need to wait, it's so mild. If she's super spirited it may not seem like any consequence to her. Redirection is a lack of any consequence (on purpose I realize), so she's not used to controlling herself which can be hard to curb as she gets older. With a bit firmer discipline, a sharp "no" would be understood and heeded regarding throwing stuff at the table at this age. So if she's a bit too strong-willed for time outs, the book Back to Basics Discipline is great. 18 month olds are absolutely capable of not throwing stuff at the table. She already knows perfectly well she's not supposed to do it. So if she still does it for any significant amount of time you'll know time outs are not effective.

I don't think she's too young for using time outs but like B I don't think one would be effective in this situation.

I would give her a chance next time. When she throws a utensil just calmly return it and say "forks are for eating if you throw your fork again dinner is over". Then stick with it no matter what. I suspect she IS done when she's throwing stuff because if she was really hungry she'd be eating.

I had two rules when disciplining my little kids. One was never back down and the other was make the consequences fit the "crime". Once she sees you mean business she will stop the behavior.

I totally agree with everyone that has told you...when the throwing starts, do not react to it, just pick up the item and she does not get it back.

If she doesn't get a reaction and a return of the item she will stop throwing pretty quick. When/if she starts throwing the food then the meal is done.

This is a great age to teach a few basic american sign language signs to her to help in communication: please, thank you, more and all done/finished are ones we used with both our kids and they really helped out at meal times.

Good luck!!

I started time-outs after my daughter turned 2. She also went through a throwing phase, but I didn't use time outs for those. I would save time-outs for more serious offenses and when your daughters a bit older.

Just say uh oh and remove her to her crib for a quick time out. Do this every time she throws her food. Shell figure it out. With objects she looses those ever time she throws them. Or she us removed from the temptation.
Do you give her a ball to throw?
a great book is love and logic the early years.