throwing food on the floor

[legend_018]

I don't know just venting here. I don't know how to stop this behavior. If I put something or practically ANYTHING new on her plate, she doesn't even give it the time of day. She will just throw it or WHIP it onto the ground. It's like if there is something she doesn't like on her plate or isn't interested in, onto the ground it goes. Any form of saying NO to her results in her lauging at me or ignoring me. It's been going on for a LONG time. Even foods she likes, she'll eat and throw what she doesn't want onto the floor. I really don't know how to control her behaving like this. I could let her down, but she wouldn't care...she's a picky eater most of the time anyways so to her letting her down probably wouldn't phase her most of the time.

[Nee]

It;s funny you say this, my lo is 15 months and was throwing food on the ground a while back to tel me she was done.  I taught her the sign for done and this behaviour stopped , however as of late, she has started this behaviour again.  SO FRUSTRATING cause if I tel her no, she will only do it ten times worse.  I started to make her pick up her mess.  I don;t know if she understands the link between the mess making and the mess picking up??  She sometimes changes her mind right before she is going to chuck something when I warn her that she will have to clean it up.

[zed]

I think the pp could and will work in time.  I believe this behavior is very normal.  I never said no to my boys I just put my hand in the way so they couldn't get away with it.  I also make eye contact and raise my eyebrows as if to say I wouldn't do that if I were you.  That usually works.

My consequence is they loose what they do want until they what they threw on the floor.  Usually their milk.  I find little reaction can be better than lots with these kinds of stages.

I remember with my first boy, DH would try to stop DS from playing with food, I would remind him that it was normal and I would be worried if he wasn't playing w/ his meal.

A funny thing though, (DH is a police officer, traffic cop), DS1 would drive his food around his plate then turn it upside down and scream huh, oh!  We think we will follow in Daddy's foot steps.

[kirsty_167]

Hi

You arent alone on this one. My 25 month old son does this for exactly the same reasons as you LO!!  I try not to make  a big fuss. I make him help clean it up though. Most of what he eats wouldnt make a big mess but one night it was spaghetti bolognaise.....now that made a huge mess and went everywhere you could imagine (he has a good thro on him!)   Hmmm cant say i didnt make a fuss that night But usually i just pick it up and get him to help. I do explain when he does it he needs to tell me if he is finished or doesnt want it,then i will take it away. One day he might just do that............

I have had it suggested to get a plastic mat again to put under his highchair....but of course with a throw like his I would ahve to cover the whole lounge in plastic lol

Oh the fun huh

Take care
kirsty

[taygensmom]

With our LO when he went though this stage we would immediately take his highchair tray/plate away with a very calm "no throwing". Then we would just sit there for a minute or so, and give it back to him. Usually this upset him, as all of his food was being removed briefly. Then we would try again. If he threw his food a few more times, we would end the meal. This worked very well for him, and now he rarely thows his food or plate/sippy. HTH

[annary]

Can I join this thread! I haven´t posted for MONTHS........things have been going fairly smoothly and I also have had no time to sit and write a message.....anyway, things have got a little out of hand again with just the thing you were talking about! My son 22 months old is not eating a huge amount and rejecting everything I put in front of him including his previous favourites. Throwing food around is part and parcel of his meal times.sigh! I too am trying not to react too much or stress about it but it does feel odd putting him down without a mouthful of proper food. We have tried lunch bofore nap at 11.45 without much luck and now 2.30 after nap, with no luck either....what to do? Any ideas?
His routine goes - HUGE big brekky of porridge at 7 am, small snack banana or biscuit at 10, lunch either 11.45 or 2.30 pm, then tea at 6.30 pm. He still has his bottle at 7.50pm and sleeps through the night.
TIA for any suggestions!

[taygensmom]

Annary (love the name by the way),
I do agree with the advice not to make a big deal about the food throwing, but I would continue to address it in a calm manner. You can respond in a very calm way while still making it clear that this isn't acceptable to you and giving an appropraite consequence of removing all food for a short time or ending the meal if it continues (sounds like you are already doing this?)

I would also adjust his routine a little bit. The breakfast time is great, but then I would move the morning snack up to between 9:00 or 9:30. I know this seems really early, but in this way you are leaving a larger gap between the morning snack and lunch (which seems to be a harder meal for him) so that he is hungrier and more motivated to eat. Then I would do your lunch at 11:45, nap, and very small snack at 2:30, and then "tea" at 6:30 (is that supper??). I would keep all snacks super-small, and even keep in mind that snacks don't always have to be "snack-food". You can use that time to introduce new meal foods as well. Even for breakfast you can try more variety/new foods that aren't typical "breeakfast foods", as really you want to expose him to many things and have him explore and find different things he likes. I would also just make sure that he doesn't get any food or drinks besides water in between any meals/snacks. Even a few bites can really deplete a LOs appetite as their stomachs are so small, and liquids such as milk or juice (which is an appetite suppressant) can also decrease appetite if given near a meal. HTH

[annary]

THANK you so much for your advice. Yes, it all sounds very doable. I find it interesting to learn that juice is an appetite suppressant! He LOVES apple juice. I think that it will have to stop for a while or at least reduced. At the moment I give him watered down apple juice in the afteroon but he does drink quite a bit......little monkey! I too think it is a good idea to hold back on snacks and the timing. I am beginning to think the porridge fills him up so much that it keeps him going beyond 11.35? What do you think?
I will certainly be more adventurous with tastes and textures from now on....but when do I start to worry about his food intake?.... I am going by the theory that children (unlike cats for example!) will never starve themselves and will eat anything when they are ravenous? I am determind not to let Thomas become a sausage-only boy . Thanks again.
Oh, one more thing! Am I silly in rewarding him with his favoutire dessert of fruit and jogurt or a blob of icecream  when he does eat a little of something new ?

[zed]

Oh, one more thing! Am I silly in rewarding him with his favoutire dessert of fruit and jogurt or a blob of icecream  when he does eat a little of something new ?

I'm sorry, but I don't know... personally, I don't believe in rewarding a child for trying something new, I have always told my kids how yummy it is and encouraged them to eat more.  If they don't like it (that is ok), I then move onto another item being offered at the meal that I know they like.

For sure I wouldn't use something like ice-cream or other inferior food when it comes to vit. and nutrients.  I think that is giving the wrong message, about healthy eating.  Ice-cream and other treats in my opinion should be kept completely separate from main meals and trying new foods.  Having a special treat at the play ground now and then is something different though.  Then I think it is ok...

Having tooted my horn, this is your decision as for what is ok for you and your child.  I have only spoken about what I think and practice, and I could be completely wrong.

[taygensmom]

Yes, I would think if it a huge breakfast of porridge that could fill him up for quite some time. So maybe offer a smaller portion and then some other options (i.e. fruit, eggs, etc...).

I also agree that using treats as a reward for eating something else should not be used with most children, as it can escalate a control issue over food if one is already developing and can also cause poor food associations. I would instead just use as a special treat now and then.

As far as when to worry about food intake, you really just need to look at your child. If he has a strong appetite (even if it is for "junk" or only certain foods) and is not underweight, it is highly unlikely he will starve himself. If he is having weight issues and a very poor appetite, that can be a different story...

[annary]

Thanks for the messages. I am certainly not worried about his weight. His eating is just so antisocial at the ´moment it is hard to remain positive and relaxed around mealtimes. The curious thing is he seems to have lost the interest of food and what is in his meal. He doesnt even try it or even pick it up sometimes! My number two is due in December and I am SO needing to have things in the meal department relatively under control by then. The problem is his previous favourites are not going down at all.....hey ho Im hoping its a phase.....Im thinking we will have to be really strict for a while with what he gets as treats (which, thinking about it, is not much at all) Im a working mum and the thought of cooking endless options for him to try with each meal sends shivers down my spine! 

[zed]

Im a working mum and the thought of cooking endless options for him to try with each meal sends shivers down my spine!  Wink

I don't think this is in yours or your sons best intrest anyway.  In my opinion, all that will teach him is that he can manipulate you.  Not to mention, I don't think that will help him learn healthy social eating either.  I could be wrong on this, just my view.

[rinajack]

For food throwing I taught her an alternative.  At the first sign of throwing, be it one kind of food, or because she is done, we tell our now 17mo (and we have done this since for a while now) that if she doesn't want it to put it on this plate (we keep a spare plate handy) and that mummy/daddy will take it away later.  So instead of telling her what not to do, we told her what she could do and it seems to be working quite well.

[annary]

Yes, we also do this. In fact he has another little bowl next to his plate so he can shift the ood from plate to plate. In the pst weeks he would happily do this and then eat it. Hurrah! But now he just plays and gets bored and starts to indicate that he wants to get down or, as he is so tired at 12 pm, he starts to get a bit unruley and food ends up everywhere! I am not a control freaky mum nor pedantic about mess or the fact that he plays with his food ( i know that this is normal part of development) but I am starting to really worry about the seeming impossibilty to find something he likes. The last couple of mornings he has woken super early ( 5 am) with an understandable ravenous hunger as he went to bed having comsumed only his bottle 220 ml but no dinner!!What is happening to my little boy?!?.....(and my precious sleep! 

[rinajack]

Is he teething?  Appetite (and therefore food consumption) virtually disappears here when DD is teething - could you offer more milk when he won't eat, or even yoghurt?  We do that, it prevent the early wakeups, and doesn't require any actual preparation.