Hello, I have a question. My DS (who will turn 1 next week!) has taken to throwing his food on the floor. I know that this is normal and am under the impression that most babies do this at some point (I think). I don't care about having to clean it up - that is not the problem, it's just that I want to teach him that he shouldn't do that, but am not sure that I'm handling it in the right way. Basically, he will eat his finger foods and then when he is done he starts throwing it on the floor. I know he knows that he's not supposed to do it at this point because he will literally smirk at me when he is doing it! (It takes all that I have not to burst out laughing and sometimes have to turn my back so he can't see me choke back my laughter!) I tell him no when he does it and if he hasn't released it yet (which is usually the case because he does it very slowly and watches me carefully before he does it), I gently take it out of his hand. If he does it a few times in a row, I take his tray away. (I don't think he is missing out on any eating because he typically will eat and then start to throw when he's done). I don't act mad or anything, but just firmly tell him that we don't throw our food, but that I love him and we'll try again next meal. Is that how you would handle it? My other thought was to let him do it, but walk away so that he doesn't see me watching him do it and hope that he decides that it's not fun anymore.
He also plays with his food, but I let him do that (ie smushing it in his hand, rubbing it with two hands, etc). I know eventually you don't want them to, but he is still learning about food, so I'm fine with the playing.
Do you think I'm handling the food throwing in the right way?
Thanks!