To give food thrown on the floor back to a toddler?

[Tipsntoes]

I was having a pleasant cuppa with a neighbour. Her DS c. 18mo, was in his highchair having a piece of toast with us. He threw it on the floor, like they do, and was reaching towards it, so I picked it up and gave it back to him, like I used to with my own DC.

Was that very wrong?

No. I would. Five second rule :-)

No doubt we'll get flamed.

Umm, no! I have an 11mo so I’m around a lot of children that age. I don’t know anyone who doesn’t do exactly that! He crawls on the floor so I figure it’s a bit redundant!

Depends how filthy the floor was, I'm not sure I'd hand it back if it wasn't my child.

I thought you meant as a punishment for a moment there OP! And I was all set to get on my high horse and say how awful of you. But then I realised what you meant.... Errr yes. I did this too. No, it's not very wrong (though I am laughing...) as long it didn't land butter side down I guess. And I'm assuming you wouldn't scoop up anything like sloppy spag bol and give it back....

Watching with interest as I do when DS throws his food at home otherwise he would have nothing to eat. However probably wouldn't somewhere I don't clean the floor so maybe I souldnt as it's inconsistent. I haven't thought about it properly but I think yanbu.

Having seen the other stuff my DS has picked up from the floor and tried to eat, I'm pretty happy with him eating off the floor!

Depends where you were, at home or neighbours house I would have done it with mine. In a cafe I wouldn't. My DSIS and SIL would have freaked so wouldn't have passed it to their children. Depends on the feelings of the parents.

Hmm I must admit I didn't but maybe I didn't have much faith in the cleanliness of my floor. Also at 18 months I'd assume they didn't want it rather than a lack of arm control and would be trying to discourage food throwing by telling them it was dirty now.

At home or a friend's house, absolutely, out in public, probably not, although I wouldn't bat an eye of someone else did.

I wouldn’t mainly because it might give the child the idea that it’s ok to pick things up off the floor and eat them and you can’t expect a toddler to understand that it’s ok at home but not ok in the supermarket / Park / soft play etc .

I wouldn't but maybe I'm a bit PFB in that I don't even give my kids their dummies back which have fallen teat side down on the floor at home

I wouldn't with someone else's child in someone else's home.

Yanbu in general. Considering all of stuff small kids put in their mouths and the dirt they pick up crawling along the floor, it's fine.

I don't think I would do it with a neighbours child though, they mightn't like it.

I would, because DF picks food up off his minging floor, I don't do it there as it's dirty and covered in thread.

Depends on the floor. If its the living room yes. If its the kitchen or hallway, no way as our smelly, hairy dogs live there. Although any food that drops close to a dog vanishes before it hits the ground.

I think it's fine from a cleanish floor.

Perfect cleanliness isn't very good for developing gut immunity anyway.

Did you ask the baby’s mum if it was ok, before you did it? If you didn’t, then you were in the wrong, as you don’t decide what is hygienic for someone else’s child. I assume you’re posting because she wasn’t happy?

YANBU if it was your own child. But to do that without checking with the mum if it was OK first, yes you were probably a bit U.