Throwing food about

[pookamoo]

2 year old DD is going through a phase of throwing her food about.

She was BLW and has always been a very tidy eater, but she now does have a habit of chucking food on the floor or round the table.

I tell her not to, and I don't offer an alternative, as I assume if she were hungry she would eat it (she always has before).

She is trying a control battle, isn't she? I knew this would happen one day.

My usual tactic is first to tell her not to do it, ("please don't throw your food, DD") then if she does it again, to move her plate out of arms' reach (as she'll often swipe the whole thing on the floor), turn her high chair 90 degrees to the table so I can make eye contact, and say firmly (I try not to shout)

"NO throwing".

She then either goes back to her meal or throws a wobbly, chucking cutlery and anything else she can get her hands on.

We all usually eat together, and DH takes the same approach as me.

Am I doing the right thing? Any suggestions?

Thanks

I would be inclined to ignore tbh

Is she watching your face when she throws? She's discovered a surefire way of gaining attention, clever thing !

line the floor round the highchair with newspaper to catch the debris

It is a phase (am a CM and every child I've looked after has done this)and it will pass, I promise

To make you feel better, how about accepting that she exploring trajectory and gravity

Turn the highchair to the table permanently too

HTH

I don't mean accepting, that's not the right word

more like - understanding, bearing-with, in a teeth-gritting way

hmm, I did think it was a phase, thanks BALD, it's reassuring to know that the others all do it too!

The highchair is a booster seat on a normal chair, so her food is actually on the table, rather than on a tray IYSWIM. I only turn it round when I want to make proper eye contact and take her away from her "missiles"!

Good idea about the newspaper on the floor, I am getting fed up of mopping every day!

And I think you are right about the attention seeking. I'd had a very long day on Saturday, and was rather fed up of the food throwing, so I left the table and went to run her bath. DH was still there. Ten minutes later when I came back, DD had cleared her plate and eaten all the leftovers!

at exploring trajectory and gravity, I shall try to remember that the next time a fork stabs me in the leg!

Thanks!

stabbing lol

yy newspaper, just lift at the end of the day and toss in the bin and replace, none of that urgh vile dried on food floor scrubbing ta dah !

just remove the food after one calm quiet warning - and don't make an issue out of it. Just carry on enjoying your own food or chatting about your day. Maybe she isn't hungrey but also maybe she is attention seeking. She will quickly learn that throwing food equals no food.

When DD does this, I remove from her reach everything she could possibly reach to throw, and tell her we're going to sing a song or tell a story until she's calm. When I give her back the plate she usually either eats neatly or hands it back sensibly.