18 mo deliberately throwing food on the floor

[Lucyannieamy]

Looking for some guidance to disuade our 18 month old daughter throwing food on the floor.
She's a good eater and throws food she likes, that she is still eating, so it's not a food dislike issue. She also knows it's wrong and gives us a devilish smile once she's done it.
We've tried not giving her the food back, but she is still hungry. We've tried ignoring her, and loud telling off, neither of which seem to make any impact.
Generally she is well behaved, if she is told off for opening drawers etc she understands and doesn't repeat. We do big praise for good things.
This is stumping us and turning into a real issue- this morning she dropped her full bowl of wheatabix on DH, as he'd stooped to pick up her dropped spoon. DH was not happy.

It's just for fun and attention. Ignore it if poss or rather distract or talk about other things

This is normal. DD did it, and I haven't come across any child of that age who didn't do it, either.

You're giving her a reaction and she's enjoying it. Best thing is to make no fuss at all, just pick it up and dispose of it or give it back to her. If you don't make a big thing over it then she doesn't get to enjoy your reaction so then she's far more likely to stop because it becomes boring.

When DS1 went through this phase I would put the food straight in the bin and not replace it, without any fuss or even comment. No sad looks, no cross looks. He was a bit hungry for a meal or two but he pretty much stopped dead after that. He wasn't getting a reaction from anyone and he wasn't getting to eat food he actually wanted.

BTW I did let him have snacks after a decent interval so he wasn't starved.

DS was a massive food thrower from the word go and we treated it exactly like provincial lady did - he took a bit longer to stop and didn't stop completely until he was 2. However so's not to starve himself he would only throw the food when he had finished and was bored and I could usually catch the glint in his eye and the plate before it hit the ground!

17mo DD is right here with yours OP!

We're not very consistent in the Ignoring, so she's doing it a lot. Like MrsD's DS, she'll eat what she wants and throw the rest at our brand new sold oak cupboard, eek. We need to get our reaction sorted, and we're going to be going with the No Fuss Removal technique.

Fingers crossed

Agree with others. No fuss, just remove the plate of food. If she asks for it back - in the way an 18 month old does - ask if she's going to throw it. If you get the glint, then she's clearly not hungry so since she's not hungry take it away telling her why. If she looks as though she won't do it again give it back, but warn her first that if you think she's not hungry you'll take it away.
Be blase about it. She won't starve, but throwing food must mean she doesn't want it (that's what you say, even if the truth is she's just being cheeky) so you have to take it away.

12mo dd takes a bite and throws the rest, glad to know shes not the only one, i now cut food into small pieces and just pick up the stuff she chucks, no discussion. however, i do now give her more than she needs as i know half of it will end up on the floor / in her hair / in my hair .... i could go on !

2.2yo DS is still doing this, but a lot of the time he's just trying to make sure our poor, starved dog has enough to eat.

15 month ds also does this. I'm not sure he does know its naughty as he doesn't look for any reaction, too busy looking down to see what kind of splat it makes.

I'm going to be more consistant with the making no comment but he is very skinny so I don't reomve food until he makes it very clearly he's finished with it.