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Original poster

Plate thrower 18 months

11 replies

giggler8 · 26/06/2005 13:44

Silly Q mayb, but can anyone give me any tips on preventing my dd on throwing plate of food on floor, either that or emptying plate on table then throwing plate on floor...Couple of months ago when she constantly threw on floor I lost it for a few seconds and did it for her felt so guilty afterwards but just felt so stressed..could I have made it worse by doing this..she does eat some first..Would just ignoring it be best..is it just a phase?? Thank you

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Stilltrue · 27/06/2005 19:33

You are not alone! My ds aged 17m does this too. Also throws food if it's not in the bowl, etc. I have begun to say "no" calmly but firmly to him, then I remove all food from his highchair. Luckily i have a mamas and papas one - forgotten the name sorry! - which has a removable top tray which I can quickly whisk away leaving a clean tray underneath. i usually wait a minute at this stage, then re offer the food. Half the time he settles down and continues to eat. tne other half he's just not hungry, so out he comes and the meal is over. Slowly I think he's learning to hold up his plate or bowl if he's finished, rather than just flinging everything. Try to be patient; easier said than done i know...

Frizbe · 27/06/2005 19:34

We do naughty step with dd 19 mths, which usually works a treat, just for a minute, then back to the table and try again. If she is naughty and moves off the naughty step, then she goes upto her cot for another minute (only had to ever do this twice, then she learnt!)

frogs · 27/06/2005 20:02

Don't ignore it, 18-month olds are much cleverer than we give them credit for, and you don't want her to learn that food-throwing is ok.

Say 'no' in a serious "I mean business" voice.
If she does it again, assume she's not hungry and take plate away. If she has a hissy fit and screams for her food, give her the plate back, but warn her, "No throwing". If she still does it again, food goes away and end of mealtime. I find that easier than the in-and-out-of-the-highchair business required by a naughty step. But it doesn't really matter what method you use as long as you really mean it. They soon get the idea.

Mum2girls · 27/06/2005 20:09

Agree with frogs, they need to be dealt with! My DD2 used to have a hissy fit if anyone tried to help her, but there were times when she clearly needed help. She would just throw whatever was in reach across the room. Ok at home, but on holiday used to have to remove her from restaurants before she embedded forks in the back of peoples heads.

If she did it at home, I would remove her from the table and put her on the bottom step of the stairs. She soon got the message.

Flum · 28/06/2005 01:34

Mine did it. She is 16 months old. If she did I figured she wasn't really that hungry and took food away. Sometimes she did it after only one or two mouthfuls. She hasn't done it for a month or so. So guess it worked.

Original poster
giggler8 · 28/06/2005 18:50

Hi Thanks for all advice, will try saying no and taking food away if she does again cos have feeling she will hav hissy fit "Frogs" That highchair sound great "stilltrue" unfortunately my tray isn't removeable. I am staying more calm, tis hard though, even managed tonight wen entire contents & plate went on floor, I just gave her it again ( had just cleaned floor) and she did eat more but without plate, will keep you posted Thanks

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Original poster
giggler8 · 29/06/2005 13:53

Hi again How long did it take for your little ones to get the mssg of not throwing food?

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frogs · 29/06/2005 20:27

My 18 month dd2 is a stroppy little madam, but even she gets the message fast when I really mean business (ie. you shouldn't need to repeat the action more than two or three times). That's not saying they won't try it on again after that, but they should have got the general idea that something is not okay. They understand far more than we give them credit for: when I clear my throat meaningfully, dd2 will start saying, "N-n-n-n' and shaking her head.

Preventing throwing is better than dealing with it once she's done it (less messy, too).
So you could also try:

Keeping the bowl out of her reach and feed her with a spoon;
Leaving the bowl in front of her but hold onto it with your spare hand (so you can whip it away if she tries anything);
If it's finger food, have the plate near you (out of her reach) and put each piece straight on the table, just a piece or two at a time.

If she's persistently messing about with the food, i would tend to assume she's not hungry. My dd2 sometimes eats very little (one or two spoonfuls) at a meal, but will make up for it at the next meal. She won't starve herself, so don't be afraid to get tough.

jamese · 30/06/2005 14:52

I found that my DD (18 months) stopped throwing the plate/bowl around when I bought her a new Winney the poo plate. She hasn't done it since.

Pomi · 01/07/2005 15:47

My 18 months do the same throw food and his plate on floor but mostly when he is eaten enough and sometimes when he does not like the food. I have read it some where that it is the sign that they have enough. I never make it a big deal just say no or remove the plate. I dont think we should or can punish such a little child Frizbe!

Original poster
giggler8 · 03/07/2005 21:37

Well by the time I posted my last mssg and looked for any replys today, she has stopped throwing plate onto floor..ur right 'Frogs' they are alot brighter than we give them credit for..funny thing I did buy a new plate set for her too with Winney the Pooh 'Jamese'. I did just tell her firmly "no" etc and within a day she got mssg. All she does now is empty the food from the plate onto the table and sometimes scatters it about with her hands I guess she might just not be hungry right? Sorry for what may seem dumb Q's but I'm jst getting over PND and think I do worry a little too much about things sometimes and food seems to be my Achilles heel...Thanks for all your advice appreciate it

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