Food Throwing

davjan

Help please, does anyone know how to stop this?

My 18 month old twin grandsons just throw their food around. My daughter spends a lot of time preparing food that she knows they like, sits them in their high chairs, and they just throw it on the floor, or in the air or just sweep the plate on the floor. It is really getting her down when she has to get the hoover out and sees the absolute waste of money and time that has been spent. She must be doing something right, as she is a childminder, and the little boy she looks after, who is the same age, eats beautifully, with her teaching. Most of the time they will eventually eat, but by this time, my daughter is at her wits end. The boys currently have their three meals a day, with snacks mid morning and mid afternoon - she has tried cutting out the snacks, but no improvement. They feed themselves, either with a spoon or fork, or she will let them just use their fingers, depending on the food.

Any ideas, please, how to stop the throwing, bearing in mind they are only 18 months old.

Thank you so much for any ideas

meritaten

at 18 months - this is what toddlers do. They don't care that the food is lovingly prepared - or that mum gets upset. If they are not hungry enough then food will go on the floor!
Personally, I would cut out snacks. I wouldnt take it personally if the food goes on the floor (but I would put down cheap plastic tarpaulins first). if the food isnt eaten then none is offered until the next mealtime. mum isnt doing ANYTHING wrong! neither are the kids, unless mum makes it about her.
kids (even toddlers) will eat when they are hungry and they soon learn that if they throw thier food away - then they stay hungry until the next meal. it may take them a few weeks - but, they WILL learn!

SmlSave

We too put down a clean shower curtain to catch dropped food. It doesnt get given back at that meal though.

Just keep repeating. .... Its just a phase and they will grow out of it

freda

I agree, thats what toddlers do, unfortunately. I'd try and tackle it by offering one piece at a time on the highchair tray. Don't use a plate, its just extra ammunition. Big praise when eating nicely, a simple 'no' when food thrown on the floor. Offer all of the first course, go on to the pudding. What gets eaten, gets eaten. What goes on the floor goes in the bin.

I wouldn't be bothering with spoon and fork at this age, again its extra ammunition. Make food that can be eaten with fingers, or feed them yourself if its stuff like spag bol. Keep the drink away from them - offer it but take it away again when they are done. Basically remove ALL distractions apart from the one piece of food in front of them!

Don't spend too much love and care on the kid's food at this stage, it creates too much emotion around food. Toddlers are way too young to know that the food they are throwing around has been made with love and attention by their mother. But it doesn't half feel awful when something you've spent 1/2 hour preparing goes on the floor. So do one pot meals - boil some water to cook veg and tatties, add in some cooked meat to heat through. Lots of salads and sandwiches. Reheated leftovers from adult meals. Nothing particularly special till they get the hang of actually eating it.

It takes bloomin ages to get some children eating nicely. Set your standards low for a while, give them easy to make food and give it loads of time.

emsywoo123

OP, my DS is 20 months and I sometimes wonder if he actually eats *anything* .........

But he does, I suppose, he is a good size in height and weight, and I get to change 2 delightful nappies a day (plus other wet ones in case that sounds like I leave him in them!)

My advice is to stay strong, tempting as it must be to succumb to "easier" foods so it is not so disheartening if they don't eat it, it will be worth it in the end!

Equally, I don't feel guilty if once in a while DD and DS do not have lovingly prepared home food.....

Does she/another adult sit and eat with them?

meritaten

I forgot to say - sometimes mums put way to much food on the plate? just put a little out and if they eat it then put more on their plates.

SqueekyMouse

Your two Grandchildren are budding scientists - they've just discovered gravity! :T

Food is just another interesting toy for them at this age, they still don't quite understand it's true purpose and want to play with it instead

Put a shower curtain under the high chair so you can pick up the food and offer it again, but if they drop it a second time don't give it back, just shrug and clear it away with a "oh well you must not be hungry right now" in a disinterested voice. Don't react too much or it'll turn into a game or a battle depending on the child.

I would also avoid using plates, or cuterly since it's just extra stuff to throw and let them feed themselves with their fingers until they decide throwing things isn't fun anymore (possible with all types of food, just slightly more messy with spag bol).

I would also limit what I put on their highchair tray to 4 or 5 pieces of food at a time. Often it can be overwhelming for tiny people to have their whole portion in front of them and they resort to a windscreen wiper action to clear the decks so they can concentrate on a smaller amount of food at once

Don't go out of your way to prepare anything special for them, just give them some of what your having, or if what your having isn't appropriate, a piece of sliced fruit and a peanut butter sandwich etc is fine)

IMO it's important to bring their highchairs right upto the dining table and eat with them as well - so you're setting them a good example and they can copy you, this works even better if everyone is eating the same thing

I wouldn't remove their snacks, children have very small tummies and do need to eat often. Removing their snacks probably won't help them to eat more at each sitting but might dent their confidence that their parents can meet their all needs

Newbie2saving

My little one did this. This wouldn't suit all people, but I took his food away and started to feed him myself which he hated as he loved the independance. I repeated it everytime he started flinging his dinner round (I covered the floor with a cheap cover think it was a specific one from home bargains). Always tried to sit at the table and include him with the meal time watching an adult helps. It was all a game to him, a battle of wills which we both won. He wanted to feed himself, which he did when he learnt it wasn't acceptable to drop or purposely throw food, I don't care if he spills or makes a total mess if he's trying and I didn't loose my temper every meal time, hard work, but he now loves to sit at the table and enjoy family meals. Makes going out to restaurants easy too.

Good luck.

Mindless_Clone

Food throwing at 18 months? Totally normal. While the other child she manages may not do it with her, you can bet he/she probably does at home. My friend is a childminder and often sayd mums/dads say "oh he won't eat xxx" but they do when they are with her. Behaviour is the same and will vary depending on who they are with.
I would advise your daughter to stop worrying about it and rest assure they will grow out of it. Until then, plastic sheets and less sloppy foods are the order of the day... and lots of cleaning up.

Becles

It's all investigation of textures at that age. Sometimes they may eat a piece of banana, sometimes they need to know what it feels like squished through their fingers, or rubbed into their hair!

A firm no when throwing the food will help, but don't limit them playing with it as it's one of the ways they learn.

The Foundation stage teacher said she can tell who was allowed to play with food and who wasn't as when they get to nursery age, some love playing in sand/playdough/papermache etc., but others don't like getting their hands dirty.

Having dogs help. It was rare for food to actually hit the floor in our house :rotfl: