2 year old throws his food ... any advice?

sulkisu

My son turned two this week and for a few months now, his favourite game is to hurl his plate of food across the room.
He used to throw it once he had eaten as much as he wanted and I guess got bored, or when he wasn't particularly enjoying his meal. More recently he has thrown it after one or two mouthfuls and sometimes, like this morning, before he has barely even touched it, or last night when it when it was one of his favourite meals.

When he does it, I say 'no' and 'that's naughty' firmly. He then gets the rest of his meal but nothing more until his next meal or snack, but I feel like a real cow. So this morning for example, he had a glass of milk (thankfully he finished that) and a mouthful of weetabix before the bowl went flying. He had tried to throw it once and I managed to stop him, but no sooner had it gone back down, it was across the room. Son thought it was hilarious, I was not amused. I told him off (the usual 'that's naughty, now breakfast is over'), took him down from the table and now he gets nothing until his usual mid morning snack but as I said before, I feel like a right cow for doing this. I'm not even sure if he is old enough to make the connection - i.e. you throw your food, you go without.

I have tried suction bowls - no joy, I also watch for signs that he is about to throw it but there is usually no warning and he is very very quick for a todler. Sometimes I manage to grab the plate in time but watching him like a hawk while he eats, especially at his age when he is (almost) fully capable of feeding himself is a pain. So is cleaning up food three times a day.

I suppose he will grow out of it in time, but just wondering what other people do?

glitter_fairy

sulkisu wrote: »

My son turned two this week and for a few months now, his favourite game is to hurl his plate of food across the room.
He used to throw it once he had eaten as much as he wanted and I guess got bored, or when he wasn't particularly enjoying his meal. More recently he has thrown it after one or two mouthfuls and sometimes, like this morning, before he has barely even touched it, or last night when it when it was one of his favourite meals.

When he does it, I say 'no' and 'that's naughty' firmly. He then gets the rest of his meal but nothing more until his next meal or snack, but I feel like a real cow. So this morning for example, he had a glass of milk (thankfully he finished that) and a mouthful of weetabix before the bowl went flying. He had tried to throw it once and I managed to stop him, but no sooner had it gone back down, it was across the room. Son thought it was hilarious, I was not amused. I told him off (the usual 'that's naughty, now breakfast is over'), took him down from the table and now he gets nothing until his usual mid morning snack but as I said before, I feel like a right cow for doing this. I'm not even sure if he is old enough to make the connection - i.e. you throw your food, you go without.

I have tried suction bowls - no joy, I also watch for signs that he is about to throw it but there is usually no warning and he is very very quick for a todler. Sometimes I manage to grab the plate in time but watching him like a hawk while he eats, especially at his age when he is (almost) fully capable of feeding himself is a pain. So is cleaning up food three times a day.

I suppose he will grow out of it in time, but just wondering what other people do?

naughty step? time out?

Gillyx

You are doing the right thing IMO. Ignoring it, taking the bowl/plate away and not offering anything else. I'd be wary of going down the punishment route purely because you don't want a negative association with meal time. I am all for time out/naughty step. But I was a child who was punished about eating and my eating habits are shocking now because of it.

No child has ever willingly starved themselves. I don't think he's too little to understand the comnection, he will learn. It probably is an attention thing and if he doesn't get any while doing it it may die down. Maybe praise him when he does eat.

Do you eat with him at the table? maybe that would help? making exaggerated noises about how yummy the food is etc.

Purleygirl

He sounds like a bit of a joker to me. I wonder if it would be worth sitting opposite him or next to him with you "in charge" of his bowl of food. Give him his spoon and offer him the bowl each time he needs another mouthful, he will object like mad but just say "Well you were very silly with the bowl and threw the food and poor mummy had to clear it all up and that makes me very sad". Sad face. After a couple of plate bans I'm sure he'll have wised up! Brings back memories....

Mojisola

sulkisu wrote: »

When he does it, I say 'no' and 'that's naughty' firmly.

With little children, it's worth taking some lessons from animal trainers!:)

It's not the words you use - it's the way you say it. Practice saying the words with meaning - not necessarily loud or shouting, it's the "feeling" or "intention" you want to convey.

Did you ever have a teacher who could silence a class with a sentence? You need to emulate that.

Sambucus_Nigra

If he has thrown the bowl how does he get the rest of his meal?

Perhaps he isn't ready to be left to eat on his own yet?

If you simply took all the food away and spent 2 minutes clearing it up and not giving him more food he might learn that if he chucks the bowl = no food for me?

Gillyx

Oh sorry mis-read where you said giving it back, I wouldn't give it back 1 mouthful eaten or not. A few days of a mouthful at each meal and he'l be back to eating I'd say.

easy

I think he IS old enough to make the association between throwing the food and getting no more.

Next mealtime, sit down and eat with him. Watch him, and if he looks like he's going to throw the food, give him a VERY firm "NO! If you throw your plate, you won't get any more food"
If he then throws it (at any point after you have said this), then you must follow thru' and DON'T give him anything else.
If he was mine, I would keep him in a high chair, continue to sit and finish my meal (without rushing), and then slowly clear up - him still strapped in his high-chair. Then let him get down, but don't let him have anything until next meal-time (you could bring that forward a bit to stop him being too whingey). Following mealtime, do the same again until he has worked out that if he chucks his food about, he gets hungry.

It certainly isn't behaviour which can be tolerated, otherwise you won't be able to take him out anywhere, and that just isn't acceptable.

Mojisola

I also wouldn't give him his full meal to start with. If there's only a third of his meal in the bowl and he eats it, you can give him some more. If it ends up being thrown, there's a lot less to clear up.

sulkisu

Thank you for your replies. I should have explained a little better. I do generally sit at the table with him and I give his food to him a bit at a time (about half) - adding more as he eats what is on his plate (he eats slowly, so this way his food stays warm). In the past, if he has thrown the first half, he would still get the second and would still get to finish his drink. Now, he gets nothing else, I just remove him from the table. He sometimes picks up the plate or bowl as if he is going to throw it but then if I say 'no' he puts it down again - like this morning - so I let him continue eating, because to take it away at that point (after he has done what he was told) would be wrong. However, this morning he threw it anyway.

Gillyx

Seen your signature, could this be an attention thing since his brothers arrived? Maybe spend as much quality time as you can with him one on one, just you and him. I appreciate that's probably not easy with 2 wee ones but it may help.

If he doesnt throw after you've said no id let him keep his food too that way he's seeing a reward for his behaviour which is what you are doing