Over the past several months, Little Buddy has formed a new habit. He’s a pretty good eater, so we have no complaints there. You have to keep changing up the types of food you give him throughout the meal though, or else he gets bored and stops eating. For that reason, other people have a difficult time feeding him, but when he’s at home with us, he consumes a good, balanced meal.
When he’s done eating, though, he lets you know it. If you give him a bite that he doesn’t want, he will take it into his mouth and then proceed to spit it out. Thank goodness for plastic bibs with pockets to catch falling food! And if there are pieces of food on his high chair that he doesn’t want, he will throw them overboard, one by one, until his tray is clear. I like to think that he just wants to be clean, like his mommy.
Since he can’t talk, he has no other way to communicate, so this is his way of telling us that he’s all done. Every once in a while, he will give me another little cue to tell me that he’s finished…before starting to throw his food overboard. So we are hopeful that this behavior will cease once he learns words.
MarriedUK
Argh… throwing food. I have learnt (three children in) that it is either โtestingโ you or a sign that they are not hungry anymore. I have also learnt that a one year old understands what you mean. So I usually explain that at the start of a meal that once he throws food he will have to get down and clean it up and that is the end of the meal. One or two meals in, the message gets through ๐
Making them clean up their own mess is a bore but worth it in the long run!
Ellie
Thanks for sharing, MarriedUK. Great ideas.
Anonymous
Why don’t you teach him some sign language, so he’s able to communicate with you? That might cut down on some of his frustration?
Anonymous
Actually, that sounds like fun. LB might have stumbled upon a good idea. I remember a restaurant in Boston ages ago where you were given buckets of peanuts as appetizers and encouraged to throw the shells on the floor. Can’t imagine the health dept. or OSHA would approve of that now, but back then, it was fun!
Ellie
Haha! That’s true, I’ve heard of those restaurants too.
anon
still have those here in florida. one is called shells and is on the beach
Ashley
Sign language is a great way to teach babies to communicate well before they can even speak.
Anne
My daughter did that too! Itโs cute to watch them pick up a piece with their little fingers and intentionally drop it on the ground. :p Thatโs how we knew dinner was over! She doesnโt do that any more now.
Anonymous
As Barney Fife would say , “you’ve got to nip it in the bud.”
Kristy
Hahah yes, exactly this.
Leah
My oldest did this! Gosh, she was fast. We were often advised to take her plate away when she did it but like your son she only did it when she was finished. So we taught her to clean up the floor. She enjoyed it and felt so helpful. Even a one year old can pick up big pieces or wipe a washcloth across the floor! My daughter grew out of the food throwing (but she still cleans up willingly!)
Ellie
That’s a great idea, Leah!
Kay
I’m going through this too right now and my baby is not the first to do this. I’m more relaxed than some people might be. I just sweep it up afterwards. Sweeping after every meal pretty much needs to be done in our house anyway. I guess in a couple months I might start working on it just by saying “no”.
Ellie
That’s kind of how I have felt too.
Marilyn
Little Buddy sounds like he may be a baseball player when he grows. It sounds like he has a good and strong throwing arm. Wishing you,Mr.Handsome and Little Buddy a Blessed,Joyous and happy Easter. God Bless.
Joan,Marion and Marilyn
Ellie
Happy Easter to you, ladies as well! ๐
Ellie
Anonymous
My parents were strick with me and my siblings. I was a easy going mother with my 2 kids and I don’t regret it.โบ
Anonymous
Maybe you need to keep close track of exactly how much he is actually swallowing and serve him just under that amount.
Then bit by bit offer him only that bit more he swallows. Until he only has one piece or a bite to refuse and then say, ” all done?”
And I agree, show, tell and get him to pick up that one piece that he throws on the floor.
Why let him make a ‘big’ food toss regularly? To well learn this behavior, that hopefully will be outgrown.
anonymous
Hmmm…..maybe development is complicated and you need not try to oiut think it. For example maybe that food toss is developing his ability to not accept what he does not want. By just having fun tossing away what he does not want he might be processing information into his brain that he is in charge of his choices and can call a halt to things to stay in charge. Mom does not want to try to dominate that process! A lot of times in life he might have to take charge and stop things happening to himself he does not want and have to let things go his way and mess does not master him he is the master!
Anonymous
He might see the last of the food as his and thinks its all the same to use to figure out! Where does the food go? In, out and all about!
(To him…. “mess” what’s a mess? “Neatness” might even seem like a mess to a baby.)
Margaret
Haha, that’s pretty universal. They go from food-throwing to absolute refusal pretty quickly, though, and you’ll wish the days back when you captured them in a high chair. When they hit the 18mo to 2 yr stage of food refusal, and you need to start ‘grazing’ stations thoughout the house, you’ll wish back the days of food-throwing. All phases and they do go through all of them before another one hits…just take it in stride and get him to help you clean up (dogs help!) but don’t make too much of a game of it, since that’s what he’s looking for. Maybe give him less on his tray instead of more, so he literally has to ask for more before he gets to the point of throwing it. Finger foods.
Anonymous
My kid never throw food at that age. I must be a good parent .
Anonymous
My daughter never did either.
Ellyn
My son does the same! Also it’s “no complaints” – you wrote “not complaints” I know you know that, as you are an excellent writer, and it was just a typo! ๐ You are after all working + chasing little buddy around!
anon
when my grandson was done eating, he’d clamp his mouth shut so you couldn’t feed him any more. as he got older and able to eat with his fingers, what he wanted was eaten, and the rest swept onto the floor to clean the tray off lol! all done!
Anonymous
Ellie and Mr Handsome do a blog on gossiping please. Do either of you ever have to train the other in manners of speaking?
Jennifer
Each child is different, but I taught my boys the signs for more please and all done- they never threw food.
Enjoy each stage- blink and they are grown!๐๐
Melanie
Hmmm. I have grown children and do not really remember a lot about this. I don’t recall my children doing this, but my opinion now is that as soon as he throws, tell him his meal is over, remove all his food, and after a couple of times, he will learn not to do this.