Throwing food off the tray. How to stop it?

[hey mommy]

I know it's a normal part of being 1. I know it most likely means he is done. When I am near him, I can grab it before it hits the floor. But I'm not always there. DH sits next to S at dinner and half the time I'm still in the kitchen while they are eating anyway.

DH is ready to spank him and do "whatever it takes to stop the behavior."(his words..)

I am suddenly thankful DH doesn't like to read, because he'd probably end up with the Pearl's and love it. :sigh

BTW, our dining room floor is carpeted. :doh It's a rental, so we can't tear it out and put down new floor covering. I am open to putting a mat or something under him, but DH is complaining about that too. :sigh

[WingsOfTheMorning]

I don't know if there is a gentle way to immediately stop it. Ugh. That must be so hard to deal with when your DH isn't on board. :hugheart

I would put an office chair mat under the chair, not give a lot of food at a time, limit anything super messy.

Does he know how to sign "all done"?

Can you try to be in the dining room more while they're eating?

[inesperada]

The only thing that ever worked in our house was to put no more than 2 bites on the tray at a time. If my kids saw more than 1 or 2 bites of food, they saw plenty to play and throw. If there were only 5 cheerios, they didn't want to waste any. ;)

[LilacPhoenix]

ITA about just a few bites at a time. Maybe even one. I have a thrower too and that's the only thing that's helped!

[LadybugSam]

The only thing that ever worked in our house was to put no more than 2 bites on the tray at a time. If my kids saw more than 1 or 2 bites of food, they saw plenty to play and throw. If there were only 5 cheerios, they didn't want to waste any. ;)

this is what works best for us. We move his highchair up next to the table and we give him a couple bits at a time from the bowl/plate that we have on the table for him. Near the end of the meal when he's done there is some throwing but its a much smaller mess and we put him down immediately.

also putting down a disposable tablecloth on the floor works really well, easy to clean up. Honestly it think those plastic mats that you put under desk chairs work better but they're more expensive.

[mamacat]

ditto and maybe find something for dh to read about 1 yr old behavior he isnt being naughty it is just what they do and when they are finished they ;et you know that way

[hey mommy]

I've told DH that is what 1 year olds do and his reply is "I know! I'm trying to teach him NOT to do it!" :sigh

[mamacat]

Sigh.Would he understand that they cant really grasp it at that point and it is just a stage? In meantime would just have him close and do the one bite at at a time thing.Maybe even as you are offering you can ask more? So he can learn that concept and then watch for his cues about being done and say no more.Is there a way to gently suggest to dh about teaching him how to communicate when he is done rather than just trying to stop the throwing behavior?

[jujubnme]

I've told DH that is what 1 year olds do and his reply is "I know! I'm trying to teach him NOT to do it!" :sigh

"Of course that's what we're trying to teach him, but him learning it is going to take a long time. :shrug We can pull out our hair for the next year every time he eats, or we can make accommodations, so that mealtime isn't stressful for everyone involved."

:hug

[hey mommy]

DH gets it for about a day. And then it's his way all over again. It's like teaching 3 kids.

He doesn't like messes of any kinds. The kids can play, but they can't make any type of mess, EVER. He prefers to do everything for them so that it's not messsy.. and then he complains that they never do anything for themselves.

We have to spoon feed Samuel so he doesn't make a mess with the tiny bit of yogurt he's eating. Stuff like that.

[ArmsOfLove]

give him smaller portions and when he goes to throw them announce that the meal is over. If he's still hungry he will protest. When he tries to throw food again you can put him down and clean up anything he dropped.

If you give him all his food then he will have lots of ammunition. So control the arsenal ;)

[camperjen]

My DH had a great phrase to describe kids' behavior - "long-term temporary". You know that nearly every phase will end eventually but you never know how long it is. Seriously wait it out and eventually it won't happen again (as the maturity grows). Teething eventually ends, diapering eventually moves to potty learning, spoon feeding them yogurt (lol - that's one of my issues - I do it, too), throwing food at the floor.

Another thing I've said recently - since my youngest hit 4ish - is that at one year old they test gravity by throwing everything, and test 'mommy anti-gravity' (to see if she can pick it up again LOL)... and at four they test the other laws of physics - if you cut it apart, can you magically make it go back together (torn page in a book)... if you hit a breakable object with something really hard, will it break (small snow globe against the brick hearth), etc.

Understanding it's a PHASE is a big part of getting through the difficulties.

[Domina]

What's your DH's objection to a mat?

[KCMartha]

We have a shower curtain under our high chair in the dining room (carpeted, like yours).

What helps the most is when I can actually be right there - I take the whole tray off as soon as one item is thrown. Then we are done or I hand him just one item at a time. Now he is transitioning to handing his uneaten food when he's done.

My DS never signs "all done" until the food is mostly on the floor so I'm not certain how helpful that is :giggle

I'm sorry this is frustrating with your DH. :hug2