My 15 Month Old Throwing Food on the Floor

We just gave small amounts of food at once. He really didn't start throwing until he was pretty much done eating so we just stopped feeding at that point. It helped to give him something he could throw since this behavior is basically exploring the world - it is not rebellion, disobedience or anything like that. It also is rather gross.

Take it away for a few minutes, then tell her not on the floor (you should motion so she understand) then try again, if this doesnt work after a few tries she may not be ready to feed herself. Perhaps you can feed her and sit with her and perhaps only offer a few items for her to feed herself. This is def not a case of exploring, she needs to learn and you need to teach her.

Hi S.-

My solution worked...but may not be for everyone...

I would allow our dog Maggie...now deceased :( ...come thru and 'clean up'! The kids (and I had a bunch all in a row) soon learned that once on the floor it was 'fair game'...lol

Seriously, once food is on the floor...the meal was over.

Good luck!
Michele/cat

Once my 1yr old starts throwing food on the floor I know she is done eating so we clean her up and take the tray away.

with my son he was scared to death of the vacumn and as soon as the first piece hit the floor the vacumn went on. I left it plugged in and if he did it again vacumn ran again he stopped in 2 days but if yours aint afraid of the vacumn it wont work

i hate to say it but i did the same thing frances did, a few times - my son is ruled by his stomach - that boy quit dropping food REAL fast when he saw it go bye-bye when he did...!

I'm probably in the minority, but I don't think you should "do" anything to change the behavior. She's just exploring her world, and that includes gravity. Rather, don't give her too much food all at once. I used to give my son 3 or 4 bites. When he was done, I would give him a few more. This is not a behavior issue. It is a bit wasteful and inconvenient, but it is an essential part of how a toddler learns about his/her world.

Just give small amounts of food and when the throwing starts, take the food away. I almost considered feeding my son in the shower (since clean-up would be SO much easier there).

We went through this with our first and are currently going through it with our second. I sternly tell him "no", and I tell him if he is done he can give mommy the food. He is starting to catch on, he will hold the food out for me most times now!! Oh, also, don't put too much in front of her, I think they get overwhelmed or something.

uggg...I hated this phase. My son was far from starving so when he threw it on the floor I said that it told me he was all through and took his plate away. The first few times he threw a fit and gave me the dirtiest looks but it really think it helped.

I hope you are right! And when you find a solution PLEASE let me know! My 15 month old has been a messy eater since day one! I pretty much just tell my lil' one no too and tell her if she's going to throw food then she can get up...then I start to clean her off...and then she knows Mommy means business! It doesn't always work but they are still young and it takes lots of time and patience! If you haven't invested in one of these meal/play mats I think it would be a good idea!!!

http://www.toysrus.com/product/index.jsp?productId=3214510

And my daughter is also in a "phase" now where she really likes to throw any & everything! Especially if you give her something and she doesn't want it. And when there is something missing in the house...look in her playpen because that is her hiding spot where she throws things. Drove me crazy for a while...she puts everything in there - the house phone, cell phone, remotes, pacifiers, cups, food, etc....aren't they so cute??? Anyway, hope I helped...Good luck!

I have been beating myself up about how frustrated I am with my 15 month old for throwing his food on the floor. I guess it really does help to know you're not alone in this.

He throws his cup, his food, his bib, his toys, and then if his chair is close enough to the table, he starts trying to throw whatever he can reach. I have tried so many things, but you all have offered up a few suggestions that I am going to attempt.

Thanks Ladies!

This phase can last awhile-my daughter still does it sometimes at 2 yrs old. Even when she's not throwing food she is a very messy eater- puts her hands in her hair, squishes food through her fingers, drops food from her spoon by accident etc., etc. She loves to play with the texture of food. It's a normal part of learning but it sure is frustrating for parents! My daughter is not a huge eater, so we are just starting to institute taking her plate away when she plays too much. We were not willing to do that before now, and we are just trying it now. We are going to see if she sleeps through the night without waking up hungry. If she can make it through the night, we will take her plate a little more often if necessary. It does slowly get better, but it takes a longer time for some kids than others. Just keep saying "No food on the floor. Food goes in your mouth." It will one day sink in.

When my oldest was this age she loved noting better than to throw her plate onto the floor. My mother-in-law had the cleanest kitchen floor on earth while we lived with her. It got mopped three times a day! My daughter eventually grew out of it but it was frustrating. When she initially started doing it I would be very reactive which of course made her happy....she new she was getting to me. Once I caught on I would just gently tell her no and then clean up the mess. I think she finally stopped when she realized I wasn't going to "lose it".
Goodluck!

One of my sons used to throw his food on the floor the second he was done eating. So we gave him just a little food on his plate and watched him very carefully. The moment that it looked like he was done and ready to hurl, I'ld take his plate away and declare him "done". Putting a big cloth helped keep the floor clean too. He did grow out of it and your daughter will too. Good luck.

It's mostly a 'game' at this stage, but begin to pick up the food and as you are doing it, rather than saying simply "no", say to her, "We don't throw our food on the floor. If you don't want to eat it, just leave it on your plate". If she's finished eating, you even could put the food back onto the plate as you say this to illustrate to her what you mean. It's good to also be sitting with her so you can perhaps prevent her from throwing it on the floor the minute you see her start to try to do that. Good luck with your patience as you see her through this stage. I'm sure you know this one will be replaced by another that's just as discouraging, if not more so. But it's worth it all, even though sometimes we find ourselves having a hard time believing that.