Suggestions for Meal Times- 15 Month Old Twins

Hi S.:

Yes this is normal and if someone tells you it isn't...then they are not letting their babies explore with the food. It is such a mess and I never saw anyway around it. It's just part of the age and learning to self feed. I now have 3 yr. old twins (boy and girl) and dinner time is still messy, but a lot better than when they were 15 months. I believe it's just part of the process. Just be patient and wear old clothes!! I even took the tray out of the highchair tray. It was one less thing to clean. I never found an easy way around all of this. Some say when they start putting food on the floor, then it's time to stop immediately and finish up. I always thought that 15 months was so young to understand all that. Maybe I did it all wrong. Who knows.
S.

My twin sons are grown now, but your letter brings back memories! Twin boys encourage each other and it's more difficult to influence as a parent can with a single. Take heart! They will grow through it, and you will be incredibly blessed with your sons! We tried to divide and conquer sometimes by letting them be on different schedules & that would give me more influence over each one -not much time for mom to rest! Mine were never good at sitting still or staying in bed. Put them in a safe, contained place while you pick up the floor, sing songs with funny hand motions for their entertainment and get help when you need it. Have fun!

Definately the age. I thought 15 months was worse then the "terrible twos". Keep trying the signing and keep thinking to yourself, "they will get over this, it is just a phase"! I can't imagine having two of them, bless you!

Buy a plastic table cloth and put it under their chairs. When they are done eating you can just shake it out into the trash and throw it in the washer with towels. Works great. This is normal for boys that age to make a mess. They are just testing the water as some people would say. If you really don't want them throwing food on the floor then just give them a very small amount at a time. They will learn to eat it when they realize they are not going to get any more until they eat what they have. But if you yell, jump up and pick the food up or respond to them in any manor they will just become worse. To them it is just a game. To you it is a mess. Enjoy them while they are little before you know it they will be off to college and you will be wishing you had these days back.

S.,
Hang in there! It's a stage - a very frustrating stage! I taught my boys (not twins - they are 10 months apart) the "more" sign and the "all done" sign and then I just gave them less food at a time. I found with each that if he was really hungry, he would usually eat until he was filled, then start dropping the food. When it was time to get down, I helped him physically pick up and throw away the food. (Actually take his hand [gently] and help him do it.) Exhausting, but it eventually worked for my sons. They ended up handing me the food instead of dropping it. (If it was messy food and I had already cleaned my floor, I would use a plastic tablecloth under the high chair.)
Good Luck and God Bless!

My 14 month old does the same thing. It's their stage of development. Cause and effect...see it drop....watch it fall. Boys love to throw especially. Get one of those plastic floor protector sheets. I know One Step Ahead has them. On really messy foods, feed them with a spoon. Give them a little at a time instead all at once so they don't have the opportunity to "announce" their done and throw the rest on the floor. Hose them off outside (LOL!)

It sound like the norm around here- my boys are 16 months, and we get about the same. One thing that helps is only putting a little at a time on their trays (less to throw/play with). I've also toyed with putting down a shower curtain that I can take outside or into the shower and hose off later, but haven't gotten there yet.

I have a 15 month old and meal times are my least favorite. She throws food, usually doesn't eat what I give her, whines to get down, and then whines when I DO get her down. I think it's just the age b/c your boys sound just like my daughter.

I have 14 month old twins and they constantly drop food on the floor. I tell them no and they still do it. I like the suggestions here for covering the floor (tablecloth or shower curtain liner). I also have them in the fisher price boosters with trays and put so they can reach the table. I am saying, if you don't want it put it on the table. 1/2 the time they do it so it will just take more time for them to get used to this.

Relax! It is very normal. You might want to look into a mat that goes under the high chair. THis may help with clean up. If your goal is to get them to be patient so that you can finish your meal, you may want to try some type of treat. When they say all done, signing, they get a cookie or something that they really like, that will occupy them for 5 or 10 more minutes. Good Luck! Yo are doing a great job.

All normal & just part of it, but a suggestion for cleanup (as a mom of now 7yo twin boys) is to buy a clear plastic shower curtain liner, cut off the edge with holes, & use double-stick tape to stick it to the floor - then you can just wipe up after meals. If they're getting too crazy with the messes, give them something less messy (e.g., no soup or spaghetti sauce). The highchair though - UGH! I was so glad to be done with those & everything running into the seat & down the legs & in every crack & crevice. When your kids are big enough for booster seats at the regular table, go to a fabric store & purchase 2 pieces of heavy fabric (like what the lap pads are made of) to put on your chairs UNDER the boosters - it keeps stuff off the cushions & liquid doesn't seep through. Good luck! It gets easier -

Hi S.,

I had my twin boys when my older son was 2. So I understand the difficulty in feeding the twins. Here is what I did during many day time meals -- since we are in Sunny FL -- I took them either to Zoo or Busch Gardens or any park, so they were not focussed on food and using the food for entertainment (and understand Gravity -- throw and see it fall). They ate outside even in the yard, sitting in stroller, that I hosed very often and many times put thick towels or plastic cover. That reduced inside clean up stress. I let them eat something on their own at dinner time, and feed them the messy things by myself. I was lucky that my older son was around 4 then, and he played with the boys when they ate. I remember crying many times with exhaustion and seeing the mess in front of me .... this time will pass and as parents, you will always have challenge, just the nature of the challenge change. Oh, one more advice, if I give my kids something to eat, they knew to eat it until they are full -- if they threw all the food, that meant go hungry till next feeding time (yes, lots of crying and noise..), but in a week, they learnt their lesson and only threw the things that they really did not want to eat. Do not pick up any food for them from the floor as it becomes a game for them and you will be trapped. My twins are 6 now, and still know to eat when and what is served, or they can wait two hours and get something else then. They may not like everything that I make, but the rule I established that if I have cooked it and it is eatable (may not be great), you should be thankful for the food and eat it. Not all the time you would have the food of your choice.
I am so glad that I was able to force this rule when they were young, as people ask me all the time "How your kids are not fussy when eating" -- they can say politely that they do not like the food and take smaller portion of it to fill their tummy, but they are not getting anything else till next meal time.
But throwing and making mess for kids is normal .. so don't get too stressed out and try to enjoy the kids also, rather than just worrying about mess (I read it somewhere as I was a clean freak before my twins arrived -- Bless this mess because I have kids -- and it is so true -- I clean what I can but I really enjoy my kids and my time with them).

Take Care.

S.,

Hello. I have a almost 15 month old son named Nicholas. When I feed him, I only put a small amount at a time on his tray, when he finishes a few bites, then a put a little more on to keep the mess down. If he throws food off his tray, I tell him "NO!" If he continues to throw food, I take him out of the highchair and lunch is over! I hope this helps!