This article discusses how to get your child to stop throwing food.
The other night I buckled my 12-month-old-son into his highchair prepared for one of his usual chaotic, messy, and fun meals. Usually he can’t get his food fast enough. Yet that night, within 5 seconds of my arranging a handful of carefully cut chicken onto his tray, he grabbed up every single piece, looked me in the eye, and dropped each one to the floor.
It was pretty annoying.
I refilled his tray and he did the exact same thing.
My son is in a phase of throwing not only food, but everything – his pacifiers and lovey reliably sleep on his floor every single night; he’s very into watching balls fall from his hands and bounce on the ground.
I appreciate his experimenting with gravity in every other capacity, but I find it hard to keep my cool when he’s throwing food.
I know all the why’s and tricks behind kids and food throwing yet I still found myself wondering how to get my son to stop throwing food.
Food throwing is normal
Throwing food is completely normal for babies and toddlers.
But (for me at least) knowing that food throwing is completely normal for kids doesn’t make it any easier to watch your child toss their meal all over the kitchen floor and walls.
Why do kids throw food?
Before you help your child stop throwing food. It’s helpful to know why kids throw food.
Kids might throw food for one or several of the following reasons:
- Experimentation
- Seeking attention
- Avoiding eating
- It’s fun!
- Signaling that they are done eating or no longer hungry
Again, it’s totally normal. When they’re throwing food, kids might be testing boundaries – how does gravity work? How do my parents respond? Does this get me attention? Does it work the same with every food?
Sometimes, though, kids might use food throwing as a way to escape eating. Kids quickly learn that throwing food not only takes it out of their proximity, but also provides a reason for them not to eat. Once food is on the floor, it’s less likely to make it back onto the plate and sometimes meals are even cut early.
Below are things you can do to help your child stop throwing food at mealtimes.
How to Get Your Child to Stop Throwing Food
Get to the root
One of the first things you can do to help your child stop throwing food is to watch and respond to their cues during mealtimes. This can help you get to the root of their food throwing and understand what they are trying to communicate.
Are they done with their meal? Are they looking for your attention? Are they uncomfortable? Do they want to play?
With my son that night, I think he was just having a hard time! I did my best to keep calm during that meal (with a glass of wine in hand….) and make it as easy and fun for him as I could.
Which leads us to the next solution…
Keep cool
One of the best ways to help your child stop throwing food is to stay cool, calm, and collected. A big response on your end (yelling, getting frustrated, laughing) can reinforce the behavior and make it harder to stop get them to stop throwing food.
Sometimes I remind my son that food stays on his tray. Sometimes I give him my hand if he is looking for somewhere else to put it. And sometimes I do nothing at all (again, wine helps!).
Establish a meal schedule
A reliable meal schedule that minimizes grazing can help ensure that your child is showing up to mealtimes hungry. Hungry kids are more likely to eat and less likely to throw food on the ground.
Start small
I’m guilty of loading up my sons’s tray with a full portion of food. This gives him a LOT of food to throw and can actually contribute to food throwing.
Kids can find large portions overwhelming and are more likely to eat smaller portions, especially if it’s a new or less preferred food. Plus, with less food on their plate, kids have less to throw.
Set clear expectations
It is important that your child understands your expectations about mealtimes. This is a way to stop food throwing before it even happens.
Before the meal, provide them with options for where they can put food if they don’t want it in front of them.
Some families like using a “no thank you plate,” which is an extra plate for foods they are not interested in eating.
You can also teach your child to sign or say “I’m done.”
Be clear about your own expectations, too. Kids who throw food at the end of a meal may be sitting at the table for too long. Your child might only have the capacity to sit at a meal for 1-2 mins for each year of their age (so a 5-year-old might only have an attention span for up to ~10 minutes).
Make them comfortable
Giving your child a comfortable place to sit can help them to stop throwing food. Make sure their chair is supportive. This can help them sit longer and focus better leading to less food throwing.
Pay attention
If food throwing is your child asking for attention, try eating with your child. Have enjoyable mealtimes where the focus is on appreciating time together – not on food or eating.
Did you enjoy these tips to stop food throwing and feel like you could use more guidance? Stories of Extreme Picky Eating: Children with Severe Food Aversions and the Solutions That Helped Them is for you. Stories of Extreme Picky Eating shares real life examples of extreme picky eaters who learned to expand their diets and eat new foods, plus a step-by-step action plan so you can see the same results at home with your child.
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