1 Yr Old Tossing Food from Highchair

Ha ha.. Welcome to parenthood.. :) Every child this age throws food on the floor. The best solution is to give a warning and then remove the food. Be consistant and it will work after a while. Children are learning about physics at this age and watching things fall is fun (not to mention watching you pick it up again).

I have a 2 year old who went through that stage and an 11 month old who is going through that stage right now. The best way that I have found to deal with it is to say, "All done," when they do it and get them down from the table/highchair.

She'll outgrow it soon enough, but it's probably best to not tell her "no" every time. She probably thinks it's funny when you react by telling her "no". Maybe try just giving her two bites at a time and after those are gone, then two more? My daughter is 18 months and threw food for a while, but she only does it now when she's done and we're not hearing her say she's done. Stick with her! How many adults do you know that throw food on the floor while they're eating? :)

If it's getting to be a big mess, you can put a cheap pastic tablecloth under her highchair. JoAnn's also sells vinyl by the yard that has cute patterns on it that's a little more likely to stay down and flat.

HI M.! Our son did the same thing, probably around the same age. I would give him one chance by telling him "No" and warn him that I was going to take the food away, and if he did it again, I would just clean up the food until next meal time. It only took a few days of this before he realized it would be best to leave the food on the tray. Good luck!!!

Dear M.:

Congrats, your daughter is learning "cause and affect". This is a normal part of her development and right on target. This is fun for them but not being done to manipulate you into picking it up. Invest in a floor mat to put under the highchair and let her do what she needs to as long as she is eating food, while doing it. Table manners come much later. The less you pay attention to it, the quicker she will grow out of doing it, but it take time. Meal time needs to be a nice soothing time without frustration and stress. Hang in there and good luck.

D.

Well, I agree with everyone that this is normal, exploratory and healthy, and with the people who say babies don't really understand no at this point. Also, that it shouldn't be suppressed, exactly. Babies want to play with everything in front of them, it's all so interesting. So, you want to show her what to do and what not to do, and forgo the expectations and frustration. I think what we did was to give our son something to play with during the meal, and then he was more likely to just eat the food. I did take the food out of his reach when he was getting out of hand, but I didn't withhold food from him. I think that uses food to control behavior, which is not what food should be for. Especially at that age, let the babies experience and explore the handling, texture, smells, etc.

Anyway my son is two now, and though there was a chunk of time when he ate without needing some distraction, we now again need aids, so we read to him, and he then eats all his food.
Best wishes.

She won't understand;-))) She is one year old.. just enjoy much fun she is having.. she won't do it forever.
Lynelle
We have the same thing going on.. our dog is the vacuum..

I had this problem with my son and found a website for daddies with the same post. All of the dads suggested placing a plastic mat under the high chair, ignoring him and not reacting, and not letting the dogs eat the food (at least until the baby was removed and couldn't watch with glee!). Anyhow, she is playing with her food. She will soon learn nothing happens when she does and will move on to another stage.

My son (11 mo) will occasionally still drop food, but I still ignore this behavior and he eventually continues to eat. Nothing like the days when he would drop everything on his tray.

Lastly, I think 1 year old is too young to punish with going to bed without dinner. If you take her food away she will still be hungry = cranky!

This stage will pass. Good luck!

M.,

Children understand 'no' very early, indeed. They learn quickly and well, provided the lesson (they may need to repeat) results in the same outcome every time.

In this case, all she needs is a 1-2-3 lesson. I call it 1-2-3 because it's likely one of those situations that she'll repeat until she gets the same result 2-3 times in a row - and then you should see it come to an abrupt end (and, if not, she's got a superior dose of 'stubborn' - which will either add to or take away from her longevity...can't make any predictions for you on that! :-).

First time she does this, pick the food up, get down on her level, look her in the eye as you place it back on her table and say to her, "the next time you throw this on the floor, I will throw it in the garbage and you will not get any more until lunchtime - do you understand?" Allow her to respond to you - repeat the question if need be.

Chances are, she'll throw it on the floor again. Pick it up without any expression at all - just be calm easy in your being, like you're doing a product demonstration on QVC - 'hi folks, this is the function of the most simple appliance in our home - the trash can - waste goes in, lid gets shut so easily you'll say....*ahh, now THAT's easy*.

Put it in the trash (all a viewable activity from her location). Let her scream or throw whatever fit she wants - just say nothing.

When you can tell she's de-escalating, return to her and speak again at her level. Quietly remind her that you did exactly what you said you would do - and if she doesn't like that, she can choose to keep her food on her table and eat it, instead.

Again, that may not be too pleasing - if she's spirited as you say, you'll likely see the rest hit the deck and the rest of her emotions play out.

As long as you do nothing to respond other than allow her to have her feelings, she'll eventually calm down and you can then go back over and quietly tell her how sorry you are that she chose to throw her food in the garbage. Now there is none, and that is so sad for her.

Then, take the opportunity to move onto other activities (next product up on the QVC demo and will you be joining us today?) in a loving way - let her join you in whatever it is that's 'next' and move on from the experience.

As long as you keep your cool and remind her of HER power via HER choices, she'll figure it out and resolve it for you. Stubborn, spirited or whatever else it may be, what she really wants to know is what the outcome of her experiment will be each time she does it - if it keeps coming up different, like any good scientist, she'll have to keep experimenting until she can predict something with some degree of satisfaction :-).

Best to you and your little girl - have FUN :-),
T. B.

Hi M.,

I think this is the most commonly discussed topic here. One year olds throw food, period. It's one of the lovely ways they develop certain skills and awareness. Now, lots of moms will tell you what worked for them. But the reality is your little one will most likely stop doing it when she finds something else to try. Reasoning with a child so young is pretty fruitless. She likely doesn't have the mental or emotional function to understand. You can do a few things to help, however. First, please don't take away her food until you're sure she's finished. Babies and young toddlers take a long time to eat, so try not to rush her. It's just not a good idea to ever deprive one so young of food. How about using very simple language, as your husband does, to tell her she shouldn't do it. It's not surprising that she would look at you blankly and then throw the food anyway. That's just what they do. She's not being naughty or defiant. She's just figuring out that she has some (albeit limited) control over her little world. When the meal is over, gently take her hand and pick up the food with her. Who knows how she'll respond, but you may be pleasantly surprised. Please be patient. We've all gone through it. I say to worry when a little one doesn't do those what-may-be-annoying things. It's called development and it's universal. It will stop, and you will get through it. Good luck!

Everyone has their pet peeve and mine was throwing food on the floor. When my baby or toddler threw a plop of food or cookie onto the floor, I came over, and said "Your food belongs in your tummy not on the floor, I guess you're done" in a happy voice...and took the food from the tray, cleaned them up and got them down. They soon learned cause and effect...I throw food, it disappears. I would put them back in the high chair a few minutes later and give them a snack or more meal if I felt they still needed to finish lunch, etc. Surprisingly none of my 6 kids dropped food on the floor to the amazement of all my friends who battled the problem and although it drove them crazy, they just told the child not to do it. Being that there were no consequences, the child just did it. I don't think my child ever thought they were doing anything wrong, they just figured (I think?) OH, when I throw down food she thinks I'm full......don't want that to happen.

This problem comes up often with that age. My suggestion is, as soon as she throws something on the floor you take her out of the high chair, while saying "all done". Just do this a matter of fact like. Do it every time this happens so she gets the idea.
Perhaps you can make a fun game when it isn't dinner time for her by having her throw something from the couch to the floor like bean bags, so she can enjoy that action without it involving in mealtime.

Sounds like a perfectly normal one year old to me.
They usually grow out of it pretty quick, but they do it because they are learning cause and effect. I dump it, mommy reacts. I would say, leave what spills until after the meal and pick it up. Another way to curb it, is to say all done and take the food away. Most likely she isn't done, so she will point or tell you see wants the food. If she asks for the food again, bring the food back and start again. It takes time and she will stop eventually. She find another new trick to amuse you with.
Good luck.

I would have to disagree to a point that a one year old does not understand the word NO. I am not an expert, just a SAHM that dose some childcare to help ends meet. I take care of children and have seen them go through stages of learning and at one they will get the point if you say No a few times. I have watched 7 kids in the last 5 years and they all started at 6 months, I have found the best way to curb the thowing stage is to tell them NO do not throw your food and let them know if they do it again the food is gone. Second time take the food. That's it. Within a few days the behavior was gone. It doesn't mean you have to starve your child, but do not give them anymore food for at least 1/2 hour or so. You want them to get the point. Good Luck!

This is totally natural, normal behaviour for one year olds. Kids this age just throw food. They are learning about cause and effect. They throw it on the floor, you pick it up. Cool! How many times can I make that happen. If you have carpet under where she eats get a cheap shower curtain or plastic table cloth (dollar store) to put on the floor under her chair. This is actually great even if you have tile or or hard surface - Just fold it up and shake it out outside when your done. No clean up necessary.
Bottom line, don't stress over it. Just enjoy that your little one is learning and having fun.

How frustrating. Take her out of her chair and put the food "away". Try feeding her again 30 minutes later or whatever seems appropriate. Nothing happens when you say no, except for the word so she isn't making the connection about consequences. Good luck!

I agree with the moms who said to say no, give a warning, and then take the food away. My 19 month old learned at around 11-12 months to stay away from the dog food by us giving him a stern "no" whenever he got near it. He would sometimes test it by going over there, and looking back at us to see our reaction. And he went through the food -throwing stage (and it should be just a short term stage). We did the attachment parenting method, and I agree that you can't spoil a younger baby, and that you shouldn't stifle a child's learning-through-experience, but in my experience, a 12 month old can and should learn "no".

Yep, 1 year old - I agree, perfectly normal.
I do think that they are starting to understand "no", however they do not always know how to appropriately react to it. I would keep on telling her that food does not go on the ground (I taught my daughter to hand it to me instead - most of the times at least) and in time, she will learn. Just be patient and gentle and repeat, repeat, repeat.
In the meanwhile to save your sanity, consider putting an old tablecloth or something like that under her highchair. At the end of the meal just fold it up and toss it in the wash - easy cleanup!
The joys of toddlerhood...

One year olds are crafty but they don't understand everything we might think.. first of all, put a plastic tablecloth under the high chair...when she throws the food. tell her no....if she does it again, tell her no...third time.. take away the food until the next meal...end of problem

Hi M.,

I agree with Charlene. This is a stage. Telling her "no" isn't going to get you anywhere. Taking the food away, well, then she won't get any food. Tossing food is a totally normal behavior for her - my 15 month old still does it from time to time. They're running little experiments to see how the world works. So much of the world is still completely new for her - gravity is very fascinating! Food is interesting and feels strange, so playing with it is her way of trying to understand it. You can try at non-mealtimes giving her some toys to play with, throw on the ground, etc. I advise patience, and a good mop.

Good luck,
A.

M.,

You are not wasting your breath, she does understand "no", she just sees throwing food on the floor as a game.

My daughter will be two in March, and still throws all her food on the floor when she doesn't want to eat it. We tell her "no throw food", and she chuck it at her brother instead. *sigh* We just have to remind ourselves that it's just a phase and it will eventually pass.

Some things we've done to curb this behavior is to take away the food when she throws it on the floor saying "all done. If you throw, you're all done". Or, we take the food away and hand feed her a few bites.

Hope this helps,
Melissa

This is definitely normal. My 15 month old drops food on the floor too; and his spoon, and his sippy cup. Babies at one year do understand "no". But in this instance my husband and I ignore the behavior. We just pick up the bits of food after he is done eating. I save "no" for behavior that may cause him to get hurt. Otherwise, like the other moms said, babies are just trying to learn about the world they live in.

Both...
One year olds all throw their food on the floor because they are learning cause and affect. So in a way, no she doesn't really get it. But, she is capable of learning. When you tell her no, she looks you dead in the eye, thinks why not, and does it anyway. There are no consequences, so there is no need for her to stop throwing the food. The best way to curb this behavior is to remove her from the chair if she continues to throw food after you have warned her once. She will very quickly associate throwing food with being all done eating. You can bring her back to the chair after a few minutes to let her try again. You have to be really careful with this method because it can lead to throwing all the food on the floor as a way to be excused from the meal when she is done or would rather play. Maybe a better way would be to just take all her food away but make her stay in her highchair. We also left all the thrown food down on the floor and after the meal was over with, my son had to pick it all up and put it back on his plate, and wash the floor. It didn't really get clean just by him, but it taught him to be responsible for his actions.

Yes, they know the word no. It is a matter of figuring out what will work to make her stop testing you. At one it is completely appropriate to remove her plate..or whatever. Give her just a couple of bites at a time, and when she throws one, take the other two bites so she is left with none. When she realizes this and wants more..give her one..tell her "eat it"...or something. If she does, praise her, if she doesn't repeat. Don't waste your breath on "No," Just find a way to make her understand that eating it is better. My bet is if she throws a bite, and the whole plate disappears briefly that she may decide to keep her food in front of her...

Well, it is a phase, and it will pass, and one year olds do know the meaning of know.

One possible solution is to say "no, do not throw food," and remove the food from in front of her without showing expression when she throws the food. Then as soon as she looks at you with some expression, return to feeding her with a pleasant expression on your face. This is really hard to maintain and do. But it will get her to stop throwing food with making you resort to getting to angry.

There are many other solutions that will be offered I am sure.

Good luck.

This is completely normal behavior. You may want to check out babycenter.com you can receive custom emails regarding your childs developmental milestones every week. I have used this for six years and have found it very useful for questions such as these. I do not recommend withholding food from your child. They may play with it, but it doesn't mean they are not still hungry, especially if it is only their third bite before they throw it (drop it). Good luck. T.

Hi M.-
You have tons of great responses. I would add this, too. I agree with telling her "No." But I would also say "The food stays on your high chair tray." When you say "Don't throw the food on the floor," she hears "throw the food on the floor." This goes for any behavior you don't like....tell her what you want so that phrase is in her head. I've learned this lesson the hard way as a teacher!!
Another point, and this may not work for you. I have/had an issue with wasting food and I don't think that food should necessarily be thrown away if it goes on the floor. Truly, dirt is good for their immune system. When my daughter did this same thing at about the same age, the food went back on her tray (if the floor was clean enough and no obvious hair, etc. was on it). She learned eventually, that even if she doesn't want the food, she can set it aside on her tray, not the floor.
Do you do sign language? "All done" is a very helpful sign as are any signs that you teach.
Good luck. The phase passes....and then it starts again with more vigor! Mine is throwing at 2.5 now, but she has to pick up or go to time-out.
A.

She testing her environment. Cause and effect. Yes tell her No! It's part of growing up and to not do it only makes matters worse. This is a game to a certain extent. She throws, you respond. You talk with her, you pick it up. She gets your attention and it's starts all over again. As her verbal skills improve she'll be doing other things. But by all means, tell her No. You can also not respond to her actions. This is a trial and error period for you as parents, to see what works best for you and her. Best of luck!

Congratulations, you have a very healthy one year old! Actually, contrary to popular opinion, children this age don't really understand the meaning of "No". To them you might as well be saying "GLBFAW!!" So if you say "No, don't throw!" they hear "Glbfaw, throw!" And cardinal rule of toddlerhood: what you resist, persists -- don't create power struggles this early on. Amazingly, the best thing to do is actually let them eat and throw and mix and pour, and then clean it up afterwards. Unfortunately, if you seriously and persistently resist until they stop, then a primary learning or self-esteem impulse has been squelched. In this case, it would be mainly a learning impulse that was squelched.

The job of a one year old is to explore the world around them and satisfy their curiosity. It is a tough and messy stage to deal with. But, if you allow them to follow through on this developmental stage they will learn to be confident, curious and interested in this world and they will not be afraid to explore -- these are qualities which will bring them success later in life. Otherwise, if you squelch them too much, you may as well be training them to be lifeless drones (think Barack Obama, first president of color vs. secretarial work.)

Finally, children under the age of 18-24 months lack the cognitive ability to see themselves as separate people from you. Hence, they can neither manipulate nor premeditate their actions -- they are basically reacting to the immediate world around them. Any kind of harshness or punishment (taking away food is kind of both -- put yourself on their shoes) is not really helpful at that or any age.

There is a saying currently going around in the medical and psychological community that "you can't spoil a child under 18 months". That means to take it especially easy on your child and yourself during the early years. The less "good" behavior you expect of your child in their first three years the more good behavior you'll actually see developing. Treat them exactly how you would want them to act towards yourself and others. You could just imagine them to be exceptionally messy, unruly and ignorant temporary guests; show amazing patience and model good behavior until they (or this phase) leaves and then wipe your brow and sigh with relief. I guarantee you it will eventually stick. Good luck.

P.S. The more you understand child development the easier it will be to have the exceptional patience that it takes to be a super successful parent. You could start with "Baby Hearts" by Linda Acredolo PhD; "The Successful Child" by William Sears MD (or any book by Sears); and "What Babies Say Before They Can Talk" by Paul Holinger MD, MPH -- this last one might be the most interesting to you right now, but I guarantee any of them will have you hooked and educated in no time. :-)

This is perfectly natural for a child this age. My son did it, I did it, and every other kid I know has done it. I think it practically counts as its own developmental stage. It's just your daughter's way of exploring cause and effect.

Please don't take her food away. This is a natural stage and she really can't help it. Try giving her only a bite or two at a time. At least that way less can end up on the floor.

Most one year olds DO understand the word "no", but we always tried to use it sparingly. My suggestion would be to let the food stay on the floor until meal time is over. She might get bored with throwing it if she's not getting to see you bend over and pick it up constantly.