My 1 year old has started dropping his food off of his high chair tray. Taking the food/tray away doesn't work because he's doesn't want to eat - so he sees it as a reward, a way to get out of the high chair. It's gotten to the point where we put him in the chair, give him his food and it all goes onto the floor. Anyone have any tips to curb this behavior?
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Don't pick it up. He think it's a game so the more you pick it up the more he's going to throw it back there. Get a good splat mat. I got an Ikea chair mat that doesn't have the nubbies underneath and it works really well. Never moves and easy to wipe. He'll eventually stop. My friend's son only throws food on the floor when he's done. I don't quite remember what my 3 y.o.did...
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Have you tried teaching him any sign langauge? When DD went through this phase, we'd sign "all done" for her and remove her from the highchair. Eventually she caught on would sign "all done" instead of throwing her food when she was done eating.
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Thanks ERWOO. Another question: Once he's thrown all the food over, what do I do with him? Leave him in the chair for a few minutes? He's just started to associate throwing food on the floor as a way to get out of the chair and not have to eat. So now we put him in, he throws all the food and thinks he'll get down.
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Yes, I have been doing the "all done" sign for weeks. He started copying me for a few days and then stopped completely. Now when I ask him if he's "all done", he looks me dead in the eye and drops everything on the floor.
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I think its just a phase they all go through. My lo did it too, then one day switched to taking the top of her tray off when she was done instead. Much better!
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@artbee: how do you get through the phase without it becoming a habit? I fear that what it's turned into - a habit to throw all the food on the floor so he doesn't have to sit in the chair and eat.
I'm just feeling a lot of pressure because he's a year and not getting better about eating.
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@baby98765: well my lo would eat her food and that was her "I'm done " sign. So we didn't have to worry about her getting the food in her belly, just about her making a mess and making our dog sick from eating the people food. Of course I also didn't want it to become a habit and we tried to stop her but didn't find anything that worked. Luckily it happened on its own.
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One thing we always planned on doing was making our son responsible for his actions. We had very little food dropping issues in general. When we did, our dogs just ate it. But, of he dropped toys etc we would make him pick it up. Then it wasn't a game for mom. So I would leave the food and help your child pick it up when you are all done. He doesn't get what he wants (out of the Highchair) and he has to do more (clean up the mess).
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How are you giving him the food, in a cup, on a plate, with utensils? Maybe change up the way in which you give it to him...for example, my son has this plate that he just hates. Put that on his tray the food gets dumped. Same food in a plate like we're using and he eats it.
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@looch: right now we just give it to him on the tray. Sippy cups go over too, so I imagine a dish or bowl would be sent flying and enable him to get the food off in one swoop as opposed to having to do it piece by piece!
He's just starting to want to feed himself with a spoon sometimes but I don't dare give him the bowl as well at this point.@brownie: I'll try getting him to pick it up with me at the end and see how that goes, thanks!
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what about a suction bowl?
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@regberadaisy: thats an idea, thanks, I'll pick one of those up and give it a try
He's just starting to want to feed himself with a spoon sometimes but I don't dare give him the bowl as well at this point.Reply
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