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@Bonny Thank you for taking the time to share all of these helpful tips. :) What age are they ready for their own table? He is 15 months
Hate to say it, I do all you do and my little one is 18 months old. He still throws food 😅
@Bonny another thing he does is dump all of the food off the plate. So I’ve just been putting it on the high chair tray instead. I love the booster suggestion but I feel like he’d just dump his oats all over our table cloth
Consistency is key it will not stop overnight every time he throws you tell him you're telling me your all done and put the food away eventually he will get the message and stop
@Alayne oh no 😩
If you like the idea of a booster take off your table cloth and get plates and bowels that stick to the table. He will figure them out eventually but it will get you through some of this phase. If he has good coordination 15mo is not too early for a little table. You can always try it and if you don't like it (or he immediately takes 2 handfuls of spaghetti straight to the couch and stuffs them between the cushions) you can wait a few weeks and try again. He'll be ready soon enough.
When my daughter starts throwing her food it usually means she's full. I end the meal quickly and just don't react. Sometimes when she tries to dump her plate, I leave the food on the high chair tray by itself and she will still eat it. I just don't engage with the throwing behaviour or give it any positive or negative reinforcement. It just becomes a game if she gets a reaction. I also noticed she tended to throw a lot more food when I was feeding her more frequently - she does fine without a morning snack, sometimes even without an afternoon snack. I tried it because all her growth charts are fine and she's gaining in weight percentiles, so I'm not worried about her going hungry. You could maybe try fewer meals for a day or two and see if it helps his appetite. It's surprising how little toddlers seem to exist on, considering how much they ate as babies. 🤣
Give him something else to throw over the edge. Also, consider whether it's time to put him in a booster seat or at a little table for meals. Limit messy meals (yogurt, saucy noodles, cottage cheese etc) to when you are feeling up for cleaning a big mess. Remind yourself this won't last forever, but in the meantime, there is going to be some (ok, a lot of) mess. Also consider a drop cloth that you can throw in the washer/dryer. Oh, also keep a steam mop or a wet swiffer nearby to make a quick pass before things dry and harden.