food

Hi Hayley,
Just spotted this question!
 
Thanks for the question.  Food throwing is a common way for children to start showing that they have a bit of autonomy around food and mealtimes.  It can also be a lot of fun – for them.  Tips for you to try include: 
1)      ignoring the behaviour (easier to do this with dry food than wet, as you probably don’t want spaghetti and tomato sauce everywhere, whereas a few carrots on the floor make less mess);
2)      picking the food up and putting it back on the plate without making an fuss;
3)      or, picking up the food and moving it out of reach. 
 
Doing any of these will help your child to learn that the food is there to be eaten, not thrown.  It’s important to try not to react to the behaviour as doing so can unintentionally reinforce it and make your child more likely to do it again at the next meal.  Instead, simply try one of the options above.
 
This should be just a phase so try not to worry – your little one should outgrow this soon enough.
 
Best wishes,
Emma
 
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