Meal Time = Play Time

Cass005

Hiya everyone, was wondering if you guys could give me some suggestions here. My LO is 15mo, and I've been trying to get her use to using a plate. However lately, she's rejecting it completely but  dumping her food onto her high chair tray, and throwing the plate. Then she continues to just play with her food or throw it too. I thought perhaps she was getting bored with the food because I tend to do the same thing every day unless were out, etc. Yesterday and today we tried something different and we got the same throwing/playing and even yelling. I thought maybe she doesn't like what were giving her? Maybe it's a behavioral thing? Im kinda at a lost here, and Im a FTM so Im new at this. One thing I did try yesterday is when she was playing with her waffles I took them away. I put them in her snack cup and put it at her play area and sure enough she actually ate them while playing. I didnt like the idea of taking her breakfast away especially since she might be hungry, but she didn't cry about it so maybe she was full.

Anyone having similar issues or have any advice on how to make meal time a calmer event?

crsanchez87

I have started taking away my sons food when he starts to throw it (he just turned one on the 25th). I don't know if it's working. lol. I give it back to him after a minute or two and say "no throwing." and make the eat sign. It seems to help him focus on putting the food in his mouth and not on the floor for the dog. 

TwizBeans

I would also start taking the food away and getting her out of the high chair. She will start to figure out that throwing food means meal time is over. If she was really hungry she would eat.

FWIW, my 17 month old doesn't get plates yet. She would just throw it so I don't even give it.

crsanchez87

Mine only gets the bowls with the suction cups on the bottom sometimes. He usually ends up forcibly pulling it off and throwing it as well. 

Cass005

Thanks ladies I appreciate the feedback. We did better this week, however we started screaming...Ya know the first year was a breeze, Ive been waiting for a challenge and I think its arrived.

WillyBean

One trick that I have done here with our twins - when they throw something, I pick them up out of their high chair, put them on the ground, and have them pick up their mess and hand it back to me. Only when they have picked it all up do they get to go back up into their chairs and try again. I did this consistently every time they threw their plates, silverware or sippy cups. Worked like a charm. They are 19 months old now and rarely throw their stuff. Although I can usually tell they are full because they will scoot their plates towards me or start squishing their food onto their plates.