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Baby Throwing Food On Floor? Why & How To Stop It ASAP
baby throwing food on floor
Oh baby, baby! There has been so much to learn about you and about how to parent you. Now, we are on to starting solids. And while you are the cutest thing ever, and I’ve never loved anything quite like I love you, you are throwing me for another loop here bub – by throwing food! Momma doesn’t know why you’re throwing AND momma doesn’t want to have to clean it up at every meal omg!
Does this sound like a thought that might have crossed your mind after seeing your baby start throwing food?
Here’s the thing I want you to know – I can confidently say, that 100% of parents I have talked to over the last decade of working with babies and toddlers, have had babies who throw food at one point or another. I have personally experienced it with every baby I have cared for, as well as my own twins.
You might be thinking, ok great Poppy, it’s normal but how do I stop it? How long does it last? Why is it happening?
I got you. Let’s get into it….
baby throwing food on the floor reason #1
Baby is not ready to eat / not yet hungry.
If your baby isn’t going to eat, they are going to play. Gravity is cool and can keep the attention of a baby for a long while. Plus, throwing itself is a very interesting and fun thing for babies- the motion itself, witnessing the cause and effect, it’s all very interesting for them.
How to deal: allllways remember that your baby (your toddler, preschooler, pre-teen, teen…) are not little adults. They are what they are, babies, in the appropriate brain developmental stage for their age, which is very different from an adult brain and skillset. Our goal is to meet them where they are and help them understand the world around them so they begin to behave in more controlled and appropriate ways. Lots of understanding and teaching!
What I like to do when just starting out with solids, with any baby, is to 1) work off their existing milk feeding schedule and include some solids before or after milk. I play around for a few days to see which suits them best.
And 2) do a ‘test’ run before I sit them down with food in front of them. For example, I would have them on my hip and maybe offer them a little banana – do they reach for it and try to bring it to their mouth? Do they get excited? If so, they are showing me that they are hungry now. If they don’t show interest, I wait. This way, I know when I sit them down for food, that they are hungry and ready to eat, aka very unlikely to go straight to throwing food around.
Baby throwing food on floor reason #2
Baby is full / done eating.
Play time! Get this out of my way and let’s move on! If your baby is done eating the food in front of them, you can almost guarantee these things will happen.
How to deal: This is your sign to wrap it up. Babies are intuitive eaters – they can clearly tell when they are hungry and full, so you can take this as their communication of “I’m done”.
And, instead of just clearing their tray or saying “no throwing”, take this moment as a teaching opportunity. Help them learn a different way to communicate when they are done. For example, when you notice a food throw, you can say something like “Op, looks like you’re done eating and ready to play, you can show mommy you’re done like this (uses sign language). Leave the food on the tray and show mommy ‘all done’ (use sign language) and I will move the food, ok? Good!”
Each time they throw, repeat this (where the food belongs and how to communicate they are done) and do the sign language along with it until they start to do it on their own. Depending on their age, this can take 2 weeks to a couple months of practice before they get the hand motions down, but it will come!
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Everything you need to start solids with more ease and confidence. Includes: what to expect, introducing allergens, how to serve foods, foods to avoid, sample feeding schedule and more!
baby throwing food on floor reason #3
baby is not interested or liking the food served.
Your baby is just getting used to all the textures and flavors of all the different foods. They’re discovering, adjusting. Their palate is changing. As they grow into toddlerhood they will have clearer preferences and dislikes, but will continue to learn new foods and change in likes and dislikes.
How to deal: Once you have been serving solids for a month or so, their eating skills are improving and you feel confident in their ability to handle a variety of foods, be sure to start serving a few options on the plate/tray at each meal or snack, and serve at least 1-2 you know they have been enjoying recently.
By having several small servings of things on their plate, like mac n cheese with a piece of broccoli, sliced grapes and a piece of bread (rather than just 1-2 things like mac n cheese and broccoli), the likelihood that they will find something they want at that moment will be higher. And, you will not feel the pressure to make something else if they don’t eat.
I’ve found that from 6 months to 1 year, it’s not too disruptive to switch what you served to baby or offer them something else if they refuse everything on the their tray (which if you are serving 3-4 things is very unlikely, unless they are sick), but once you hit 12-14 months plus, this is where you really want to focus on serving that one meal for the whole family (with 3-4 things on the plate), regulary. This way, you are setting fair dinnertable rules for the family and not setting yourself up to be a short order cook, which can cause lots of stress and divide in the family.
Read this next:
The Ultimate Starter Guide To Overcoming Fussy Children’s Eating HabitsThe Best Way To Start Baby Led Weaning As A Nervous First Time Mom
Baby Not Really Eating Solids? 7 Common Things Babies Do With Solids (Besides Eat Them) Habits
baby throwing food on floor reason #4
Doggy distraction or other distraction.
How fun it is for them to see the cause and effect of tossing down food bits to their furry little housemate. Or, maybe they are completely engrossed and enthralled by their older sibling at the moment. Sometimes a show can distract too, or even get them eating more.
How to deal: Put the dog outside or in another room during meal times so your child isn’t tempted to throw food down. Maybe they can give the dog a treat after meal time is over?
If they are captivated by a sibling, let them finish watching for a minute or two and then have your older child go play in their room/another room until baby is done or come sit and eat too!
Depending on your screen time stance, you might opt to let your baby watch some tv during meals, so long as they aren’t too distracted to eat all the time.
Eating together, letting them see you chew, enjoy and talking to them about fun, silly things while you eat can bring their focus to the meal and the experience of family meal times.
baby throwing food on floor reason #5
Baby doesn’t have good control or coordination yet.
Fine motor skills are needed for successful self-feeding. If your 6-9 month old is flinging food around, they still might be honing those necessary skills. If you have a 14 month old throwing food on floor, that’s more a case of play or signaling they are done.
How to deal: Let baby practice often! Baby led weaning is a wonderful opportunity for babies to practice these fine motor skills. Handling loose toys often also helps them develop these skills faster.
Now is still a great time to talk to baby and show them where things go. This way, you are in the habit of showing, teaching and reminding them. (There is LOTS of this for years to come!)
conclusion
If you have a baby throwing food on floor, keep calm and direct them about what to do instead. Avoid saying “no!”, “don’t throw”, or “stop”. Babies need clear instructions to change impulsive habits they have or do and don’t even realize or know what to do otherwise.
Be sure to give baby lots of sweet, playful attention outside of directing them, this way they don’t get into the habit of doing behaviors for your attention.
Check to ensure they are hungry before sitting down by offering a little piece of food. If they turn their head away from the food, don’t reach for it or seem uninterested, you can wait to feed them. A hungry baby is far less likely to throw food.
Keep an eye for when they are done and clear their tray. Sometimes, I replace the food with a toy that interests them if I want them to continue to sit with us for the meal.
Remind them what to do and teach them the simple sign language for “all done” any time they throw and you will soon notice they stop throwing or signal “all done” instead.
Once you have all these boxes checked off, mealtimes will be so much easier to enjoy with your quirky little baby!
