Food throwing

Ready? Aim. Splat! How to cope with your child's passion for flinging food.

What it is: Your little one views mealtime as playtime — after a few slurps of spaghetti or sips of milk, she tosses her bowl to the floor or empties her cup with glee. ("Hey, gravity works! Let's do it again!")

Why it happens: It may be maddening to watch food fly (and even more frustrating to have to clean up for the umpteenth time), but don't take it out on your toddler. She isn't misbehaving on purpose. She's just discovered the fun of picking food off the plate and watching what happens when she throws it clear across the room ("Hey, Mom, pasta sticks to the wall!"). In the process, your young scientist is busy learning about cause and effect.

What you need to know: Toddlers, especially early in their second year, have a hard time controlling their impulse to touch, poke, grab, and throw. But you can take precautions to minimize hands-on behavior (and its effect) during meals.

What to do about it:

• Practice damage control. Spread newspaper or plastic under your child's high chair and place her away from walls and curtains. When it's chow time, protect her clothing by rolling up sleeves and covering her with a large bib.
• Batten down the hatches. Make it harder for your child to toss her bowl over the side by using one that attaches to the table or try a plate with suction cups.
• Divide and conquer. The more food there is on her plate, the more your toddler may be tempted to play with it ("Who needs clay when I've got mashed potatoes?"). So put only a few bites' worth in front of your child, doling out more as she finishes her portion.
• Distract your child's attention. Let her practice using a spoon (yes, it can be messy but not as messy as an overturned bowl). Or play a game that encourages eating as opposed to food-tossing. ("Let's pretend we're hungry giants. How many broccoli trees can you eat?")
• Applaud (relatively) mess-free meals. Praise your tot when she refrains from using her throwing arm and make minimum fuss when she causes a mess (you don't want to reward the behavior with attention). If more food ends up on the floor than in your child's mouth, it may be time to call it a day.

How to prevent it: Let your little one play with a variety of plastic containers (filling them with sand at the playground or pouring out water during bath time). Supplying nonfood ways to satisfy her curiosity about cause and effect may cut down on messy experiments at mealtime.

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