21-Month Old Throwing Food off Table

My advice would be to continue to take away the food, but do not let her leave the table until everyone else is ready to do so. This my sound cruel, but not giving her any food at a meal or two might solve the problem also, but I wouldn't do that for multiple meals in a row. Good Luck.

Okay, it sounds like she knows she is not supposed to throw food since you already went down that road. So now she's testing you. I think you are right about taking the food away from her. Maybe you can teach her something else, like asking to get down - whatever her vocabulary allows. "Down please" or "all done" might do it. If she throws the food, she does have to clean it up. If she gets hungry, then she goes back in the chair with the SAME FOOD. That's important! Dinner is dinner, and this is what you are serving. Of course you are offering a choice and you are going to make allowances for trying a new food and not liking it. But you can't keep putting her back and offering her new foods until she finds what she is in the mood for, you know? Otherwise it will be donuts at every meal! The experts say that kids have to try new foods up to 6 times to decide if they really like it, so don't give up the first time she rejects something. Try it again on another day if it was a new food. If it is something you know she likes, then give it again the next time she sits in her chair. If she is hungry, she will eat. If she is not hungry, at this age it's okay to have them wait a while - they won't starve and nothing bad will happen if they are stubborn and wait a little too long. She can end her meal but you can stay at the table to finish yours. She can play in the other room, or sit at the table and play with a toy or a book, but she can't pull you away from the table before you are done. Either she will be happy doing her own thing, or she will figure out that all the fun is at the table with the family, and she'll want to come back. Either way, be consistent.

I agree about encouraging/reinforcing good behavior but I think it is important not to get into a battle. We cannot force our kids to eat, sleep or potty train - those things are totally within THEIR control. So we can only enforce proper behavior around these activities. If you can make mealtime fun with you and Daddy laughing and telling stories, maybe it will appeal to her. It will take time but you will be glad you did it.

ignore it, and she will get bored with it eventually. Have her clean it up afterwards. Do not make a big deal or she will do it just to get a reaction out of you.

Take the food away, but don't let her down.
If she acts up still, a time out, faced in the corner, in the chair for 2 min (she's almost 2), then return to the table, and try again.
Let her loose/down on your terms, not hers.
Good luck :)

Hi J.,
Sounds like my 24 month old 3-6 months ago! We also introduced a "no thank-you pile" around age 12-15 months (if I had to guess). While the throwing persisted for awhile, he currently is not!! Thanks to your request I just realized this! We continually used positive reinforcement when we were at meals for keeping his food on his plate. When/if he threw, he was responsible for cleaning it up. While we didn't take his food away, he was not generally offered more of the same, but sometimes something diferent in a different presentation. (Instead of pasta on a dish, maybe a few raisins in a cup). We also moved him to a booster at the table instead of his high chair.
Good luck!

Hi J.,
She is trying to communicate with you the only way she knows. So teach yourself and her how to sign. Long before children have the ability to communicate verbally they understand and can learn sign language. There are many fine video programs and books out there. I signed with all four of my children and it reduced my stress and clean ups.
Good Luck,
D.
Mom of G17, B15,12&9