I have 10mo old twins (boy/girl). My son very recently started throwing ALL of his food off the tray sometimes without even first taking a nibble. I'm so frustrated and concerned I don't want him to go hungry but I am also tired of wasting food. He is also in that stage where he won't let me feed him. I'm currently trying to feed him one food type at a time in small amounts.. Sometimes it works and he eats other times he just throws it. The only food I have yet to see him throw to the dog is bananas.. But he can't just eat bananas all the time. Any advice as to anything else I can try.
Ps
My daughter does not share this behavior, she eats her food just fine, messy, but fine.
Thank you all for your replies. The twins have been self feeding for about 6 weeks and out pedi told us that they should be eating 3 times a day at this point. That's what she says so that's what we do :). Also whether the dog is in the room or not it didn't make a difference.
On to "what happened".. Turns out there was 1 factor that was always the same.. Meat. I removed the chicken from his plate and he ate everything else just fine. As meat is unnecessary I will attempt to reintroduce it later but I won't force it on him. I myself rarely eat it. Anyway they only time he has been throwing food now is when he's full. So thank you all again for your responses.
This is something most toddlers do. It is cause and effect ! Serve him very small portions. If he throws it, he is not hungry.
AND
If the dog is under him...who wouldn't enjoy feeding a "big stuffed dog."
I would try putting the dog in another room. Then, he won't have a pup to feed ! Plus, there are foods like grapes, etc....that dogs should not be eating.
At ten months his primary source of nutrition is breast milk and/or formula so this is just "practice" eating anyway.
If you offer it and he throws it just don't give him anymore. He clearly isn't interested yet!
Give him one piece of food and if he eats it another. Praise him (and his sister) for not throwing their food. First time he throws anything, meal's over. If he cries and throws a tantrum tell him "We do not throw food," but don't give in. As he adjusts to not throwing give him 2 pieces of food and so on, but be consistent, he tosses, he's done. He'll get it, I throw, I'm done.
Don't worry, he will not starve ツ
He's not interested in pieces of solid foods yet, nor self-feeding. Self-feeding takes a lot of practice... years even. He's perfectly fine to practice the occasional snack with tiny bits of banana. Offer him other foods occasionally in very small amounts with the bulk being formula or breastmilk, but as soon as he throws food it's gone. "We don't throw food" and then remove it. Don't offer it again until the next day.
It is because he is seeing cause and effect, and to be sure the dog is eating said food? Yup more fun! Crate the dog or put the dog outside or away from the kids eating it will eventually stop. This is what happened in our home - about two meals of tossing and dog not being there for the fun he stopped doing it and ate his food himself.
If the dog is not in the vicinity where your son is eating.... will your son still "throw" food???
Try not allowing the dog to be around when you are feeding your baby.
When I was growing up, my parents did not allow our dog to be IN the kitchen or anywhere where we ate. And the dog, obeyed.
Your baby will not starve.
And besides, "solids" at this age, is not a baby's "main course." For the 1st year of life, breastmilk/Formula is still a baby's primary source of nutrition. NOT solids. And solids... is not as nutritionally dense, as breastmilk or Formula.
This is also per our Pediatrician.
So, your babies should still be having breastmilk or Formula (whichever you are using) as their main, source of intake.
At this age, a baby does not have to have "solids" 3 times a day like adults, would. Solids is only an introduction to "eating."
A 10 month old, also is not adept at self-feeding. Their fine-motor ability is still developing. You... will need to feed baby. As messy as it may be.
No worries...he's learning cause and effect. I throw the food on the floor, it falls down and doesn't come back up, the dog eats it. It's a phase and shouldn't last long. You might try giving him a bite of food while he's putting the food over the edge. Or put the dog outside or in another room. Or tell him that his tummy is hungry and wants that food.
