my son has started throwing everything on the floor. is this the "2's" coming soon or maybe he's picking up bad behavior from a child in his class who's always in time out?
whether it be his sippy cup, food from his high chair or going to the coffee table and taking the cars/toys and knocking them off onto the floor. The food gets to be frustrating when we are prone to ants (not the sugar type). It's as if he's done eating and slides everything off onto the floor while shaking his hands to rid himself of the much left behind from eating. is this normal?
Yes this is normal; My son loves to throw things. My house is a mess. Be consistent and start telling him to put things away. My son loves to be helpful.
I just had him put all his play hats back in his play chest. He has his own play area but things are still all over the house.
I agree with taking things away inside if they've been thrown. However, it's also good to give him a chance to throw appropriately at this age. We talk about what can and can't be thrown, and my son has learned that he can throw "only balls outside." This gives him an outlet, but he can even remind himself that there's no throwing inside; instead, only balls, and only outside.
M.,
Please consider that your son isn't being "bad."
He's just exploring his world. He's checking out cause and effect. Part of that is what does the mess look like and sound like when it hits the floor.
Part of that is "Wow, look how this makes mommy react."
Part of it is look at the power I have, if I drop it and someone else comes over to pick it up (even if they are angry.)
If you try to get inside his little head and think about the whole thing from his perspective and THEN think about what to do to get the behavior to change, you will be much more successful than just punishing him for being "bad."
Bliss and Blessings,
S.
he is testing u and u need to let him know this is not right and that there are reactions to his actions make him pick up after himself and do not help him unless it is total a messing (Liquid) and then help but let him know and keep re-enforcing that you reward good actions not bad actions and stick to your guns it will not be easy but in the end it will be worth it I have an 18 yr old grandson that has always had his mother pick up after him and know he can not even clean his own room without help that is pathetic they need to learn young
I think it's completely normal. My daughter is 11 mos and is full of personality and emotion. When she was smaller, I would lay out a bunch of toys for her to play with and I'm worried I might have encouraged the idea of putting everything out of the toy basket, THEN start playing....oh, well! Not only would she take everything out, she started slinging everything behind her. She slings her paci, blocks, sippy cup, etc. I think that since she is so limited in communicating her emotions, this is one way to let them out whether it be happiness and excitement or frustration. I have really tried to get a grip on the throwing by just staying on top of her that it is not right. I even enlisted the daycare provider to make sure my daughter doesn't slip up at school REGARDLESS if the other kids do it. That's no excuse in the future, therefore it is no excuse now. Thank heavens we have inside dogs, cause they get every crum she drops before any ant scott can find it! Maybe get a dog?! :)
my son does the same, when he's at the table and he has finshed I watch him and grab the stuff before it goes on the floor, as for toys I take them away if he throw them and them give him a ball or something suitable to throw, I usually find he throws toys because he's bored or wants attention... Good Luck
for the ants use cinnamon won't hurt baby but ants hate it. ants won't cross the cinnamon anywhere you put it
start taking things away gradually, at the same time explain why, eventually he'll get the picture.
YES! it is normal. And you get tired of picking up. I remember one of my kids started doing this and it got so frustrading one day I did a very grown up thing: when he started throwing, I rushed and threw the rest. The shock on his face was priceless. Then I politely asked him to help me pick up the whole mess. He did. And it ended the phase. THANK GOD.
My 15 mo daughter does the same thing, I know she's not misbehaving, just experimenting with her food. Perfectly natural for the age. I have noticed that she usually only throws and flings things when she is full and has lost interest in eating, remember, babies this age have a miniscule attention span (like 5 seconds, LOL). I taught her the sign for all done (both hands open in front of you, palms up, then flip them both over, palms down). If I respond quickly enough to the all done sign, I can usually avoid the worst of the wreckage. Try the sign, good luck.
Cute! :-)
Seriously - your fellow is a budding scientist - learning all about gravity...AND - learning all about human responses to frustration (watching you clean up and "lose it" over the same problem day after day)...
Yes - it's very normal. And - rather than try to change him - try to be prepared. Know that when he is through using it he will toss it and be ready to take it away before it goes flying. Let him do his little experiments on things that don't create messes...and - be ready after each meal!
My two and a half year old daughter is just now calming down with the throwing of food, plates, crayons, etc. It seemed that whenever she finished with one thing, it needed to be TOSSED. It takes persistence. Having her pick up one mess before she can make a new one has curbed her throwing arm. I realize she's only 2, gets distracted very easily, and looks for immediate gratification. As long as I keep reminding myself of these truths, I am a little better able to handle the countless spills and resulting messes...Woosah!
Hi M.,
Throwing everything is totally normal at your son's age. My daughter did it for a few months around 18 - 20 months and my friends' kids did too. It's a "cause & effect" game. I know it can drive you crazy, especially the food throwing, but try to have fun with it. Maybe once the food starts going overboard, it's time to remove it. But other things, like cups and toys, are just a great big experiment for him.
Be patient. This too shall pass.
N.
Absolutely normal! My son is almost 2 years old and does the same thing. Maybe put a plastic tablecloth under his high chair and let it catch the food he drops and then shake it out after each meal. We tried this, but had to use a large tablecloth bc the food goes everywhere :)
S.
First of all, yes it's totally normal. But it will continue if he doesn't have consequences for his actions...he is old enough to understand cause and effect--which is why he does it in the first place-him throwing it (the cause) gives him an effect he likes--either your reaction, or seeing it fly across the room, etc...you just need to reinforce that the effect is something he won't like...
Here's what worked for us. Whatever gets thrown, gets removed.
When my son threw food, he got one warning, if you throw you food again, no more food. And if he did, we took all of his food away.... Make sure you give no positive reaction when he does throw anything-do not laugh, etc.
If you think removing food completely is too harsh, then give him an actual time out--one warning, and then remove him from the table, sit him on a mat or in a PNP away from everyone for 2 min, and then tell him why he got his time out, etc.and then back to the table, if he throws food again, repeat.
Similarly with toys--if he threw a toy--it got removed for the day...period...
again, no laughing or other positive reinforcement and try to tell him what you are doing (This toy is going bye bye because you threw it) so he understands the "cause" which is him throwing and the "effect" the item gets removed.
If my son continued, I would add a time out--meaning, I would remove the toy AND he would get a time out. It really only took a few times before he got the picture and stopped throwing...
Good luck!
As a mother of three very healthy adults I remember that at age two all the kids thew their food on the floor as they go thruogh their own " growing spurts "this behavior disappears .
yes definitely! My son, #4 out of 4 children, who is 17 months does it all the time, and they all went through it. You just have to limit what they get their hands on until they can learn not to throw. And I try to catch him right as he is about to throw and tell him if he's done with something then he needs to give it to mommy or put it where I want him to put it, (whether it be the shelf, or table, somewhere close by). And usually immediately he give it to me and he his learning little by little to call me when he's done so I can take his plate or food or cup or whatever he has so he doesn't throw it. It just takes a little bit of time and training on your part.
Take care1
V.
yOU WON'T BE SANE AGAIN UNTIL ALL CHILDREN HAVE LEFT THE HOME.
gIVE HIM SMALLER PORTIONS=LESS MESS,GET AN OLD SHOUWER CURTAINOR TARP AND PUT HIS HIGH CHAIR IN THE MIDDLE OF IT. TAKEIT OUT SIDE HANG IT ON A LINE AND HOSE IT CLEAN. oR GO TO THE POUND AND GET A DOG(NOT A PUPPY) tHEY ARE GREAT AT CLEANING UP AFTERMESSY EATERS, IT WILL PROVIDE A PLAYMATE AND AN ALARM
Sounds normal. When my 2 year old throws things on the floor, I make him help me pick it up and tell him that it's not nice. If he doesn't help me pick it up, I make him stand in the corner. For less then a minute of course, but he generally then helps me pick up whatever it was that he threw. 2 year olds are just starting to push buttons and see what they can and can't do, you just have to patiently try to make him understand. When it's food he's putting on the floor, I take it away as soon as the first spoonful hits the floor. I wait a minute to give it back, and if it even looks like some is about to hit the floor I take it away again. Eventually he just eats it.
Hi M.,
My son now two started this at about year old. I know when he says "all done" that means I better get everything off his high chair tray or else it is on the floor. He throws all his toys too. I hoping that this phase is over soon. Hang in there!
Hi M.,
I also have a two year old and from time to time I do notice she comes home with different attitudes I wonder she's picked up at school. This may not always be the case, yet it is something we must learn to cope with as they bring home these new-found unpleasant habits. I do know when babies are young (6-9 months) they tend to throw things on the floor bacause by doing so they learn physics! However, because your baby is in his 2s this might be a new way of expressing himself. What's important is that you explain to him and teach him it isn't a healthy way to do so. At this age, in my opinion, what works best is repetition. Explain to him this is not acceptable. If this fails after a few attempts I do resort to time-out. Normally, I talk to my daughter alot and explain everything to her, in this case, so that she knows precisely what she did wrong and what the consequences are to that behavior, such as time-out. I hope this helps you in some way. As we know all children are different requiring different manners of discipline, but it is something needed to be enforced to raise healthy kids.
God Bless,
V.
it is the age. it is fun for them for some reason. just tell him no and if he does it again say all done(and we use the sign for it) and take his stuff away and take him down.
it will stop soon but it will most likely be replaced by something else that annoys you. when you find a way to correct that behavior he will start doing something else. welcome to two!!
