So, How Do You Get Your Toddler to Stop Throwing Forks at Your Head?
Don't be fooled by the cute, she's about to throw a pig at your face.
I’m being serious, and I’m not just talking about forks. I have a bruise between my eyes from a sippy cup, a lump on the back of my head from a remote, Addie has a knot above her right eye from Weeble and we’ve all had utensils and food tossed at us from across the dinner table.
Vivi has a throwing arm and she uses it a lot.
We’re not entirely sure how to stop her.
Tonight I ended up with a waffle in my lap, this morning Addie ended up with a ball in her glass of water and we all had sidewalk chalk chucked at us tonight. If she gets bored while she’s eating, she starts making it rain. (Grapes, apple slices, scrambled eggs, whatever.) If she feels like you’re not paying attention to her, you’ll get a block to the head. If the sun came up in the East this morning? You will get something thrown at you.
She’s started throwing things at strangers too. It seems to be a habit she picked up at daycare (as well as biting and hitting), but I don’t want to blame daycare entirely for the throwing. I mean, we play ball with her and it’s fun because she really can toss a ball. But how do we teach her “BALLS! TOSS! FORKS! DO NOT TOSS!”? We learned the first time around, and from the parenting mistakes of others (not you obviously), to make our No’s! serious and follow through with punishments and consequences. Beyond that, how do you discipline a toddler who still thinks her bellybutton is the center of the universe?
How do you punish a baby who sneak attacks you with toys to the head? I can only say “no” in a very serious tone so many times and throwing it back at her head just seems counterproductive. (I’m kidding about throwing it back at her, we all got that right?)
Apparently I need to read up on my toddler discipline or I’m going to have to be reading up on my homeowners insurance policy after a dinner guest ends up with a fork in their eye.
Did your baby/toddler ever go through a tossing objects at your head phase? What helped?
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Find more of Casey’s writing on her blog moosh in indy or her Babble Voices site Shutterlovely. She’s also available on twitter, facebook, flickr, Instagram and Disney Baby. If you can’t find her any of those places? Check the couch, she’s probably taking a nap.
The only thing I can think of is to pray fervently that this phase passes quickly. ;P
Start with “We don’t throw things at the dinner table.”
Then when she throws again, repeat that with, “If you throw something again, Mommy (or Daddy) will have to feed you because you don’t know how.”
When she throws the third time, you feed her for the rest of the meal. Repeat from the beginning for all meals and snacks.
Other throwing inappropriate things at inappropriate times, “No, Vivi, we don’t throw weebles/things at people while their backs are turned you could hurt someone and then no one will want to play with you.” When you inevitably get hit, really act up the pain. There’s also the old stand-by of “No throwing in the house.” That was my mom’s favorite blanket statement.
my comment wasn’t published? I don’t think it was rude or hostile in any way. Just because I’m not a parent?
@kellye Hi! I’m sorry your comment didn’t go through, I’m not actually in charge of comments (someone in New York is), but I will dig around and look for it. Sorry about that!
I am going through the exact same thing with my little boy who just turned 2. He has a very good arm and can throw hard and with distance. I will be standing at the kitchen sink and a toy will bounce off my head from the living room. I need help too. I have tried taking the toys away, he cries and then finds something else to do. I have tried letting him know it hurts….he laughs. When he throws food I take the plate away and I do like Sara A. said, I either feed him myself or allow him one piece at a time. This usually helps. But, I still have bruises all over from him hitting me with toys or launching them. He doesn’t understand time outs so hopefully this is a phase! If not I guess we are in trouble!
With my stubborn 2.5-yr-old, I’ve been focusing on telling him how he can do what he wants, rather than just telling him no. He likes jumping, but I don’t want him jumping on my couches, so I tell him he can put a pillow on the floor and jump on that.
For throwing, he’s allowed the throw diapers. Nothing else. He still forgets and throws toys, but I just look at him and ask, “Are you supposed to throw that?” and he turns and goes to find a diaper. We end up with clean diapers scattered all over the floor, but there are less bumps and bruises on the rest of us.