Why Is My Baby Throwing Their Food? 

What's your child trying to say by throwing food? 

Sept. 22, 2022

Baby led weaning bib by Bibbrella

Wondering why your babe has a newfound obsession with throwing food during mealtimes? Tidying up mealtime messes can be maddening for adults, but throwing food serves many purposes from a child’s perspective. As children begin eating on their own, they’re also experiencing major changes in their motor skills and cognitive development. Throwing food is just one way that kids experiment and learn about the worlds around them.   

Experimenting and Exploring

Believe it or not, kids don’t throw food just to irritate you; throwing food can be a learning experience! Children are experimenting in a variety of ways as they hurl noodles across the kitchen table. For very young kids, developing motor skills alone is an exciting and novel experience. They may be testing the limits of their strength by seeing what they can grasp and throw. Older kids may also be experimenting with socially acceptable behavior during meals. No one is born knowing how to act at a dinner table, and pushing the limits by throwing food or spilling liquids on purpose can be a way for them to figure out what is allowed and what isn’t. 

Though this kind of behavior can be frustrating, it’s also a way that children are learning about their environment. If you’re feeling brave, dress your baby in a full-length baby bib to keep them covered while they play with food. Food play may not be a practical option for every meal, but the occasional mess can help kids associate food with fun! 

Modeling Behavior

While we would all love to say that we’re the perfect role models for our children, sometimes we simply aren’t. And that’s OK! Babies learn by watching us and our own mistakes become ways for them to learn cause and effect in the world. When kids throw food, they may be imperfectly mimicking a variety of our behaviors such as tossing scraps to the dog and passing food around the table to others. Those more subtle behaviors can be difficult to copy when motor skills aren’t fully developed so throwing ends up being the go-to action. 

Expressing Emotions

For our young babes especially, throwing stuff may be one of the best ways to get the attention of adults. Without the ability to speak, throwing food is just as good of a method as any to make their needs and desires known. Of course, throwing can signal a variety of emotions such as frustration, boredom, enthusiasm, and pleasure. Because scolding or showing amusement can make matters worse, respond calmly while trying to figure out the root cause of the outburst and offering more socially acceptable alternatives. 

If you suspect your child is feeling frustrated during means, baby led weaning can take a bit of the stress out of mealtimes for both you and your little one, as handling food with their hands can feel more intuitive than utensils and having more independence means navigating less restrictions while eating. Meanwhile, a full-coverage bib like Bibbrella is just the thing you need to keep messes to a minimum as your child learns not to throw their food.