On the table with papa
Throwing everything off the table
There was a time when I thought the things on my table were supposed to stay on the table. Simply a clean and tidy home.
A cup of water. A spoon. A few books. My phone. Maybe a small bowl of snacks.
But along the time my baby turned 20 months.
Now, if something is sitting on the table, there is a good chance it is about to fly.
The spoon?
Thrown.
The cup?
Pushed.
The food?
Sometimes carefully dropped onto the floor, one piece at a time.
And if I pick it up and put it back?
Well, apparently that means we should do it again.
Does anyone else have a 20-month-old like this?
I am always wondering why do toddlers throwing everything?
At this age, throwing is not always about being naughty, isn`t it? Toddlers are curious little scientists.
They are learning what happens when they drop something.
Does it make a sound?
Does it bounce?
How far does it go?
Will Mum pick it up?
And sometimes, yes, they are also testing boundaries. They are learning, “What happens if I do this?” For a 20-month-old, that can be a very interesting question.
For a tired mother who has already picked up the same spoon ten times? Not quite as interesting.
What I started doing
I’m slowly learning that I don’t need to react dramatically every time something hits the floor. If my toddler throws something because he has finished with it, I try to calmly say something simple like:
“When you finish, give it to Mama.”
If he throws food repeatedly, I may take the food away and say:
“Food stays on the table. If you’re finished, we can finish eating.”
I’m also trying not to turn it into a big game. Because toddlers are clever. If throwing something gets a big reaction every time, it can become even more interesting. So he repeats, I experienced. So, I determined not to play big dramas all the time.
Give them something they can throw
Sometimes I wonder if my toddler simply needs to throw things. So instead of constantly saying “Don’t throw that!”, I can give him something appropriate to throw.
Soft balls.
Stuffed toys.
Cushions.
A ball into a basket can become a little game.
It gives those busy little hands somewhere to put all that throwing energy.
And sometimes… I just move everything
I’ve also accepted that prevention is easier than constantly correcting.
My phone doesn’t need to be on the edge of the table.
My favourite mug doesn’t need to be within reach.
And anything I really don’t want to see flying across the room?
I simply move it. It worked.
I will tell you a secret The part nobody tells you
I sometimes look around our home and realise how much my idea of a “tidy house” has changed. Before motherhood, I might have noticed a cup left on the table. Now, I notice the tiny fingerprints on it. The little toy underneath the chair. The crumbs on the floor. The spoon that somehow ended up three meteres away.
And I think…
This is our life right now.
Messy, noisy, repetitive and sometimes completely ridiculous. But also very temporary. One day, there won’t be a tiny person sitting at the table throwing spoons onto the floor. And maybe I’ll miss it.
Although I’m not promising I’ll miss picking up the spoon.
What about you?
Does your toddler throw things from the table?
What is the strangest thing your little one has thrown recently?
And I’m especially curious:
Do you pick it up every time, ignore it, or simply move the object out of reach?, throwing everything off the table
Tell me in the comments. I have a feeling I’m not the only mother whose table has become a toddler testing ground.
