spitting while eating

[sasholi]

Hi All.
My son has a trick. He loves to spit every single time he eats. It is worse when he is eating something *other* than fruit (less favourite than fruit) but lately it is all the time.

Yes, the first few times he did it it was extremely funny. And yes, we laughed a LOT. But it is not so funny now (it has been going on now for well over a month! I thought it would have run its course by now.... :rolleyes: .

I have been saying, "No Aleksander, eat properly" when he does it, but it isn't working. He just doesn't get it. likewise, when he eats properly, i tell him, "that's good, you are eating properly". I dont force him to eat all his food either...

I have heard that you need to begin as you mean to go on. I don't want to freak out too early about good manners etc etc, and I know he is only just over 9 months old. BUt I just want to nip things in the bud before they get out of hand and he does even worse things, even when we are at a restaurant or something. I really want him to learn there is a time and a place for things, and eating is a time for manners. I'm not really strict about things (really, i'm not!) but i'm not enjoying this spitting thing... :)

Any ideas about introducing disciplinary tactics would be greatly appreciated!!!

Phew, and I thought the new born stage was hard. I'm sooooo nervous about the toddler and disciplining business... :confused:

happy parenting all...

[drewid]

My 10 mth old son went through a stage like this a few weeks ago.

When he first did it, it was soooo funny and I was amazed that he had learnt to do it really. But after a week of messing eating and mucking around, I stopped being amused by it (at least externally) and was more stern. I didn't say anything at all to him when he acted up - I would just continue feeding him with a straight face. He learnt pretty quickly! If he got NO reaction at all - good or bad- then it was no fun anymore. Now we have good sensible eating again!

[reAllytee]

Aleksander's mum - Ok this is now getting freaky !
Harry started this the other week also & its driving me nuts !!!!
Especially as his teeth are hurting now so he doesnt want to eat instead his spits it everywhere !
Ive tried the "please stop now & eat properly" they dont understand yet & so no wonder its not working hehe.
I think Nicole79 has the answer for us with the no reaction because i realised this a few months back when Harry started his "fake" cough at first i was always worried he was choking or the likes but he just loved the attention he learnt quick that he wont get a reaction that way now.
Harry learnt it was fun to dribble onto his highchair tray the other week then play with it as well as spit on it :rolleyes:
Hope things get better arent boys fun ! ;)

[xkwzit]

Hi Aleksander'sMum

It is so hard not to laugh when they do this (and I think they all do this, at least both DDs did). You've done the right thing by stopping the laughing and if a dead pan look isn't getting through to him, I'd remove the food for a few minutes. My girls usu only did this once they had finished eating (I found if they were really hungry they were focussed on eating - not spitting), so it was a cue to end the meal.

If he's really still hungry, you can give him back the bowl "But no spitting - or the food goes away".

I think that positive reinforcement whenever he's eating well is a fantastic idea too.

It really doean't last for a long time - hang in there.

ps just thought to say that I agree with Nicole has said, no reaction might actually be better than telling him off (some kids like ANY attention, positive or negative :confused: ). So taking the bowl off him with a neutral comment "Finished, have you?" minimises his payoff.