Monday, September 12, 2011

When Snack Time Turns Into Game Time

DS has a new game. But it's not one that's meant to be a game. At meal/snack time, he finds it hilarious to drop his snacks on the floor. He smiles and laughs as he does this. A stern "No" only makes him laugh harder.

I'll admit that it is cute. Only a baby can find so much humor and joy in something like dropping a strawberry puff, or a slice of cucumber, or a sliced up grape, or whatever his snack happens to be.

The problem is that the only real solution I've found is to end snack time. If he's eating an actual meal, I'll let him finish, he just won't get any snacks. If he starts dropping things on the ground during the middle of snack time, I warn him once, then he won't get his snacks back and then I just end snack time altogether.

I still have the same problem though. He thinks all this is a funny game. I'm not a disciplinarian by any means, so a stern "No" is about all I can say. Even taking his snacks away is hard for me. At the same time, I don't want to reinforce his bad behavior.

I don't think he's made the connection between his dropping food on the floor and his food being taken away - he is only 1-year old. I'm sure his young age has something to do with it. As he gets older he'll make those connections.

That said, if any of you parents out there has a good solution to this problem, I'm all ears.

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