Throwing a ball.
Have you ever wondered why your child is throwing everything on the ground? There are a few possibilities, but often times it’s because toddlers are fascinated by cause and effect of the object and movement, and throwing gives them that feedback. Throwing could also be used for venting anger and frustration, as young children have not developed their language skills enough to explain why they are upset. During this time period, the adults can attempt to deal with these actions by setting some boundaries: you can help distinguish which objects are fine to throw and which are not by pointing to the items and redirecting the children. You use phrases like “I see you are upset, but it is not ok to throw our toys, they can break. If you want, you can throw this ball, or this pillow”. However, if the toddler’s throwing habit comes from more frustration teach them other ways to deal with the emotion: let them know it’s okay to be mad and encourage them to use words appropriate to their age. Toddlers learn from repetition, so expect having to explain to them several times why certain objects and places are not ok to throw.
Children sometimes will also throw food. If you notice your toddler is throwing their food, try to limit the portions from the start. If they are hungry, they will eat. It is when they are bored or finished eating, they start to get distracted.Try to notice when the throwing starts and what it might mean: has the child been sitting for a long time? Are they feeling the food because of sensory feedback? Do they not like the food? Are they done? If you know why they are throwing the food then you can prevent them from doing so, or at least anticipate their behaviour.
Eventually as the toddler grows, their throwing impulses will diminish as they will find other ways to express themselves.
I have seen a child that used to only love throwing objects, but through the months he has grown and instead of just throwing, he is now starting to use them to build towers and other creations. Throwing objects actually helps develop several skills: fine motor skills because they have to open and shut their fingers and learn to grasp the object and let it go; they are also practicing hand-eye coordination when deciding where and how to throw it. So find some fun ways of encouraging “good” throwing by making up games with your child.
