Why do babies throw their plates, spoons, and other cutleries while eating in their seats? And how can parents make them stop this action when taunting doesn't seem effective?
According to the Education Expert Daniela Graf, who is also a mother of two and a blogger, "The reasons behind throwing cutleries are many. In most cases, babies enjoy testing the cause-effect concept. When the plate hits the ground, it makes a funny noise and moms start taunting."
Speaking about babies' learning process, Graf said: "The baby asks: would my mom taunt me if I throw the spoon another time? What about the bread? Oh, the bread makes a completely different sound than the plate. This is interesting."
There are other questions that need answers as well: would my daddy taunt me too? Can a plate fall up? Can a plate settle on its side?
Graf who recommends parents to give their children real table cutleries from the beginning, says "Babies discover physics rules or reasonable outcomes by themselves, and this usually happens before they learn to talk."
"Yes, the first plate and the first cup will break. However, in most cases, babies will be astonished by the result so that they will never throw the cutleries again," the expert said, noting that parents should wait the end of this milestone, and the more they show a calm reaction, the less the baby's excitement is.
At a certain phase, the babies will conclude that the plate will never fall up and the spoon won't break.
Graf also said that babies may throw their plates to express fullness. When a baby finishes his food and feels bored, throwing a plate could be an "I am full" sign…so he often pushes his plate away and shakes his head.
