Need advice on DS's eating issues (behavioral problem)

Shane is 10 months. Up until now he's been a stellar eater. Everyone's been telling me how lucky I am that he never had any issues with starting solids, he eats anything I put in front of him, likes everything, can self feed now, eats table food, etc. But, he's started to test his boundaries I think by spitting. When I feed him baby food he'll occassionally spit it out at me and smile and laugh. I know he thinks its funny...the sound he's making, the way the food goes flying. I don't think he's doing it to be bad, he's just trying new things and this is fun to him. So, how do I handle it? Do I stop feeding him? Do I just say no? Ignore it and keep feeding him and enduring the spit? Or, does this mean I should just end it with the "baby" food and just give him table food from now on and let him feed himself (he hasn't spit so far with feeding himself table food)?

Any advice would be great as I'm about over being covered in oatmeal and chicken and vegetables.

Re: Need advice on DS's eating issues (behavioral problem)

DS did this. It stopped after a short time. I would tell him "no spitting" and if he did it again I turned my back and stopped feeding him. I tried again after 30 seconds or so and if it happened a 3rd time he was done eating. They still get a lot of their nutrition from formula/BM at that age so it's okay for them to miss a feeding or two!

Transitioning to table food helped a bit (DS was on mostly table foods by 12 months) but even then, the "rebellion" changed from spitting to throwing food on the floor

It's a phase, I promise!

Re: Need advice on DS's eating issues (behavioral problem)

When Eliza started doing this, I stopped feeding her. She has been self feeding herself all table foods for a few months now.

Sometimes I'll feed her yogurt or applesauce, but usually I just give her one of those "little dipper" things and recently started giving her a toddler spoon.

Re: Need advice on DS's eating issues (behavioral problem)

Like LB and Amy said-first time I would say, NO sternly. 2nd time. Take the food away and busy yourself doing something else. He will probably freak so wait a minute or so and then tell him if you can be a good boy we will keep eating. Then try again. Repeat ad nauseum until he gets it.

Re: Need advice on DS's eating issues (behavioral problem)

I'd stop spoon-feeding him and let him do it himself. Give him the spoon and let him try feeding himself. It will be a MESS, but maybe if he realizes that he is "controlling" something, he will stop spitting the food out.

Re: Need advice on DS's eating issues (behavioral problem)

DS does this. He tends to do it when he doesn't like what I've given him or when he's getting full and doesn't want more. I tell him "no" and stop feeding him for a minute. That doesn't always work though and it hasn't stopped this behavior.

Re: Need advice on DS's eating issues (behavioral problem)

We have a lot of behaviors when Cailen eats. As soon as he was able to feed himself - and I know it sounds awful, but we had to do it - we had to walk away and let him eat alone. I hate doing it to him, but he just does better when no one is near him. He thinks it's hysterical to play with his food when he has an audience. No audience available, and he eats...

Re: Need advice on DS's eating issues (behavioral problem)

Sasha just started doing this again.

She would blow (?) raspberries while eating not too long after we started solids, then she stopped. Now she is up to her old tricks.

I just say, Sasha NO... she usually laughs and I don't want to withhold food from her-- so I pause for a moment, then start feeding her again. She has been real funky with eating the last week or so, so I pick my battles. The other thing she does is try to pull her bib off constantly.

I hope it passes as it did before. Like, I didn't have enough laundry to do.