Why does my child throw food from their high chair?

I see this ALL the time in feeding therapy. Mom places fresh cut food on high chair tray, child picks it up, child throws it. Fear not, you are not alone. In the beginning of finger eating and high chair sitting, this is expected and a way for children to explore the tactile sensation of food. However, after the behavior does not fade, parents become exhausted of the clean up. I typically like to suggest switching up the seating arrangement to fix this. My biggest recommendation is to take the tray off the high chair and sit the child in their high chair seat up against a table or counter. Another option seating arrangement is an adult chair with a booster seat, while seated at the table/counter. Children should graduate from a high chair at 14-16 months. In fact, continued use of the high chair can perpetuate throwing.

If you tried this and the child did not make progress/changes, reach out to us with your questions/concerns. There are many other options we can try as a team.