It’s a phase many parents encounter: your little one gleefully dropping food from their highchair, creating a mini explosion of broccoli, pasta, and crackers on the floor. While it can feel frustrating, rest assured—this behavior is a normal part of your baby’s development. Babies between 6 to 12 months are learning about the world through experimentation, and dropping food is part of their discovery process. Here’s how you can gently guide your baby through this stage and reduce the amount of food hitting the floor.
1. Stay Calm and Patient
First, remember that your baby isn’t dropping food to cause trouble. At this age, they’re learning about gravity, cause and effect, and exploring their motor skills. Rather than showing frustration, calmly acknowledge the dropped food, offering a consistent reaction like “Oops! Food stays on the tray.”
2. Create a Fun Feeding Environment
Sometimes babies start dropping food from their highchair out of boredom. Make mealtime engaging by offering a variety of colors, textures, and even fun-shaped foods. Babies are more likely to stay interested if their senses are stimulated with something new. Try finger foods that are easy to pick up and explore, such as soft fruits, cooked vegetables, or small sandwiches.
3. Limit Portions on the Tray
Babies can get overwhelmed with too much food at once. Instead of filling the highchair tray with food, offer small portions. You can add more as they eat. This can reduce the temptation to throw food away and help your baby focus on eating.
4. Introduce Clear Expectations
Babies are clever, and they quickly pick up on routines and expectations. If they drop food intentionally, avoid making it a game. Keep your reaction consistent, like calmly picking up the food or saying, “We don’t drop food,” and then continue with the meal. Over time, they’ll learn the limits.
5. Offer a Bowl or Plate
Sometimes babies drop food because they’re unsure what to do with it. Providing a suction cup bowl or a plate with dividers can help keep the food in one place, allowing them to pick and choose what they want to eat without tossing it over the edge.
6. Minimise Distractions
If the TV is on or toys are nearby, your baby might be more focused on what’s happening around them than on eating. Make mealtime an event that’s free from distractions so that your baby can stay engaged with their food.
7. Use a Highchair Footrest
Believe it or not, your baby’s seating position can influence their eating behavior. Ensuring that your baby is comfortably seated with their feet supported can help them focus better on their meal. A dangling foot might contribute to fidgeting, which can lead to more food dropping.
8. Praise Positive Behaviors
When your baby does keep food on their tray or eats without dropping it, offer lots of positive reinforcement. A cheerful, “Well done!” or clapping when they finish a meal can encourage them to repeat the behavior. Babies love feedback and will respond well to praise.
9. Understand Developmental Phases
Remember, food dropping is part of your baby’s developmental phase, and it will pass with time. Babies learn through repetition, so patience is key. If you find yourself in a particularly challenging phase, consider using a splat mat under the highchair to make clean-up easier while your baby works through this stage.
Your baby is on a journey of discovery, and while the dropping food from their highchair can test your patience, it’s a sign they’re developing important skills. By staying calm, setting expectations, and creating a positive mealtime environment, you can help your baby move past this phase while keeping food off the floor—most of the time! Or just come along to your local Adventure Babies where they can make as much mess as they like and we will clear it up for you!
