A child spits food - what to do? In what cases does a child spit food, what to do and how to react to such behavior? What to do if a child spits A 10-month-old child spits out food.

Hello, dear fathers and mothers! Not so long ago we figured it out. Today we’ll look at why he suddenly started spitting. Let's look at the reasons and methods to combat this phenomenon.

Why do children spit food?

Why does the baby spit?

The answer here is simple. A child who was born relatively recently begins to spit because this is something new for him. A new procedure he learned to perform. He may do this periodically, often at first. Then he will start to get tired of it, he will forget for a while, then he may remember again. Well, in general, you understand the whole pattern of his behavior.

He may begin to actively spit when good salivation begins. A mouth full of drool, tongue hanging out and the baby spitting in all directions, you must be prepared for this. This is what most children do.

Also, the baby can spit formula or mother’s milk, not because he doesn’t like it, but because he has learned to do it and eat it.

If you have already started introducing complementary foods, then prepare larger bibs. Your baby may not really like new food and he will consider it as “ammunition” for attack.

Why do older children spit?

1. Older children express their dissatisfaction with something in this way or show aggression.
2. It is possible that they also decided to play with you or test your patience, suddenly this behavior of theirs will amuse you and they will start spitting more actively again.
3. Perhaps the children spitting food is also your fault. You may have seated them awkwardly or given them food that was too hot or too cold. Or perhaps your child is no longer hungry at all, and you are trying to force him to do it. Or you give him food too quickly, he doesn’t have time to swallow it, so he starts spitting. Maybe he just doesn't like this particular food. He will respond to nervous behavior on your part during feeding in exactly the same way with his own in the form of spitting.
4. The desire to stand out among peers or to show your attitude towards them, etc. Sometimes you can see small children spitting at each other.

How to stop a child from spitting

Simple rules

The most important rule here, which is suitable for any age of the child, is not to encourage or laugh at the child when he does this. As soon as the baby understands that they pay attention to him when he spits, and also laugh or smile in response, then consider that spitting is now his favorite pastime.

In basic cases, it helps to simply not pay attention. The kid will understand that no one is interested in his innovation, he will play enough and stop doing it.

To prevent your baby from spitting food, watch out for misfires on your part:

• Sit him comfortably at the table;
• Monitor the quality of food;
• Take your time while feeding;
• Do not be aggressive during feeding;
• Do not force your child to eat if he is no longer hungry.

More aggressive methods of control

If a child spits at the table, you didn't pay attention at first. Then they explained to him that it is not good to do this, had a conversation about what is possible and what is not, but he still continues to do this, then we will have to ask him several times to leave the table and tell him that eating is for him finished. If the baby still continues to do his own thing, then perhaps he is offended by you for something. Try to understand why exactly. It also wouldn’t hurt to talk to a child psychologist if necessary.

If a child spat at a peer, then you will first have to tell your friend that this should under no circumstances be done, and then, in front of his eyes, feel sorry for the “injured” child. This should work. But there is no need to show any aggression on your part; severity should be moderate.

Well, that’s all, dear friends, I hope that you understand why children spit and already know what measures to take.

Mothers often complain that the child does not eat well. It could be full refusal to eat or selective, but that doesn’t make it any easier. The reasons for a baby's protest are not always clear, and it is even more difficult to correct these feeding problems. Let's look at the types of food refusal.

Avoiding vegetables

Vegetables are one of the most common food refusals among children after the first year of life. The child may turn his head away in disgust or spit out food, throw all the vegetables on the table or floor.

Often, impatience with vegetables stems from the inclusion of different goodies in the diet. Mothers, and more often grandmothers, in order for the child to eat at least “something”, begin to give him unhealthy but tasty foods. Having fallen in love with sweets, children are very reluctant to eat healthy vegetables.

Try to “hide” vegetables in different dishes: cook vegetable caviar with cereals, an omelet with green vegetables, etc. You can cut vegetables into shapes, arousing your child’s interest. It is better to replace the puree with pieces of vegetables. It is also important to set an example for your child and regularly include vegetables in your menu.

Refusal of everything except...

Sometimes children do not take any food except one dish for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. This usually happens around 2 years.

The child’s tastes change, and he begins to remain devoted to one dish, and then another “permanent” dish will replace it, etc. Children like repetition and stability. This gives them confidence in such a new world for them.

Individual refusal to eat

Different children may refuse different foods or ways of preparing them. Some people don’t like lumps, some can’t stand greens, others don’t eat potatoes with butter, etc. Whims and grimaces can appear for various food reasons.

Sometimes a child refuses to eat, realizing his new stage of development. He shows the world his attitude towards products. And he also wants to check what whims will be permissible in relations with his parents, while trying to expand the scope of what is permitted.

Refusal of any food

The baby may run away from food, spit it out, or make faces at the sight of food and move away from the spoon. Mothers worry that their child’s poor appetite will cause health problems in the future.

The reason for this behavior may simply be the lack of sufficient hunger for appetite. Perhaps breakfast (lunch) was a long time ago, but there were a lot of snacks (cookies, banana, apple, etc.). Refusal to eat can also be caused by being too nervous during a meal.

What should mom do? You definitely shouldn’t force your child to eat. Otherwise, eating will be associated with stress. But it’s worth continuing to offer food to your child. This should be at the same time in 5 doses. There is no need to offer snacks between these meals. It is necessary to limit the volume of high-calorie juices with pulp. Try to teach your child to eat on his own - this can bring the child new, additional pleasure.

If the child does not eat well or refuses to eat, it is important to eliminate a few major mistakes. There is no need to shout at the child, force him, bribe him with toys and sweets, praise him for every spoon and tell him all the time that he is not eating well. Instead you need:

• wait until the child gets hungry;
• stop comparing your child’s appetite with the appetite of other children;
• stop commenting on the child’s behavior;
• prevent the child’s manipulation by promising to give candy for a cutlet, etc.;
• Always ask whether the baby liked the food.

Refusal to eat- this is a temporary phenomenon. But stress during meals or unhealthy eating will have long-term consequences. React correctly, and bon appetit to your baby!

Child spits out food

You patiently taught your child etiquette, set the table beautifully, did not force him to finish eating, reduced portions, but the baby still eats reluctantly, and sometimes even spits out the food.

Why is this happening? Perhaps the reason is that you have chosen the wrong feeding regimen, and the little one simply does not have time to get hungry for the next meal. To correct the situation, remember at what time the child eats willingly and more or less carefully, and when creating a regimen, start from this point. First, put a few spoons of food on the plate, and as soon as the baby copes with the task, add more. Offer your little one a comfortable and small spoon. If he still tries to spit out the food, take the plate away from him. Calmly and kindly tell him that he is obviously full and can get ready or go to bed. If the baby reacts aggressively, that is, makes it clear that he is hungry, try again. Don't forget that sometimes children need help from adults to finish eating.

The child does not want to sleep

To solve the problem of falling asleep, you have read many books and tried all the suggested options: stop outdoor games on time (an hour and a half before bedtime), come up with a pleasant bedtime ritual and try to do it every day. But the child still falls asleep poorly, sleeps restlessly, and wakes up early.

Why is this happening? Perhaps the reason lies in, for example, the fear of loneliness. To make it easier for your baby to cope with the situation, you should be especially affectionate and gentle with him before bed. Hug him, stroke him, tell him stories that help relieve stress, leave the light on in his room. If the baby spent this day in unusual conditions for him (for example, because relatives came to you or a new nanny appeared in the family), be especially attentive to him. If your little one wakes up crying in the middle of the night, pet him, calm him down, hold his hand and talk to him. It is better if you do not take him out of the crib: he can decipher these actions as a signal to wake up.

Child throwing tantrums in a store

You always try to prevent and fulfill the child’s reasonable wishes, provide him with freedom of choice and, if possible, take into account his opinion. But as soon as you come to the store with him, the real extortion begins.

Why is this happening? Realizing that he is an individual, the child often tries to check who is in charge of the situation and looks for ways to control adults. Of course, the best way out of the situation is not to take your child to the store or visit online store of children's goods and that's all. But, unfortunately, this is not always possible. Therefore, if you need to go shopping together, first voice your plans and intentions: “We are going to the store for milk, cottage cheese and bread. Maybe I can buy you a book.” Waiting for the purchase will distract the child from the desire to throw a tantrum. Choose a store where you can do all your shopping without spending too much time, and then be sure to take your baby for a walk. Don’t forget to take with you what you might need on your “hike”: diapers, wipes, some food and drink, small distractions (a soft toy, a car, a doll, soap bubbles).

Child fights

You do not punish the child, he has the opportunity to “let off steam”, you teach him to share and give in. But on the playground he behaves too aggressively: he tries to bite and fight.

Why is this happening? Most likely, because the baby does not yet know how to interact with peers, and, trying to take a leadership position, begins to act from a position of strength. Observe the interactions between children and understand what precedes the little one’s aggressive behavior: perhaps he was not given a toy, or perhaps he was not included in the game. Organize children's activities, do not encourage them to share toys at all costs, gently and tactfully teach them to communicate and cooperate in the game. If you think your child is being too aggressive, walk alone for a while. Then return the baby to society and observe his behavior. If it does not change, consult a psychologist.

When a baby is just starting to get acquainted with adult foods after breastfeeding, spitting out food is considered normal. After all, the child is completely unfamiliar with the taste and texture of foods that are common to us. Chewing reflexes have not yet been formed and the baby, when sensing an incomprehensible taste, reflexively simply spits out the food. As a rule, after a couple of days, when the baby gets used to the taste of the new food, he stops spitting and eats with pleasure.

It’s a completely different matter when a child spits out food that is already familiar to him. In this case, most parents do not know how to behave correctly. There may be several reasons for this behavior. Perhaps the baby just likes the sounds he makes during this process. This behavior, of course, irritates parents and often the mother demonstrates her irritation. In this case, the child plays the role of a little actor and will be amused by the fact that his mother responds to his theatrical performance, even with irritation. In addition, the baby may simply like to watch how food from his mouth scatters throughout the kitchen.

When a little child is six months old, he often makes a sound with his lips that sounds like pff-fff. And if you combine this activity with eating, the baby can become very interested in spitting.

To stop demonstrations and pampering with food, the mother must try with determination to stop this process. There are several ways to do this:

1. Change food. At first, when a parent is just starting to wean a bad habit, it is necessary to remove viscous, mushy foods from the diet, for example, yogurt, pureed vegetables or fruits. Instead, you can give the same products, but not ground, but well boiled, so that the baby can easily grind them with his gums. In the process of eating pieces of food, gurgling sounds will not be created, and gradually the child will lose the desire to spit. If the baby begins to get upset and capricious because his usual and favorite dishes were taken away from him, then you need to strictly explain why this happened.
2. Allow the child to eat on his own. Of course, this option will require a lot of time and effort. But after a couple of days the baby will feel more independent and many kids will lose the desire to indulge themselves alone. To prevent your child from choking, you need to give him safe foods. It is necessary to exclude, for example, nuts and raisins.
3. Clean up food if it is spit out. You need to make it clear to the baby that if he spits out food, it will simply be taken away from him. From early childhood, it is necessary to develop in the child the feeling that it is forbidden to play around with food. As soon as during lunch or dinner the baby begins to spit out the food offered to him, you need to firmly tell him to stop. If he disobeys again, he must be warned that his food will be taken away. If the child still does not stop indulging, then you should fulfill your promise and remove the plate from him.