How to I get 2 year old to stop throwing things?

Question

I have tried everything from time outs to a light smack on the hand to get my 2 year old to stop throwing things and still no luck. Does anyone have any tips on what I can do to get him to stop?

Answer 1

Time outs and smacks won't work in the case because they are not a logical consequence. When he throws something such as a toy, put it up high where he can see it but not reach it. Tell him "When you're ready to be gentle with this then you can have it back." Give it a little time before you give it back. Several things may end up out of his reach before he gets the message. If he throws a toy and damages it, have him put it in the trash. He won't be very happy about it. If he throws things around the house that are not his toys, say "Put that back where you found it or tidy that up." You may want to offer some help "Do you want to put that away by yourself or do you want me to help you?" Also, redirect him when he throws things to things that he can throw. Tell him “It looks like you need to throw things. Let’s go outside and throw some balls.” Give it some time, be patient and consistent. Hope this helps!

Answer 2

Tell him that throwing things means he can no longer play with them, and then put whatever it is somewhere he can see but can't get too. Whenever he throws something put it up for at least the rest of the day. No more warnings, no counting to three and no giving it back if he apologizes. If it gets thrown, it's gone, period. He will likely obsess over them until he gets used to the idea that if it's thrown it's gone. and if he can see where you put it, he will keep asking for it back. Good, that will help you reinforce the natural consequence of his action. Every time he asks, you remind him that he threw it and can't have it back until tomorrow. This will likely start a couple more tantrums at first, so make sure there is plenty of room up there for more tossed toys. You can also reinforce this immediately by putting him in time out, again without extra chances, just automatically putting him in time out when something gets thrown in anger. If you do this without getting upset, and just being very matter of fact about it, "Oh well, you threw that, now it's gone and you get a time out." he will soon realize that it just isn't worth the trouble to throw them anymore.

Answer 3

Hi. My son is 22 months and has tried to do this a few times. They are doing it to get attention, even negative attention can be better to them than none. I make him pick it up (whatever he just threw) immediately and put it back where it goes and explain to him why we don't throw things. (I've learned w/ my son that if I talk to him as an adult, he will listen.) If he still hasn't calmed down, I threaten him with time out (he hates that). It usually works and he will stop. Sometimes he will continue to test me and throw something again, then it's time for 2 minutes of time out. He's an angel after that... for a while anyway, lol. Good luck!

Answer 4

Every time a toy is thrown, put it away and don't give it back until the child goes a whole day without throwing anything. At some point he will run out of stuff to throw. Also continue smacking hands and using time out. When you return a toy state clearly "If you throw it again I will take it away again." He is old enough to start learning about the consequences of his actions.

Answer 5

He'll grow out of it eventually...just use distraction and never show it ticks you off because that will be giving the action attention. Kids do stuff to get attention so quit feeding the wrong kind of attention to him. If he throws toys, keep a ball handy and when he throws something...take it off him with a smile and say....we only throw balls. If he throws food....thats the end of dinner time, for him, so I hope he's not hungry. Dont leave anything breakable around. Bore him to death with exactly the same reaction from you...and he'll just stop.

Answer 6

Throwing things is a new and enjoyable skill for many 2-year-olds. It takes fine motor skills to open the fingers and let go of an object, and considerable hand-eye coordination to actually throw it. No wonder she wants to practice this exciting skill once she's mastered it!

What happens next is endlessly educational, too: Your 2-year-old discovers that whatever she throws falls down — never up. She can't say "gravity," of course, but she can certainly observe its effects. If she throws a ball, it bounces; if she tosses an apple, it goes splat; and if her dinner gets the heave-ho, you probably go ballistic. Of course, it's maddening when spaghetti winds up all over your just-mopped kitchen floor or a clean pacifier lands on a dirty sidewalk. But rather than trying to stop your child's throwing (a futile effort anyway), concentrate on limiting what she throws and where she throws it.

When she's in her stroller or car seat, try attaching a few playthings within easy reach (using short strings that can't get wrapped around her neck). She'll quickly discover that in addition to throwing the objects, she can fish them back again. Double the fun for her, half the work for you.

At mealtime, try using a special dish with plastic "suckers" that fasten to the table or highchair tray. Keep in mind, though, that while these work well enough that a casual grab won't send her dish scuttling across the floor, they won't stop a small person who's amazed to find her dish "stuck" and is determined to pry it off! This is a messy eating stage, but you can often avoid the worst of it by sitting down with your 2-year-old while she eats. That way, you're right there to gently but firmly tell her "no" when she makes a move to toss her lunch and to hold her plate down with your hand if need be.

It may also help to serve tiny portions of finger foods directly on her highchair tray or a paper towel and to hold off on dishing up more until she's eaten what's there. Keep in mind, too, that most kids don't start throwing their food until they've finished eating and have grown bored. So take your child's food-flinging as a sign that she's finished her meal, and lift her down from the table. If a bit of food does escape her hands, either by accident or on purpose, try to keep some perspective about it: After all, a dropped slice of bread or a pinch of grated cheese on the floor may be annoying, but it's not worth getting upset about.

When your child's playing, on the other hand, there are things you'll want to stop her from throwing: sand from the sandbox, for instance, or blocks at the baby. But she'll accept these limits more easily and learn to police herself more quickly if there are lots of things that she is allowed — and even encouraged — to throw. Balls are an obvious choice, and you may want to stock up on a few foam "indoor balls." But actual throwing games (like tossing beanbags in a basket or skipping stones on a pond) are even more fun for a 2-year-old, especially if you play with her.

The message you need to convey is that throwing things is a fine as long as she throws the right things in the right place at the right time. This lesson will carry over to many of the other physical skills she's mastering, too: There's nothing wrong with kicking a soccer ball in the park, for instance — but kicking a playmate won't be looked upon too kindly!

Answer 7

It seems to be taboo now, but when I was a kid a good old fashioned spanking was very effective.

If the child is spanked each time they throw a toy they will soon learn to understand "Hey, if i throw this again, I'm going to get a spanking again. I don't want to get spanked so I won't throw anything."

Of course I'd also suggest that once event is over that you talk about WHY throwing things is bad. In other words, don't just make your kid associate pain with doing bad things. Make sure they understand the whys and can think for themselves.

Answer 8

It's called 'the terrible two's'.

You can try incorporating discipline by having a 'bad corner' for when he is bad, and keep him there for ten minutes for everytime he throws something. Or maybe a bad chair, with the same principles. Using a stern voice, let him know that what he's doing is NOT GOOD, and frown at him. He should catch on, and hopefully will stop eventually. Be patient. And GoodLuck!

Answer 9

Perhaps it's his way to get attention. Some kids throw stuff or just being plain hot-headed to see if their parents would come for them. Maybe first of all you should put away all kinds of stuff away from him,then let him be occupied with other things instead.

Answer 10

If you show to much interest in your child throwing things he/she is going to carry on for that attention. Time out only works if ur 2 year actually sits on the same stop for a certain amount of time, and is only aloud to move once YOU say so. After time out tell them to apologies for being naughty and hug them to show them that your not angry with them.