These guys are killing me with the food throwing.

[mamaoftwins]

The boys have decided that throwing food and spitting milk so that it dribbles all over are both hilarious things to do. Monkey is the worst, but Squish eggs him on by giggling. Can we get through one meal without food getting EVERYWHERE? Just one, that's all I ask.

I think that I am going to scrub the highchairs and floor raw with all the cleaning I do.

At least their clothes are clean for the most part under the superbibs.

Now that I've vented that ...

Answer a question for me, do I tell them "no" everytime they throw/spit? Do I just ignore it? The guys went through this yelling/bitching phase several months ago that lasted a wk or so, and I ignored it and it just went away. Will the throwing miraculously stop, too?

Argh.

[Melaine]

I would take away beverage for a minute or two after any spitting. I would probably warn a couple times for throwing and then end the meal, I think. Mine usually just throw if I turning my back on them, so sometimes I have to sit there with them the whole time to keep them in check....they have also taken to feeding the dog when I am not looking....

[gatorsmom]

Ugh, mine are doing this too. And they just egg each other on and it drives me nuts!

SiSi has started taking her hand and wiping it like a windshield wiper on high speed across her highchair tray full of food. It goes everywhere. And then Greenbean starts it. I just take their trays away at that point. Immediately. Once they do that dinner is over. If mine started doing that with their milk or formula, I'd take the bottle away too. It's an easy solution and an immediate reaction to their actions. At some point here, I"m thinking they'll understand that windshield wiper= no food. I'm hoping they equate that sooner rather than later. :)

ETA: I just remembered that with my first two babies, whenever they blew raspberries, I'd immediately put a wet, clean washrag to their mouths, mainly to stop the mess but also because they didn't like the washrag on their faces. It worked well. With the twins that hasn't been effective because they like to chew on the rags so they blow raspberries to get the rag to their mouths so they can bite it. But it's worth a try.

[Melaine]

gatorsmom, the "windshield wiper" description is hilarious, and so perfectly describes it! So funny.....

[fivi2]

A lot of people have success with the taking the food/drink away immediately approach. My girls were preemies and very tiny, so I wasn't comfortable messing with food like that. I usually told them to stop. I usually have to sit right there for all meals, and frequently push their chairs apart. With twins, my experience thus far has been that ignoring behaviors isn't all that effective (my girls are 3). Because there are two of them, they get the reinforcement from each other and me ignoring them has little impact. (or less than it seems for a singleton.) I don't really have a good answer, it just seems like a stage they all go through!

My girls did eat all meals in just a diaper for a very long time!

[ccather]

Can you sit them so they can't see each other? Like back to back? Or feed one, then the other? I don't have twins, but my kids all egg each other on. Even the littlest! Some times it's a divide and conquer thing to get anything done.

[Momof3Labs]

Can you sit them so they can't see each other? Like back to back?

This was exactly my first reaction!!

[Melaine]

A lot of people have success with the taking the food/drink away immediately approach. My girls were preemies and very tiny, so I wasn't comfortable messing with food like that. I usually told them to stop. I usually have to sit right there for all meals, and frequently push their chairs apart. With twins, my experience thus far has been that ignoring behaviors isn't all that effective (my girls are 3). Because there are two of them, they get the reinforcement from each other and me ignoring them has little impact. (or less than it seems for a singleton.) I don't really have a good answer, it just seems like a stage they all go through!

My girls did eat all meals in just a diaper for a very long time!

fivi2, I am really glad to hear it is not just me. I feel exactly like you do. Ignoring my twin girls (they are 28 months) has basically never worked for us. I never really thought about the fact that they are reinforcing one another's behavior but that is SO what they do! They actually are more in tune to each other than to me, which makes it even harder!

[mamaoftwins]

gatorsmom, the "windshield wiper" description is hilarious, and so perfectly describes it! So funny.....

Oh yes, this is exactly what Monkey does much of the time. And as of yesterday, Squish has started. It is quite funny actually, but only when removed from the situation. I don't find it as funny when it's actually happening. ;)

[mamaoftwins]

Thanks for all of your advice, ladies! It makes me feel better knowing that I am not the only one with kids doing typical kid things, but also with the egging each other on.

I'll try pushing their chairs apart or doing the back to back thing for now, and also taking away their cup for a minute or two if they're spitting. And give them a few warnings before taking their trays away and ending the meal. I don't think I can bring myself to end a meal immediately, only b/c I have a hard time getting them to eat much sometimes. But, after two or three warnings, I think that's the next step.

Alright, hopefully this will get better soon! Thanks! You gals are the best. :)

[fivi2]

fivi2, I am really glad to hear it is not just me. I feel exactly like you do. Ignoring my twin girls (they are 28 months) has basically never worked for us. I never really thought about the fact that they are reinforcing one another's behavior but that is SO what they do! They actually are more in tune to each other than to me, which makes it even harder!

I have a friend who had two older girls a couple years apart, then a pretty big break, then identical twins. She says that for the twins, so many things don't work like it did with her older girls. (like ignoring). I get a lot of my support from her! My sister who had two singletons always tells me I should do xyz and acts like I am the problem when it doesn't work. My friend usually reminds me that things are just different for twins. especially because they do things like reinforce eachother. Mine are much more concerned about what the other one thinks than they are about what ANYONE else (including me) thinks.

So, no, it is not just you :)