Teaching a toddler to not throw things...

[jacie87]

In the last two weeks, DD2 (11 weeks old) has been hit with a telephone (chest), a tape measure (head), and some smaller objects that weren't hard enough to make her cry. DD1 (26 months old) isn't trying to throw them at her. She's throwing them, but she isn't looking where she's throwing. She's just throwing. She throws things behind her, straight up in the air, sideways, etc. I know it's not her trying to be violent or hurt anybody, but it definitely needs to stop. What should I do?

[mamazee]

You can't entrust a baby's safety to a toddler, and there's no way to get a toddler to control impulses to a level where your baby will be safe from this kind of thing. I would take everything that could hurt the baby and is throwable out of the toddler's reach. And I would wear the baby in a wrap or sling so the baby was better protected.

[EmilyZ25]

if it is not intentional, then trying to teach a toddler that it is bad will be difficult. you don't want to get too upset at them. i think maybe try to be a bit more careful about where things are left out (put tape measures away...). that's probably the best idea for now. and also, every time something is thrown go up and tell them that throwing is dangerous. maybe show them that they hurt their sibling to help them understand.

[ssh]

Give your toddler safe things to throw. They make very soft balls and blocks. Throwing is a developmental skill that helps with a persons development of spacial and gross motor skills. You don't want to stop throwing you want to guide your LO to throw safely. Child proof better so heavy and hard objects aren't within reach. Keep the baby out of reach.

[kcparker]

We have a darling child who loves to fling things with wild abandon.

We let him throw soft objects in the house, in fact, we GIVE him soft objects to throw if he seems to be in that mood - play scarves, cloth diapers, soft blocks, craft pompoms - any hard objects are immediately taken away if they leave his hand and become airborne. The litany, for what it's worth: "If you threw it, you obviously didn't want it. Throwing this is dangerous and could hurt you or somebody else. It could also break something." If he wants to throw soccer balls or big stuffed animals or sticks, we have a lovely back yard where he can stand out in the open and fling to his heart's content, and we will direct him to the great outdoors if pompoms are not satisfying the urge.