Toddlers and throwing things

[SamiPolizzi]

My DS will be 2 at the end of March. He LOVES to throw things, and I have yet to find an effective way to deal with it.

Sometimes I remove the item being thrown, but then he just finds something else to throw. Sometimes I ignore him (because it seems he's just trying to get my attention.) Sometimes I redirect him and make sure to give him the attention he's craving ("It's not okay to throw things, let's read a book instead.") That works sometimes, but not always. Lately he has learned the word hurt and says it whenever he falls down or hits his head or something, so I've been trying to explain that when he throws things he could hurt me or the dog or the cats (as he often throws things at me and the pets) but he doesn't really seem to understand.

I just don't know what to do. I've always believed that one of the most important things for a child is consistency, so it must be confusing for him when I'm reacting a different way every time he throws something.

[mom2grrls]

I would designate a place he can throw-outside or a room in the house if possible.  That way when he picks something up and throws it you can go outside or to that room and let him go to it.

[sk8boarder15]

Well, it's more of an issue of what than where. For example, he is allowed to throw balls and dog toys. 

The only place in my house that could really be the designated throwing room would be our bedroom since it doesn't have any breakable items in it. I'm just not sure if implementing that would help or just drive me crazy since I would be dragging him upstairs all the time. I suppose it couldn't hurt to try. 

Or maybe when he throws something I could take away that object and give him a ball or a dog toy instead.

[SamiPolizzi]

Oops! I'm on my sister's laptop and for some reason I thought I would automatically be logged in on my account. That last post was me!

[Minxie]

If he is allowed to throw balls and dog toys in the house, I think that's a great idea! We don't throw things in the house here so our solution would be to go outside and throw a ball or stick outside.
 

Originally Posted by sk8boarder15 

Well, it's more of an issue of what than where. For example, he is allowed to throw balls and dog toys. 

The only place in my house that could really be the designated throwing room would be our bedroom since it doesn't have any breakable items in it. I'm just not sure if implementing that would help or just drive me crazy since I would be dragging him upstairs all the time. I suppose it couldn't hurt to try. 

Or maybe when he throws something I could take away that object and give him a ball or a dog toy instead.