Yucky Food and a Rejected Phone

Welcome to the Terrific Twos!  Unless your son is the exception to the rule, he has a vocabulary of about 14 words, and, I will guess that, no is probably one of them!  Your son is in the early stages of verbal communication, so it is virtually impossible for him to verbalize to you exactly what he wants to say. Your son is using the tools that he has to communicate to you when you need to know.  Isn't that amazing!

When your son throws an item, lovingly and firmly tell him, "give the phone to mom when you are done", or "if you don't like the carrots, place them on the plate".  Your son will probably look at you as if you are crazy, and throw another handful of carrots.  He will remain in this phase for a while, but continue to tell your son WHAT to do when he is finished or not interested.  Also, watch his body language for cues that will indicate dissatisfaction so that you can have him spit into a napkin, lovingly convince him to chew and swallow, or take the item which is in jeopardy of being thrown.  

Before you give your son an item or a food, inform him as to what he should do once he is finished.  You will sound like a broken record, but that is okay.  Children learn by repetition so prepare to repeat x 1000.  Remain patient and consistent, but until then, get a tough case for your phone, and keep a broom nearby.  Yelling is only going to make him look at you like you have lost your mind, while instilling fear.  Spanking might stop the desired behavior, but have you taught your son what to do when he is tired of the phone or not interested in the food in his mouth?  Discipline requires patience and repetition, but the rewards are priceless.  Hang in there, you have this!