I can't take the spitting...

DD1 is now 17 months old. For the last month or so, she's gotten into this
horrible spitting habit. It actualy drives me nuts. I can't stand it, and
I don't have a clue where she picked it up from... I also don't know how to
deal with it properly.

All she does is spit, and I've noticed it happens more when she doesn't get
her way. She is 17 months old, and she definitely pushes me to my limits
and seems to know how to push buttons. When she gets angry or upset, even
frustrated, she spits. She'll look at me with spit hanging right on her
lips and it seems as soon as I look towards her, there she goes spitting on
the table, herself, wherever she is. It's absolutely maddening. I've tried
to calmly say no, we don't spit. I've tried to yell a quick, "NO!" and I've
even tried ignoring this behaviour. Nothing seems to help. If I tell her
no in any way, she'll do it anyways. If I ignore it, she'll sit at the
table and spit and spit until she has my attention. There just doesn't seem
to be a way to stop this. DH has gotten to the point where if she spits and
he's within arm's reach, he'll grab her arm and wipe her mouth with her
sleeve or hand. She does NOT seem to like that one bit, but as soon as he's
done doing that, she'll do it again.
Will she just grow out of it? Is there anything that we can do? She's
normally a very happy and bubbly little girl - that seems to be the one
thing that people notice first and most. I get comments from complete
strangers that are always along the lines of, "Oh, wow! Is she ever a happy
little girl!" or something like, "Wow! Does she always smile all the time?"
and she does. It's just the spitting that is driving me bonkers - it's
gross and it doesn't matter what I do or don't do, she just does it anyways!
Any ideas or advice?

"xkatx" wrote in message
news:lMOph.150574$hn.109314@edtnps82...
DD1 is now 17 months old. For the last month or so, she's gotten into
this horrible spitting habit. It actualy drives me nuts. I can't stand
it, and I don't have a clue where she picked it up from... I also don't
know how to deal with it properly.

All she does is spit, and I've noticed it happens more when she doesn't
get her way. She is 17 months old, and she definitely pushes me to my
limits and seems to know how to push buttons.

In other words, a perfectly normal 17-month old. Very bright, too.

When she gets angry or upset, even
frustrated, she spits. She'll look at me with spit hanging right on her
lips and it seems as soon as I look towards her, there she goes spitting
on the table, herself, wherever she is. It's absolutely maddening. I've
tried to calmly say no, we don't spit. I've tried to yell a quick, "NO!"
and I've even tried ignoring this behaviour. Nothing seems to help.

Actually, it helps a lot. It gets your attention. That is why she does it.

If I tell her no in any way, she'll do it anyways. If I ignore it,
she'll sit at the table and spit and spit until she has my attention.
There just doesn't seem to be a way to stop this.

Her spit will eventually dry up. It might take a few hours, though. Get a
rag. Just ignore it.

DH has gotten to the point where if she spits and he's within arm's
reach, he'll grab her arm and wipe her mouth with her sleeve or hand. She
does NOT seem to like that one bit, but as soon as he's done doing that,
she'll do it again.
Will she just grow out of it?

Yes. And so will you.

Is there anything that we can do?

Get a rag and clean the table after her until she is older.

Other than that, doing nothing is the best thing (i.e., ignore it, it will
pass).

She's normally a very happy and bubbly little girl - that seems to be the
one thing that people notice first and most. I get comments from complete
strangers that are always along the lines of, "Oh, wow! Is she ever a
happy little girl!" or something like, "Wow! Does she always smile all
the time?" and she does. It's just the spitting that is driving me
bonkers - it's gross and it doesn't matter what I do or don't do, she just
does it anyways!
Any ideas or advice?

Ignore it. She healthy and smart. It will pass. Just get a rag.

Jeff

Jeff wrote:
"xkatx" wrote in message
news:lMOph.150574$hn.109314@edtnps82...

DD1 is now 17 months old. For the last month or so, she's gotten into
this horrible spitting habit. It actualy drives me nuts. I can't stand
it, and I don't have a clue where she picked it up from... I also don't
know how to deal with it properly.

All she does is spit, and I've noticed it happens more when she doesn't
get her way. She is 17 months old, and she definitely pushes me to my
limits and seems to know how to push buttons.

Ignore it. She healthy and smart. It will pass. Just get a rag.

I agree - ignore it as best you can, she knows she's pushing your
buttons, no matter how much you try to hide it. You could also try
teaching her that she can spit - after she brushes her teeth, cured my
son of his new found spitting game, he loves spitting in the sink but
thankfully doesn't do it anywhere else now.

On Fri, 12 Jan 2007 16:34:25 GMT, xkatx katmagicate@remove wrote:
DD1 is now 17 months old. For the last month or so, she's gotten into this
horrible spitting habit. It actualy drives me nuts. I can't stand it, and
I don't have a clue where she picked it up from... I also don't know how to
deal with it properly.

All she does is spit, and I've noticed it happens more when she doesn't get
her way. She is 17 months old, and she definitely pushes me to my limits
and seems to know how to push buttons. When she gets angry or upset, even
frustrated, she spits. She'll look at me with spit hanging right on her
lips and it seems as soon as I look towards her, there she goes spitting on
the table, herself, wherever she is. It's absolutely maddening. I've tried
to calmly say no, we don't spit. I've tried to yell a quick, "NO!" and I've
even tried ignoring this behaviour. Nothing seems to help. If I tell her
no in any way, she'll do it anyways. If I ignore it, she'll sit at the
table and spit and spit until she has my attention. There just doesn't seem
to be a way to stop this. DH has gotten to the point where if she spits and
he's within arm's reach, he'll grab her arm and wipe her mouth with her
sleeve or hand. She does NOT seem to like that one bit, but as soon as he's
done doing that, she'll do it again.
Will she just grow out of it? Is there anything that we can do? She's
normally a very happy and bubbly little girl - that seems to be the one
thing that people notice first and most. I get comments from complete
strangers that are always along the lines of, "Oh, wow! Is she ever a happy
little girl!" or something like, "Wow! Does she always smile all the time?"
and she does. It's just the spitting that is driving me bonkers - it's
gross and it doesn't matter what I do or don't do, she just does it anyways!
Any ideas or advice?

My DD did the same thing when she was 2. Constant spitting - for
fun, in anger, you name it. Same sort of personality, as well - always
bubbly and cheerful.

The solution? After an appropriate sequence of warnings, I told her
that if she spat intentionally again, she'd get her mouth slapped.
A while later, she did it again, and got her mouth slapped. She wailed
like a banshee, and got sent to her room. Once the dramaticis were over,
I explained that the same thing would happen the next time she
tried it.

The result? She's never done it again, even two years later.

You can talk a kid to death, but if they're not getting meaningful
consequences, why in the world would they stop?

- Rich


--
Catapultam habeo. Nisi pecuniam omnem mihi dabis, ad caput tuum saxum immane mittam.

Jeff wrote:
"xkatx" wrote in message
news:lMOph.150574$hn.109314@edtnps82...
DD1 is now 17 months old. For the last month or so, she's gotten into
this horrible spitting habit. It actualy drives me nuts. I can't stand
it, and I don't have a clue where she picked it up from... I also don't
know how to deal with it properly.

All she does is spit, and I've noticed it happens more when she doesn't
get her way. She is 17 months old, and she definitely pushes me to my
limits and seems to know how to push buttons.

In other words, a perfectly normal 17-month old. Very bright, too.

When she gets angry or upset, even
frustrated, she spits. She'll look at me with spit hanging right on her
lips and it seems as soon as I look towards her, there she goes spitting
on the table, herself, wherever she is. It's absolutely maddening. I've
tried to calmly say no, we don't spit. I've tried to yell a quick, "NO!"
and I've even tried ignoring this behaviour. Nothing seems to help.

Actually, it helps a lot. It gets your attention. That is why she does it.

If I tell her no in any way, she'll do it anyways. If I ignore it,
she'll sit at the table and spit and spit until she has my attention.
There just doesn't seem to be a way to stop this.

Her spit will eventually dry up. It might take a few hours, though. Get a
rag. Just ignore it.

DH has gotten to the point where if she spits and he's within arm's
reach, he'll grab her arm and wipe her mouth with her sleeve or hand. She
does NOT seem to like that one bit, but as soon as he's done doing that,
she'll do it again.
Will she just grow out of it?

Yes. And so will you.

Is there anything that we can do?

Get a rag and clean the table after her until she is older.


Or give a rag to her. At 17 months, she can at least handle the rag and
help you wipe it.

Other than that, doing nothing is the best thing (i.e., ignore it, it will
pass).


Hard to do but Jeff's right.

In article lMOph.150574$hn.109314@edtnps82,
"xkatx" wrote:

All she does is spit, and I've noticed it happens more when she doesn't get
her way. She is 17 months old, and she definitely pushes me to my limits
and seems to know how to push buttons. When she gets angry or upset, even
frustrated, she spits. She'll look at me with spit hanging right on her
lips and it seems as soon as I look towards her, there she goes spitting on
the table, herself, wherever she is. It's absolutely maddening. I've tried
to calmly say no, we don't spit. I've tried to yell a quick, "NO!" and I've
even tried ignoring this behaviour. Nothing seems to help. If I tell her
no in any way, she'll do it anyways. If I ignore it, she'll sit at the
table and spit and spit until she has my attention.

LOL! Is she in a high chair? Can't you just walk away and leave her there?

--
Chookie -- Sydney, Australia
(Replace "foulspambegone" with "optushome" to reply)

"Parenthood is like the modern stone washing process for denim jeans. You may
start out crisp, neat and tough, but you end up pale, limp and wrinkled."
Kerry Cue

"Chookie" wrote in message
...
In article lMOph.150574$hn.109314@edtnps82,
"xkatx" wrote:

All she does is spit, and I've noticed it happens more when she doesn't
get
her way. She is 17 months old, and she definitely pushes me to my limits
and seems to know how to push buttons. When she gets angry or upset,
even
frustrated, she spits. She'll look at me with spit hanging right on her
lips and it seems as soon as I look towards her, there she goes spitting
on
the table, herself, wherever she is. It's absolutely maddening. I've
tried
to calmly say no, we don't spit. I've tried to yell a quick, "NO!" and
I've
even tried ignoring this behaviour. Nothing seems to help. If I tell
her
no in any way, she'll do it anyways. If I ignore it, she'll sit at the
table and spit and spit until she has my attention.

LOL! Is she in a high chair? Can't you just walk away and leave her
there?

lol not funny! She's normally not in a high chair at the table -
we have a stupid chair that goes from a baby swing to a high chair. It's
the Fisher Price Swing 'n Meals one... I've recently switched DD1 into a
regular booster seat to keep DD2 in the swing for some peace (for me) during
meals, and I can't leave her unattended because this booster seat at the
table doesn't have the straps for the child, just for around the chair. I
don't like it, but it's all we have right now.
It's also not always when she's at the table. I've recently heard
complaints from DS that she's spitting on him or at him, or she's sitting
beside him and spitting on the carpet/floor/whatever is beside her. DS has
a real hard time ignoring her - he's almost 6 and finds a way to overdo it
when he reacts to something.

On Jan 12, 11:04 am, user wrote:
You can talk a kid to death, but if they're not getting meaningful
consequences, why in the world would they stop?


Thank you for making this point.
Much is lost in todays 'pc type' parenting where 'ignoring' the problem
seems to be the preference rather than dealing with it.
Certain behavior is just not acceptable.



joanne