Has Anyone Used a Booster Seat Directly on the Ground?

I cannot keep the kids in highchairs much longer cause DD has almost figured out how to get out of the harness. But I don't feel comfortable using booster chairs on regular chairs cause we have a hard tile floor in the condition and I worry about them tipping over/climbing out and falling. I also don't feel comfortable using a kid's size table and chairs since I am not quite ready to have them wandering around the kitchen. So I'm trying to come up with some alternative that will keep them confined and isn't too expensive.

 

I do this when we go visiting at other people houses. The problem I have with this is, they try to crawl out because they are so close to the floor and are constantly reaching over the sides and rubbing the floor, almost tipping the boosters.

 

We have friends that placed boosters on the ground up against a wall to prevent tipping backwards.

 

Have you considered chairs that mount directly to the table? I bought these from Inglesina recently and wish I had been using them all along. They'll mount to almost any sturdy table or countertop. They come apart and fold up in a bag for travel. I lovelovelove them. My girls seem to like them too.

http://www.amazon.com/Inglesina-2011-Table-Chair-Basilico/dp/B004BSFOXU/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&s=baby-products&qid=1298049668&sr=1-2

 

My girls never really fit well in their highchairs, so they've been eating in seats on the floor since before they were one! First we used bumbos, then once they grew out of those we bought some cheap boosters from walmart and they've been eating in them on the floor ever since. Some days they are more antsy in them, and then I put them up against a wall, but usually they eat just fine! Oh, and they are 19months now, and still doing it.

 

Jacob, who is the more active twin, fell over one time. Since he was all strapped in, he was fine, just upset from being scared. I say put them in the chairs and let them get used to it.

 

I agree You could put a pillows around their chairs for awhile if you are really concerned, but in all honesty, those boosters strapped tight to chairs are hard to tip over, you REALLY gotta want to tip it! One of my twins tipped their chair over and, like MarchI, they weren't even hurt, just scared them. But it only happened once.

Now, mine will climb into their chairs on their own. We only buckle them in if we are having something messy (tonight was spaghetti night), otherwise as soon as they are done they get done, but they are slowly learning not to get down during meal times. We do buckle them in about 75% of the time still

 

Thank you. I will give the boosters on the floor a try. I just don't feel comfortable having them elevated since the entire kitchen is tiled and my grandma once fractured her hip when she fell on a similar tile floor. So we will use a little table and chairs for them, but listening skills wise, they just aren't quite ready for that yet. Hopefully in a few months.

 

Our kitchen is tile. Our chair broke, the baby didn't.

 

Many of the boosters come with their own trays so the child can't push off from the table. I have never had mine even try to tip their chairs and they have been out of their high chairs since before they turned 1. We have the first years feeding chair, but at my parents I use the fisher price booster with the back that folds down. Both strap tightly to the chair, have straps to buckle the child in and have their own tray.

And no offense, but your grandma likely fractured her hip because she was elderly and had brittle bones. I've known people to fracture their hips on carpet.

It's only going to get more complicated to feed them as they get more independent and are learning to feed themselves. I would think having to get down on the floor with them for meals would be difficult and would interfere with family meal time. Why not teach them to sit well in their chairs and you won't have a problem.

 

I'm sure that is true. But, it did happen in my parent's kitchen, and it was just a pretty traumatic experience for everyone. So I do tend to be cautious around tile. But you are right--I don't feel like feeding them on the floor!

So we ended up getting a little picnic table for them. We are practicing sitting in the living room (hardwood floor) and a good thing too, cause DD took a BIG fall backward right onto the back of her head. She's OK, but if it had happened in the kitchen, it would have no question meant a trip to the Emergency Room.

We have boosters (on chairs) at my parents' and they work great, but my parent's have rugs and their dining chairs aren't all wobbly like ours.

 

My DS is on his way to urgent care right now. He pushed off from the table and split the back of his head open on his chair. I was at the table with him when it happened, but couldn't get there fast enough to stop him. We have wood floors. You have good reason to be concerned!

 

OMG I'm so sorry!! I hope he's okay! I'm very thankful that my guys have super short legs; I can usually push them away from the table far enough that they can't get the leverage needed to upset the chair, and they can still reach the table to eat.

 

He got 6 staples in the back of his head, but he's fine. He did great at the urgent care. Poor little guy had his forehead glued shut at urgent care back in September because he split it open falling onto our outdoor fire pit.

 

Oh, poor baby. :grouphug: I'm glad he's OK.

 

We were visiting friends and my little guy (19 months) took a tumble out of a chair and hit his forehead on their tile floor. My husband was about 6 inches away from him, but it happened really fast. It was scary. Our friend is a paramedic so he checked him out and told us exactly what to do to keep an eye on him (including waking him up throughout the night even though he wasn't showing signs of concussion).

My suggestion would be why don't you cover the tiles up with rubber matts for a year or two around your table area. Then you can have them learn to sit properly at the table, enjoy family meals and not have to worry if they take a spill. Soon they aren't going to want to be strapped in, and will fight that. My two are super fast and even though they know they aren't allowed, will pull chairs out and climb up on the table. Spills are going to happen, and tiles are just so hard.