Highchairs

I still put the kids in High Chairs and they will be 3 in March. I have noticed alot of people put their kids in booster seats. I have not got that route yet, because we have a very very old table (from 1920's) and it is not resurfaced (it gets totally ruined by liquids and heat....I am paranoid by it). I have purchased a cloth table pad for it, and it has helped considerably when it comes to hot plates or damp cloths being tossed on the table.

It also is really short....I have to get some "risers" made for the legs, so give us from knee room. There is NO room for the kid's legs if I put them in a booster.

My kids are messy eaters. My son nearly refuses to use a fork or spoon by himself, and we end up feeding him most of the time.
I like them CONTAINED. I know they won't be running around with food, or squirming all over.
I like that I don't have to stand beside them and make sure they are staying put.

When we go out to restraunts, we use high chairs, too. My parents have highchairs at their house, as well.

Am I stunting their development by using highchairs??

I also, only let them color, paint or play wth playdoh in their high chairs. Much easier to clean and control.

 

You do what works best for you. Alot of booster seats have buckles, so they can be restrained in those as well. I have always had at least one in a booster since I only had one highchair and wasn't buying/didn't have room for another one. The booster has a buckle, which I rarely use, but it's there if I feel they need to be contained. In fact, my first ds didn't ever use the high chair, either-he started at the booster.

But, again, it's what works for you. I like my kids being able to get into their seats on their own, and they have learned if they start to stand up they are done and don't get to finish eating. They'll learn your rules-just stay consistant and they'll figure it out. As far as the mess goes, yes they are messier. Our booster seats also have trays, which you could use for playdough and painting and such.

 

Mine were out of highchairs by 2, and we never used boosters. I would probably start getting them used to sitting at the table, since if they go to a friends house they won't have highchairs.

 

My kids are 3 and are in high chairs for dinner. For breakfast and lunch they sit in stools at our bar...but for dinner at the table they are in their high chairs. I got those wood Eddie Bauer ones that are really sturdy. I'm getting close to giving them up but not just yet! If you put a vinyl table cloth with cotton lining on your dining room table would that solve your problem?

 

If they are still OK with it, it doesn't seem like that big a deal. That said, if your main reason for keeping them in high chairs at home is to protect your table, you might start letting them sit in big chairs (or boosters) at restaurants or grandparents' house. They will need to learn someday, and you don't want to get taken by surprise if you wind up some place where high chairs are not available.

I'm actually surprised they are still willing to sit in high chairs. We were doing great with the First Years Feeding Seats, until within the space of a week, they went from perfect content, to wanting to sit at the table with no tray, to wanting to sit on "big chairs." We are now in Stokke chairs, so they can eat off the table, but I admit I do like the 5-point restraint. We don't have that much trouble with them actually wanting to get out of the chairs, but they get so wiggly and hyper, it would be easy for them to fall out by accident.

 

I do know a few people whose kids were in highchairs until 3 and 4 years old.

My boys stopped wanting anything to do with their highchairs soon after they turned 2. We have a kiddie table where they eat their meals and snacks. They love that! They also do any crafts there too.

Can you leave the tray off and pull their high chairs up to the table to get them used to eating there?

 

They do sit in chairs in their church nursery for snack time, crafts, ect...and when they were younger, we did set out a little table and chairs for them - but that quickly ended as they were starting to get up and run around with food/only eat on the run. I started putting them back in their highchairs with the rule that all eating takes place there. Now, we can be a bit more flexible with that rule, but I would say that 95% of their eating happens in their highchairs.

The issue with my table is that is it "short"...does not offer alot of leg room because of its age (people were shorter, I guess!) so even when I do push the chairs up to the table, the trays don't go under or on the table...just close to the table. We have done this a few times with the chairs, when we are all having supper together (which we do nearly all the time - but we usually have the kids eating in their chairs off to the side, where we keep the chairs.

My table also has a very wide portion under the lip of the table, again, providing little leg room (I have to warn guests...lol). So if I put them in a booster seat on the chair, their knees won't fit under the table!

I am nervous with the kids around the table, even with the protective vinyl cloth on it (yes, I do have one of those...with the fabric backs)....they tend to pull on the table cloth, which would be a disaster if they knocked stuff over. For the most part, I don''t even let them sit on the big chairs....I just don't want them to pull anything off.

I think what I will have to do it get them sitting at their own table. I guess what I like about the high chairs is the fact that they can't get down by themselves, so if I have to run upstairs while they are eating, or if I am in the other room, I don't have to worry about them running around with food.

 

Sounds like you've come up with a good solution. I have a little table we use whenever company comes. It's always "special" for the kids. As far as them getting up with the food when you leave, if you make it known from the beginning that that's not going to happen, they'll catch on. The first time they try it, make them be done eating. Let them come back and try again in a few minutes, but remain consistant. They are old enough to get that real quick.

 

I bought a mini table & chairs at IKEA ($20) and they LOVE sitting in that for breakfast, lunch & snacks. At dinner we still have them in boosters. They've sat on their own in chairs at tables when visiting friends who don't have highchairs. I'd suggest you let them try it. My girls are not quite 15 months, so I'm sure yours would be fine. Mine are still rather messy, they eat with their hands, not utensils, but I let them do it their way and just clean up afterwards. Recently I find very little on the floor, they've gotten very good and even use plates and cups on their own.