When did you stop using highchairs?

Lately Nicholas has been throwing a HUGE fit when it comes to sitting in his highchair at meal time. He kicks his legs, makes them straight as a board, arches his back....well you get the picture. Then when I finally do get him into the chair he won't keep his tray on. He now knows how to get it off and with seconds he has it flying through the air. By now...he's so worked up that he won't eat anything! I'm at my wits end!

The highchairs that I am currently using won't slid under my table so I can't slide him up to the table. I'm just wondering if I need to switch them to another type of seat but what? I think they are still too little for booster seats but what do you use in between? I'm hoping someone here can give me some advice or what type of seats you are or were using at this age?

Thanks for reading and for any advice!

 

We had wooden boosters from the beginning and slid them up to the table at 20 months. I would definitely get a booster seat and try them at the table, and make sure you try and eat some meals with them. My girls eating habits and behaviors improved dramatically at mealtime once they were stitting at the table with me.

 

QUOTE(MichelleL @ Feb 22 2009, 09:24 PM) [snapback]1200866[/snapback]
I would definitely get a booster seat and try them at the table, and make sure you try and eat some meals with them.


:good: Great advice.

At around 18 months we ditched the highchairs and got booster seats. We didn't use the trays with the booster seats, just put them directly at the table. That helped alot with eating... that and what Michelle mentioned, eating with them.

Good luck!!

 

We used those Safety-First strap-on boosters with trays, and took the trays off around 18 months so we could push them right up to the table. If you can't do that with your high chairs, I highly recommend getting a couple of those seats -- they're only about $35 new, but I got mine at the twins club sale for $5 each.

At age 2, we switched to Stokke chairs (courtesy of grandma -- they're $$$). They have safety straps, which we used until the girls were about 3, and then we decided we had enough confidence in them not to wiggle too much and fall out. The chairs are very adjustable and can even be used by adults -- my nieces are still using theirs every day at ages 5 and 7. So, they're an investment, but worth it.

 

We moved from high chairs to boosters at ~18m.
We stopped strapping them into the boosters at ~2.
We just dumped the boosters at 2.75.

 

We had a carpenter make us chairs like the stokke chairs. They are the only high chairs we ever had. From 6-9 months I fed them in the stroller, I just rolled it up next to the table. At 9 months they stared in the stokke type chairs at the table. I always feed them something whenever we ate (as well as feedings at other times) so they were included in our meals at the table from 9 months. We just stopped using them when they turned 4.

ETA: We sold one and gave one to SIL who is expecting. Yes, they were $$$, but for nearly 3 years of use and sold one for almost what we paid for it, well worth it.