tips for getting 16 month old to SIT while eating!

[Rebecca247]

My DS is 16 months and i know this is "bad" parenting on my behalf and not his fault but he very rarely sits in his highchair/booster seat to eat his meals. We had alot of trouble with Max when he was smaller as he wouldnt gain weight and eat properly so to get him to eat anything we used to feed him anywhere and everywhere we could! Now that he is eating better and proper meals he wont sit up all the time, he will sit at the table in his booster chair with us at dinner time when we are all sitting together, but i find it hard at brekkie/lunch time. Breakfast time my older kids (7 & 5) are sitting at the table with him and I will sit with my coffee and feed him or if he is eating toast i will continue getting school lunches ready. Lunchtime we usually are having lunch at the same time but he takes a few mouthfuls and then wants to get down and run around!
I need hints/tips on how to get him to sit for every meal and the whole meal!
I know just consistency and perservering will probably pay off but just thought some of you might have some more ideas to help me!
TIA
Bek
xxxx

[{{{Angela}}}]

This may be silly but does he have some stuffed animals he really likes and you could sit them around the table as if they were eating lunch too?

[Rebecca247]

He does have a few actually, i have never thought of trying that, i do put things on his tray for him to play with. I'll try the stuffed animals!
Thanks

[Lazysusan]

Rebecca, I am looking forward to some great tips in response to your post. We have just moved my 16mo to a little table and chairs in the kitchen as she was clearly over the high chair. I am now starting to think I may have been a bit hasty as we now have the situation where she cruises and eats, cruises and eats. Part of me is wondering whether I should be making her sit still and the other part of me thinks it's just a phase that she will grow out of and I should get over it.

Any suggestions, BW experts? (And sorry for hijacking your post, Rebecca!)

[Rebecca247]

No dont be silly Kristen, if you get some help aswell then thats great! I just get fed up every day/night trying to get him to sit still and eat. He does eat more when he's wondering around, thats why i think i have always let him do it. I was thinking of getting Max a little table and chairs and letting him start to sit at it with his older brother and sister but i'm thinking he will do what your LO does, i did buy him a little booster seat that attaches to the kitchen chair and he is right up at the table with everyone, it still hasnt helped a great deal. I really hate him walking around with food not only in my house but when we are at my parents or parents in law i feel rude if he does it as they are "old school" and believe all kids should be sitting up to eat! But i would rather him eat a full meal and i guess i've let that get in the way of teaching him the right way!

[Lazysusan]

Yes, it's so hard to know whether we should let them be at this age or start the discipline now. She just seems so little. But I guess, as is the BW way, we should start as we mean to go on...

[Rebecca247]

Yes i guess teaching them early makes it easy later on.
He is just at such a cute learning age and even though he does things i dont really want him doing certain things it makes it hard because my older kiddies think its funny and great that he's doing these things so he see's them laughing and cheering he does it again and again!

even though i have 2 older kiddies every single child is certainly different and you are always learning!
Hope we have some luck here