When did you stop using a high chair?

[~ Vik ~]

Just curious, really.  Dylan still fits in his highchair fine, but he's getting to the age that he wants to sit at the table like we do.  We do have a booster seat, but it doesn't have straps to keep him in it so it makes me a bit nervous.  I use it for him to do art at the kitchen table, but I'm sitting right beside him and completely focused on him.  If we were all eating at the table I'm not sure that I'd have the same 'watchful eye', kwim?

[aimeeL]

We switched just a few wks ago - so maybe 20, 20.5 months?  One morning she just up and decided she was NOT getting in her highchair... so we went to a booster - first didn't do straps, but noticed she ate much more poorly without them... super distracted, always wanting to get out, etc... so we do booster and straps now... and works great.

[MasynSpencerElliotte]

I only used a high chair for Masyn until she was 10 months old and then used a booster at the table...we moved in the meantime and our kitchen had no room so Spencer started off in the booster at 5.5 months and is still in it. Masyn just stopped using hers a few months ago (her baby cousin needed it!) Ours have straps though and we always used them...I really miss them for Masyn, she flits all over the place now.

[georgeo]

I was just thinking the same question........

[rach321]

Just a few weeks ago  - so 21 months old, got so sick of him climbing it all the time and pushing it over to the kitchen counters so he could reach the forbidden items!! Grrrrrr......little monkey! Our booster seat definitely has straps!!

[shivi]

Oscar was in a highchair or booster until a year ago....

Emma moved qucker to the booster as her heavy brother BROKE the highchair (my fault...).

I don't plan on moving Emma from the booster for a LOOOONG time (same with cot). She will scream from time to time but once she sees the food, she loves to get in LOL!

S x

[Shiv52]

Maeve's been in a booster with straps from about a year?  Couldn't do without the straps though!

I don't plan on moving Emma from the booster for a LOOOONG time (same with cot). She will scream from time to time but once she sees the food, she loves to get in LOL!

LOL Shivi!!  Great minds think alike.  Maeve is still in her cot and people keep asking me when she's moving to a BGB and I have just started saying 'when she's 4!'.  We were at a restaurant last night and she didn't fit in the high chair so just had to sit on a normal chair and oh my goodness, she looked so grown up!  I was devastated though!  Its boosters for another while yet!

[*Liz*]

I switched J to a booster at my Mums about 3 months ago. He much preferred it and all the food flinging and screaming etc stopped very soon after.

At my house I have always had a stokke HC at the kitchen table. They are the ones with no tray so they can eat with you. We actually had to remove the wooden baby set this weekend as he was climbing too much and was getting too big to get in and out properly.

So now he basically is free  sitting on his child chair. And yep Shiv - he does look too grown up  .

He hasn't left a meal without permission yet - but it is early days. He is standing up on it too see what is on the worksurfaces though.

But TBH I've never been able to encourage J to eat anyway so I doubt being free will make any difference.

[Nauvoo]

We switched to a booster seat about 2 weeks ago because I felt like it would be more personal.  And she eats better at the table with us.  We invested in some plates and bowls that suction to the table.  A must have in my opinion.

[~ Vik ~]

Thanks for your thoughts everyone!  The strapless booster that we have now is a hand-me-down and it turns into a step stool - looks like that's how we'll be using it and I'm going on a mission for a booster seat with straps!

[MasynSpencerElliotte]

http://www.fisher-price.com/fp.aspx?st=900002&e=storeproduct&pid=51040&section=babygear

We have this one, except it's the older model without all the toys on top. Very portable and you can use it with the tray or just push up to the table. Not the easiest to clean, but I just pop ours in the tub and hose it off with the shower every so often. That and a sticky mat work well for us.

[~ Vik ~]

Thanks for that link Heidi!  I am almost embarrassed to admit this, but that's very similar to Dylan's high chair - the tray comes right off!  I didn't even think about taking the tray off and just pushing his high chair up to the table I'm going to have to check tomorrow to see if the height is right, but that might just work.  And if not, I'm going to have to check around for that one in your link or something similar - I like the idea of being able to use it with or without a tray

[MasynSpencerElliotte]

does the height adjust on his highchair...the one we had would go lower so it was at table height...hopefully that works, saves you having to buy more stuff!

[Tweakster]

Those suction bowls and things...Finn can pull them straight off.  Not Finley friendly lol.

Vikki we got the booster http://www.toysrus.ca/product/index.jsp?productId=3604321 and it has been quite good.  It allows you to pull up to the table when you want but also use a tray if you need it.  And then it becomes a regular booster later on.  Very easy to clean.  Worth the $ in my mind.

We are considering doing this with Finn too - we have a special mat that we put on the table and put his food on the mat.  I might try him tonight to see how he likes it.  I would love something to encourage him to stop the food dropping and flinging...

[*Liz*]

Being on the booster at the table definately helped the flinging and dropping here. I think he stopped at about 18 mths or so  .

Might as well update and add that being free on his child chair hasn't made any difference at all. He climbs up if he is hungry and asks to get down when he is done. Not running off yet!!

[Tweakster]

So far I have done 2 dinners with him at the table on his booster and it was much better than with him at his tray.  Less flinging and he just eats and then makes the sign language for 'done' and says 'all gone' while he's doing it lol.  I haven't had to pick up food on the floor for 2 days!!!

[nosenose]

Oh I did this morning lol, the whole lot went on the floor. but I think it was an accident

[Tweakster]

Well today isn't a great example given his EW 'the world is ending, I'm tired' behaviour.  Can't really count it.  We'll see what happens at dinner again tonight!