When to ditch the high chair?

[~Emma~]

Dylan is 3 in a couple of weeks. She is still in a high chair. 

 With Brodie he had a high chair that turned into a toddler seat - then he broke it and just kinda kneeled on a chair from then on. Now he sits (well, most of the time but his table manners are another thread entirely!)

 I let Dylan sit on big chair for lunch when we are having sandwiches or whatever but she sits in her high chair for main meal. She just seems to big for it now but I really don't have the ££ to shell out a booster seat.

 What do you do when they grow out of their high chairs? Do you always use a booster?

[cath~]

We stopped using a high chair just after L turned two.  From then til about 33 months she sat on a booster.
Since about 33 months she just kneels on a regular chair. She's fine with it.

If she's ok on a regular chair then maybe no need to buy a booster?

[~Emma~]

I think I might y'know. The high chair takes up way too much room. I just don't want to have a nightmare on my hands with her not sitting properly at the table but I guess that happens at any age!

 Thanks Cath. 

[*jazzberry*]

We have a chair from ikea that is a bit taller than a normal chair, they all used it from about 2.5 years. We still have problems with table manners . Much easier to clean than a high chair though.

[cuckoochick]

The booster seat we use (C's been in it since around 18mos) is on offer at the minute in Sainsbury's for £6/7. Plastic and easy to clean. She's not strapped in now but I think it's comfier than kneeling on our seats which ads hard.

[mumofalice]

Can't remember exactly when we got rid of the high chair with DD - I know I kept it way longer than most of my friends did - but I'm a kind of 'it ain't broke don't fix it' kind of girl and she was happy in it PLUS it meant that if we did eat out anywhere she would happily sit in a highchair (and therefore be contained  ) as that was the norm for her.

Anyway we did move to a booster for a while after - she just wasn't big enough to sit at the table and there was way too much fidgeting if kneeling up - it was a mothercare one and it wasn't expensive (or I wouldn't have bought it!)

Have just had a look on their website - they don't have the same one (it's an orange one - still in the loft waiting for DS to need it!) but they do have a similar one - it's £12.99 which I think was round about what I paid for mine. Here's the link

http://www.mothercare.com/Mothercare-Booster---Green/496495,default,pd.html

My Mum also bought us a Polar Gear one (so that I could take it to hers if she had DD - and I just left it in the car in case we needed it elsewhere). Not sure that I would've bought it myself but it did come in useful. Just seen that the updated version (different pattern) is on offer at Mothercare.

http://www.mothercare.com/Baby-Polar-Gear-On-The-Go-Booster-Seat--Polkadots/474259,default,pd.html

ETA: Posted at the same time as Nicola - sounds like the Sainsburys one is an even bigger bargain 

[MasynSpencerElliotte]

We never used a proper high chair....just a fisher price booster that goes on a chair, Spencer still uses it without the tray and Masyn really would be better off in one too. They are both pretty short so it helps them be at the right height.

[amayzie]

Did you get a bumbo at all? We use the bumbo with Hamish- a friend lent us one, and they are sort of flexi and so he can fit in that. Once he's in it it doesn't move off the chair... but it's not strapped on or anything- so if you have a wriggler it might be a problem. I wouldn't buy one for the purpose- just if you had one you could use it instead. The other option is to wrap some phone books in paper- so they stay together? If you tape them together first you could perhaps use fun wrapping paper, or contact paper (that sticky shiny stuff) for a waterproop finish? booster seats can be very expensive!

[MasynSpencerElliotte]

We used the bumbo for M for awhile, but even though I velcroed a strap on it she was too wiggly. Love the phonebook idea!

[~Emma~]

I am now regretting chucking all the phonebooks!!

[*Becky*]

M kneels on a regular chair too. She calls it sitting 'like a seal' which makes us laugh!!

[HenaV]

26m and still in a high chair. We have a booster as well which we take if we're going to friends/relevatives. It straps to the chair but also has straps to keep LOs secure . We got it from Kiddicare for £10

HTH x

[goldmom]

We stopped the highchair around 18 months, when DS was able to get into and out of it by himself, plus I wanted to have a month separating his using it to DD using it. He now sits/kneels on a regular chair and we don't have a booster seat.

[Mama_Mia]

M will be 3 in a couple weeks and he is still in his high chair. I have let him sit at the table for lunch every now and then but he doesnt believe in sitting still for anything so he will stay strapped into his high chair for awhile yet. At least that way he has to sit there and hopefully eat since theres nothing else to do while there.

[*Ali*]

Both of mine are still in a highchair at home. If we go out Cadan sits on a normal chair and kneels if he needs to.

I don't like the idea of any makeshift booster not being attached to the chair. Sounds like an accident waiting to happen. 

[~Karen~]

Lewis is still in high chair at home but that's because I generally feed them in the kitchen and we only have two bars stools that the older two use.  If we all sit at table or eat out he just sits on chair. 

[*Liz*]

Goodness, I must have been lax on this one. Mine came out of HC at about 18 mths, but I had those wooden ones that converted into kids seats (but they were obviously free to escape!).

Both sit/ kneel on normal chairs now. I think from about age 2.

I HATE cleaning high chairs - I would much rather deal with the kids standing or putting feet on tables  .

[Roseii]

Sorry I haven't read all the replies but we got a wooden bar stool (with back) from a charity shop and DH shaved the bottom of the legs so it's table height

[becj86]

L was on a normal chair from around 14 months - just refused the high chair I think it was around the time he moved from high chair to regular kiddie chair at low table at daycare. He still goes in a high chair when we go out because he thinks its a special treat. He even straps himself in!

[cath~]

He still goes in a high chair when we go out because he thinks its a special treat. He even straps himself in!

LOL - L is the same!

[amayzie]

LOL- Hamish also straps himself in!! I love how they have to have everything 'just so' at this age!!