When did you stop using a high Chair?

[*Natasha*]

Just curious when people started sitting them at the table on a chair with or without a booster seat attached to it.

[Fife_Mum]

Around 16 months. DS mostly did not want to sit in his highchair, so I gave him the choice. By 18 months the highchair was not used again. He just used a chair with a firm cushion, though a booster seat would have probably made it easier for him.

[Sylvia.]

dd has just turn 2 and still uses the high chair sometimes, she uses a small table and chair sometimes and other times with us at the table, at a stage at about 20ish months or earlier can't really remember she really didn't want to use it, i don't really care either way

[notenoughshelfspace]

We moved from a high chair to a booster seat at 14 months. She just seemed ready and big enough to sit at the table with mum and dad. Now if she would just use cutlery.......................

[mcruari]

We still use it and DD is over 3yrs old It keeps her in one place at least

[Pigeon]

Hi, we moved DD out of her huge big Mamas and Papas primo one about 6 weeks ago (just because I didn't want to keep lifting her in and out. She now sits with us on a cushion on a proper seat and I wish we'd done it ages ago!  She seems to be much more part of the mealtime now...

[LeslieG]

My DD never used her high chair. We use the Booster Seat at the table. We still use the tray for the seat but eventually she will eat off the table like us. The high chair took up way too much room and I like that she sits with us at the table.  She is starting to wiggle a lot in her chair though and not want to sit for full meals. That is a bit of a challenge!

[clh]

We went straight to a booster in a chair when we started solids at 5.5 months.  Seems to be working for us so far.  Ds is 13 months now.

[Samuel's mum]

We still use a highchair but it can be used at the table.

[* Paula *]

Natasha,

We moved Tom Tom onto his own table and chairs about 2 weeks ago.  He has never liked his high chair, and in nursery they sit him at a table and chairs, so thought it was a good time.

He loves it and runs over to the table at meal times 

Paula x

[kim&savannah]

We also just went straight to a booster seat at 6 months.  And around 2 years, she started to fight sitting in it--wants to be in a big girl chair like mom and dad, so usually I push to get her in the booster for breakfast and dinner, but let lunch and snacks be more casual and she just eats in one of the chairs at the table, usually standing up (which makes a huge mess and is why I try to make her sit in her booster for a couple meals a day.)  She still uses the tray about half the time with the booster--if she's eating soup or cold cereal, I try to get her to use it since it keeps her pants pretty dry.  When she eats at the table, even in the booster, there is just to big of a gap between the table and her mouth and half the food doesn't make it!

~Kim

[tylersmommy]

Tyler decided he didn't want to sit in it anymore right after he turned 2. He's been sitting with us at the table (no booster) since then. I would have GLADLY kept him in the high chair longer, but he wouldn't have it!

[mari]

I still have Alex in a highchair, but I do care for another baby and I need the highchairs to keep them safe.  I think that Alex is ready for a booster though, although I sit her at the table in her highchair.  I will keep her in it as long as I can as it makes sense whilst I am childminding and if I move her then the other lo will probably want to move too and that might prove difficult at the moment as he isn't even walking yet.  I am able to do a few things whilst they are safely strapped in though like wash dishes and tidy a little after meals.

[TDR'smom]

For those of you whose lo's sit at the table with you....do you put a special placemat down for them to contain the mess? 

Just trying to imagine what we will do when ds moves to the table with us.  You should see how messy his high chair tray gets!!  Can't imagine what a mess our dining room table will look like...or maybe I need to just get over it?   

[kim&savannah]

We don't put anything down--if she has a placemat, there is too good of a chance of her pulling it off, along with everything on it (plate, utensils, cup, as well as the mess of food).  In fact, we had to stop using a tablecloth or placemats in general when she was really little because it was just too messy/dangerous.

So we just eat at the table, wipe it down afterwards--it cleans up really easily.  The only part I get tired of is needing to sweep and/or mop after every meal.  I usually only manage to do so once a day, unless there is a particularly big mess.

~Kim