Highchairs-can they go?

[Daycare123]

hey everyone!

I am feeling a bit cramped by my highchairs these days! What age do you all take the kiddies out of highchairs? How do you get them to SIT and eat?

Would LOVE some input - thanks!

[Momof4]

I don't have any highchairs, just booster chairs on my dining room chairs. My table seats 6 and sometimes when I have a young group like now I have 5 boosters set up Mon-Fri and one chair for me. But it wouldn't be possible to fit in all those highchairs. It works great for me. The boosters are set up from Mon at breakfast until Fri afternoon snack and I get my pretty table back for the weekend!

[Daycare123]

momof4- do your boosters have trays? I have baby sized chairs and tables--wondering if they need trays?

[BlueRose]

I use a portable highchair. one that can attach to a chair or sit on the floor. it takes up less room. I have a 1 year old who has decided he wants to sit at the kiddie table with the rest of the kids. I sit right beside him and so far so good. I do not have an adult size table, no room for it. My family and I all sit at the kids table to have our dinner at night.

I would say the best time to take the child out of the high chair depends on the child. My oldest it was about 18 months. My youngest 1 year. You have to watch the child, is he able to sit still can, can he reach the table with out the high chair. can he fit in a booster seat. They take up less room then a high chair. What are and the parents comfortable with?

[Momof4]

momof4- do your boosters have trays? I have baby sized chairs and tables--wondering if they need trays?
Three of them have trays because they are on chairs but one side of my table has a bench seat and those two boosters don't have trays. I put the older children on that side so they can eat off plates on the table. I keep them in their boosters pretty much up to age 3 or 3 1/2 depending on the height of the child.

[Inspired by Reggio]

I do not have room for high chairs either ~ I have two Fisher-Price boosters for wee children

http://i305.photobucket.com/albums/nn214/totallyawake/boosterseat_zpsc3c85 526.jpg

They are strapped and attached right to child size chairs at the children's table in my kitchen and at around 16 months I start introducing them to the chair only and expectation of sitting safely on it ~ if they are struggling than they go back to the restrained booster ... but typically they are excited for that right of passage to be seen as a 'big kid' at the table. If I have no children needing the boosters than I can store them in the shed until needed again and they take up very little room.

[bright sparks]

All my kiddies transition out of a high chair as soon as they are able to sit at the table safely and see over the edge with enough room to feed themselves. Its different for every child, especially for the petite ones. It does usually happen anywhere around the 18 mth mark to 2 years. I have a boy now who is nearly 18 months (couple of weeks away) and he isn't big enough to sit at the table yet. I have the ikea highchairs which stack on top of each other so take very little room up. Whether I have 1 or 4 out it doesnt make any difference. I would hate to have boosters out all the time but can understand it if this is someones only option.

[Daycare123]

Reggio-This is the exact booster I have for my daughter in the daycare! _She is the youngest I was just testing it ut with the kiddies :) The daycare kids are all 15 months+ other than my daughter :)

[Inspired by Reggio]

Reggio-This is the exact booster I have for my daughter in the daycare! _She is the youngest I was just testing it ut with the kiddies :) The daycare kids are all 15 months+ other than my daughter :)

I like this style because it is a nice 'progressive' seat .... when they are enrolled really wee I can leave the tray on and let them use that as their plate for finger foods and than once they are using a bowl/plate successfully I can remove the tray and the chair with the booster will push right up to the child size table to get them use to being so close to the others and not 'touching' their food and than once that milestone is met where they are able to be at the table eating properly we can remove the booster all together and try sitting directly at the table with everyone.

My current 18 month old started here at 8 months of age and has been at the 'big kids table' without a booster since he was 13 months and can remain seated in the seat through the entire mealtime ... other kids I have had are still jack in the box in a chair and end up being in the booster closer to 18 months ... one kid once was almost 2 because her parents did not expect her to 'sit' at the meals at home so I was fighting the inconsistent expectation of her thinking she could leave and come back to 'graze' at her food between playing and that does not fly here ~ everyone sits and stays seated until we are all done and excused.

[apples and bananas]

I picked up some very inexpensive boosters at the local thrift shop. They have straps around the back to tie them to the chair and a lap belt to keep the child in. I always start the little ones in highchairs, but move them as soon as they can handle having a plate without throwing it across the room. LOL I just transitioned one that

[apples and bananas]

that is 16 months. And he's doing great.

(sorry, must have hit enter before I finished my thought)

[cfred]

I use Safety First swing tray booster seats for all ages until they can sit on a stool at the kids' table. If you have any Zellers stores in your area that haven't yet shut down, they had some yellow and green ones with Winnie the Pooh theme that are only $19.00! The theme stickers are optional. I love these because the backs fold down, the tray closes over it, then they stack neatly. I've used them forever and have only had to replace a couple of my old ones now after 11 yrs. I don't even bother with the straps....they're on the floor anyway. Like you, I find highchairs take too much space.

[kidlove]

i also dont use a high chair, too big and clunky to have floating around after daycare is closed. I use a reggalo seat that attaches to the side of the table, you'd never even know it was there. once the kids are about 1.5 or so, they go into boosters that set on the chair, no straps just sit with them during lunch and they get wiped and put away right after. by the time they are about 2.5 they are encouraged to sit on knees and eat over their plate. :)

[Spixie33]

I get the booster seats from Walmart for $20 and I put babies in them starting at 12 months when they enroll. They attach to the regular kitchen chairs. I wouldn't want to invest in real high chairs and can't imagine the amount of room they take up. Yikes

I do the same as Momof4 and leave the boosters on M-F and take them off Friday afternoon and stack them up off to the side. Depending on the week I will drop them in the shower or bath to soak on the weekend and put them back on for Monday morning.

:)

[Bookworm]

I, too, use booster seats. I use the same ones Reggio posted a picture of. I love them! They are so easy to clean and I love that I can stack the ones that aren't in use. I have 5 of them, as my kids still can't handle sitting at the picnic table during snack/lunch all the time.

[monkeymama]

I dont have chairs at all so no booster seats. My husband built a beautiful wooden dining table and benches for our new home. So I have 3 highchairs in my dining room at all times. It drives me nuts lol. Therfore, I try and transition the kids around 18 months to sit at the "big kid" table with the others. Like pp mentioned, they usually see this as a priviledge and do well.

[Daycare123]

Thanks everyone! Well-we did lunch today without highchairs (minus my own little one) and it went fairly well! It is nuts how much space I have without those clunky highchairs!

[playfelt]

I have a kids table in the kitchen plus up to three highchairs. Our dining room is our upstairs playroom and big kid nap room, our eating table for family is actually in the end of the family room which is a really big room. Just off the kitchen and works well since it is just hubby and me and special needs child so we sit and eat and watch the news from there.

They are in chairs till about 18 months but a lot has to do with size, ability - ie we try to use utensils at the table not just fingers so they need to have had lots of practice and not be overly messy since there is no tray at the table. Mostly they stay in the high chairs till I need it for the next child coming in and we are making transitions all around ie playpen to nap mat, highchair to table.

[littlebugsdaycare]

another, boosters with removeable trays, I searched and searched to find ones that had sides short enough that they could tuck up tight to the table so they are nice and neat. Right now I only have two boosters, one FT and one PT. All my 2 and overs are on the chairs, my 8 month old and 19 month old (not sure when that child will be moved out off the tray) are in boosters with trays, as they grow the trays go off and then eventually at the table without the booster and then I have my table back :-)