Highchairs-can they go?

[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 :-)