Highchair vs Sitting in a Booster

Due to space constraints, we never used high chairs. I fed them in a bouncy seat until they could sit up and then moved them to a booster chair with a lap belt and a tray. It worked really well for us.

Hi R.,

We are going through right about the same thing. Our daughter is 17 months now and was still in a high chair. Well, my sister in law decided she wanted it back so we are now using one of those Little Tikes plastic child size tables with the mini chairs and she is doing great with it. After the first dinner using it she doesn't even get up and run around! She sits at her own little table and eats her food. And for the record, she is quite the little spitfire, so for her to sit ANYWHERE for more then 3 seconds is doing great! I hope this can help you someway. Good luck!

I think it depends on your child. If he is squirming all over and won't sit still without being strapped down, then you'll need a booster with straps. You can test this when you go out to restaurants, or just buy one of the portable boosters with straps and use the straps if you need them. My daughter is 17 months old and wouldn't stay put in a booster chair, so she is still in the highchair and at this point I have no plans of moving her. On the other hand, he might feel more grown up and more a part of what is going on at the table if he is in a booster seat, so do what you think will work the best. You can always try it, and if it doesn't work, switch back.

We never had high chairs, mainly because of space. We used The 1st Years 3-stage feeding seat. It's like a booster that reclines for babies and sits upright and hooks on to a regular kitchen chair. We have used them since the kids were 8 months old and they are now 4 years old. It's been the best money I've spent on them so far. They are about $30 and I got mine at Babies R Us. You can find them at stores like Target, too. We don't use the trays anymore, but it's nice to have them sitting at the dinner table instead of kneeling.

Here's a link to it:
http://www.learningcurve.com/product/detail/Y1099Y1
or
http://www.amazon.com/First-Years-Reclining-Stage-Feeding...

M.
mom to William and Emily
4 years old

Hello R.! Our little girl is 26 months old and moved herself out of the high chair ("NO!" she told us) and onto a regular seat at the table. I'd probably just wait and see when he wants out, unless he's getting too big for it.

It just depends on you and your child. My sisters daughter didn't want to sit in her high chair at the age of 1 so she switched her to a booster. When my kids were little I kept them in their high chair as long as I could. Then we bought them their own little table next to our big table to eat at. I don't think there's any specific age.

S.

My daughter sat in her highchair until she was about 2-1/2 years old and we needed it for the baby, so at that point we switched our oldest to a booster seat (strapped to the chair and with a seatbelt). Our feeling all along was "if it's not broke, don't fix it", and since she wasn't complaining about the highchair we didn't rush taking her out of it.

I put my daughter in one at 13 months. I moved her into the booster seat only because I was tired of dodging the highchair that was always in the way. As soon as they are able to sit up without assistance I would say is a good time. At 2 you can definitly do it.

By the time my daughter was 2 she wouldn't sit in a high chair anymore. She wanted to be a "big girl" and sit in a regular chair. I think it just depends on the child. If she/he is willing to sit in the high chair then let them keep using it. Believe me he/she will let you know when they don't want to use it anymore.

Hello. Like most moms have said, it depends on the child. My daughter (whom is my oldest), I moved her to a booster sooner because she was a more mature toddler. My son on the other hand, I kept him in a high chair alittle longer, he was more of a wiggler and he played around alot. Like they said, try a booster out, if it dont work go back to the high chair

Hi R.,

I do in home child care and see this with at least one of my kids once a year. The best thing I have found is taking small steps - take the tray off the high chair and push it up to the table for a couple of weeks, til your child is comfortable with it. Then move to the booster, this was they are already use to sitting at the table for meals. I also will let the kids sit in the boosters (on the floor) with a dry snack - so they are use to the booster when ready for the transition. Good luck!

I agree with most of the other moms...as soon as babies can sit up, they can use a booster. Our son was in a booster seat at 11 months. I was so tired of the big, clunky, high chair.
Good luck!