3yo using high chair in restaurant?

[notebooklife]

My son is 3.5. He's always been a "bolter" and whenever we go to restaurants (quite often) we make use of their high chair. Not the tray part but the higher seat with a bar in front of him. (We are talking high street chains like Cote / Pizza Express etc). Once he's at the table he's good company and happy to chat, read books, colour etc at the table whilst waiting for the food to arrive. The higher level keeps him engaged with us. But without the high chair containing him he'd be liable to keep getting down, running off, going up to other people etc. (at home he sits on a Stokke chair which he can get down from and often gets down as soon as he's had enough).

He is now 3.5 and I guess we shouldn't be using the high chairs in restaurants anymore. But we have a family meal out this Xmas and I'm a bit nervous about it. One of the family members can be a bit disapproving of anything other than impeccable behaviour. Would it be terrible of us to use a high chair that day?

If not do people bring their own booster seats?

@jannier there little heads only just peep above a table , they sit uncomfortably, especially reaching up to colour-in

Use a high hand or a booster seat at the very least so that they are at your height and can be involved in what’s going on. Let’s be honest if you were very low compare to the table, would struggle to reach your plate etc… couldn’t be involved in what’s going on, you’d get bored and get down the table too!!

If a high hair means that, fur him, he shouldn’t get down then use it!

Im really not sure why you think ‘you’re not supposed to’ use a high chair. You just use whatever is working for you and your dc. There are no ‘rules’ as such.

We had a kaboost, but before we bought that we had a high chair that clipped onto the chair. We used it until they were the right height without it. So for a while, we had a kaboost on one chair and a highchair on the other. I took the high chair everywhere I never relied on a highchair being there.

It fucks me right off when you have to worry about what other people think on how you parent your children.

My almost 4 year old sits on a chair now but kneels up. He's well behaved and knows to stay sat down however would probably be much comfier in a high chair. We pick our battles don't we

Do what ever works best for you guys and if anything is said tell them to do one

We still use a high chair for DD2 and she turned 3 in September. I wouldn’t care what anyone else thought about that and I wouldn’t even think about it if I saw someone else doing the same.

We’re aware she won’t fit in one forever though so we practise sitting just on the chair in places that perfect manners matters less - McDonalds for example. She sits on the bench seat closest to the wall/window so DH or I can block her in and encourage her to keep sitting. She’s getting better at it and she’s a super active child. DD1 would have sat still for ages at a similar age but she has a very different personality.

My almost 5yo in Reception still uses a high chair at home! We have a step by it so he can climb in and out himself. It raises him up and makes it easier to eat. We could buy one of these that convert to a higher chair but there seems no need when he is happy. I vaguely think we need to get rid of it, but he is still a bit of a messy eater and finds it easier to be at the right height. He uses normal chairs in restaurants and at other people's houses.

We still use a highchair in restaurants sometimes (DC is 3.5 years). He isn't a bolted, but he digits and climbs on chairs (kneeling, sliding on it, turning round) and invariably falls off, or tries to climb across on to my lap.

We also have a HandiSitt booster that I sometimes take with me. Straps on to most chairs (but not all).

I am four kids in. I have learned that they manage to sit still and behave themselves in restaurants when they're ready. Forcing them to sit quietly on a proper chair doesn't speed it up, it just makes eating out a nightmare along the way. Do whatever works (though I really do try not to use screens at the table. Small toys/books/drawing is more interactive!).

It's bizarre because my child still struggles to sit for any length of time to eat at home, but as a toddler would always sit for ages beautifully in a restaurant when out in public. He was a bolter as well. Was like a different child!

My only concern with the high chair would be height and weight limits. I could totally see a strong 3 year old tipping some restaurant chairs over if they weren’t sitting very still.

for that reason alone, I would probably look for a booster seat that i could bring in, though some restaurants do have their own so you could call and ask.