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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

... to be fussy about buying a highchair?

105 replies

MusicalMummyJules · 29/07/2010 21:45

Long story but will try to cut it short.

Basically it's DS's who is 6 mths, christening on Sunday and DP's mother has offered us to buy a highchair, which is really kind of her as she knows we work hard to break even every month let alone find the money for the big money things that a baby/child sometimes need.

Anyway, get a phone call from DP while I'm at work saying that she has offered to buy a highchair and she's found one that's really cheap on Kiddicare and can I have a look at it and let him know as the offer ends tomorrow.

So I look at it and my heart sinks, it's totally not the kind of highchair I wanted - I have been researching for a good couple of months about highchairs and had found one that I really wanted and was willing to save for (as it's about £70.00) The highchair that she has offered to buy us is a plastic, folding highchair with a unmovable plastic tray etc whereas as the one I was hoping to get was a wooden one, that lasts until they are 10 and has a removable tray so that they can, when convenient eat at the table with us. Quite a few of my family and DP knew that I wanted to get this specific highchair and we're going to give us some money towards it for the Christening.

I feel like I am being spoilt and totally selfish cow and we have had conversations to this effect in the past as I put my foot down and saved to get a Bugaboo Bee when DP and all his family we're trying to persuade me to get a cheaper pushchair.

Anyway I come back from work and I've given in and said it's not the one I want but it's very kind of her and if she would like to get it us and you're happy with it then phone her back and tell her we'd really appreciate it.

Now I'm sat here gutted that I'm getting this highchair but feeling childish at the same time....

OP posts:
seeker · 29/07/2010 22:55

My ds still uses his tripp trapp - it's perfect for guitar practice. Dd had hers as a desk chair until she was 12!

Rockbird · 29/07/2010 22:55

You don't need to put the Antilop legs in the dishywashy just the seat unit. And it has a very big footprint, even my Houdini DD couldn't tip it over and God knows she tried

seeker · 29/07/2010 22:55

Forgot to say - ds is 9!

ChippingIn · 29/07/2010 23:07

PMSL - at all of you who think I want to put the legs in the dishwasher... it was a tongue in cheek reply to Lady Biscuit saying 'A tripptrapp is nice but anything you can put in the dishwasher like the Antilop is a clear winner in my book'

We have the Handy Sits as well... I think if I had my time over, I'd probably just get these!

Caz10 · 29/07/2010 23:14

We have an antilop and a Tripp trapp and our lives are complete

I use the tripp trapp all the time when I am on the laptop it is mega comfy (baby harness now off obviously!) - can easily see us having it for years and years.

But antilop was fab fab fab and I have only recently stopped trying to cram dd in it at 2.5yrs

glitterstar88 · 29/07/2010 23:23

YABatinybitU

I got a chicco happy snack highchair for DS1 when he was six months, absolute nightmare to clean, my mum got the ikea antilop for her house and i ended up swapping them over.

When DS2 arrived i gave the chicco one away and got another antilop so my mum has one at hers and have one at mine.

DS2 prefers to sit on the same chairs as us at the moment, hates being strapped in a highchair and he behaves alot better and eats really well if he sits up at the table on a normal chair even if he is too low down.

But if its what you really want then it should be you're choice as its going to be in you're home, so you should put your foot down and get what you want.

ChippingIn · 29/07/2010 23:25

Wow - Caz10, you must have a tiny bum

Glitter - would DS2 sit in a HandySit? They're great.

Rockbird · 29/07/2010 23:27

I wondered why you seemed so intent on washing the legs

ChippingIn · 29/07/2010 23:28
TheCoalitionNeedsYou · 29/07/2010 23:34

I've got a totally ridiculous Bloom one. It is very pretty though. Get the IKEA one - I am if we have another child.

dobbyssocks · 29/07/2010 23:36

Wouldn't be worrying too much. No way will a child still be using it at 10! My DS has been at a normal seat at the table for ages and he's 4 - wants to be just like us. We have a babydan wooden one cost about £60 absolutely gets on my nerves. The base doesn't fit well under our circular table and its bulky - I so wish I had a cheapo plastic one that folded away. There was one in the cottage where we went on holiday and we and ds2 loved it. We've had the wooden one for 4 years now so it has lasted but god I hate it!

TheCoalitionNeedsYou · 29/07/2010 23:36

Actually we are now mainly using a Kaboost which is brilliant.

DinahRod · 29/07/2010 23:38

We have a wooden highchair that 'converts' when older & it's one of my worst purchases. It takes up a lot of space and is a pain to clean without scratching the wood, especially if you don't spot the spill giving it time to harden into food-cement, requiring a chisel to remove it.

We now have booster seats with varying heights so they sit at the table with us but concur with everyone re the Ikea holy grail of highchairs.

Nettiespagetti · 29/07/2010 23:53

If I ever had anymore which I'm not I would always advise the ikea one too. Cheap and very easy to keep clean.

BertieBotts · 30/07/2010 00:09

I don't think you are being unreasonable. It's going to be something you use every day and you are going to feel resentful using one which specifically doesn't have the features you like. If your MIL is reasonable she will understand as long as you are polite about it and maybe you could ask her to put the money towards the one you want instead. If it's just one on offer she's seen, it's not like she's been round the shops and lovingly picked one out which she's desparate to see her grandchild in, she probably just saw it and thought "Ooh, bargain, better see what Jules thinks before it ends".

She obviously wants to buy something which YOU like or she would have just got the Kiddicare one without checking first. So just talk to her! She sounds lovely and thoughtful, she will understand.

I think the Tripp Trapp is a good highchair, as is the ikea antilop, but what I have used (and sworn by) is a tommee tippee booster chair. It comes with a tray which can be used or removed, the good thing about the tray is it comes relatively low down on the baby's body (like the antilop - not sure how this compares to tripp trapp) which is much better for BLW than the mothercare etc ones, because with the big plastic highchairs, the tray is about at a 6 month old's armpits! Try eating your food from up there!

DS is 22 months now and uses the booster seat at the table. It's also useful for taking to people's houses etc. They have 2 designs - the rainforest one, which comes with a play tray (so handy when DS was 4/5 months and wanted to be involved in mealtimes but was not eating yet) or the plain one comes with removeable food divider trays. The colour scheme is fairly inoffensive too (on the rainforest one at least!) and as someone said above you can just shove it under the table when not in use.

skidoodly · 30/07/2010 00:20

DH just got our beloved (red) Antilop down from the attic for DD2.

We can't find the blow up thing

But it might be OK because DD2 is very fat

(all my own work )

Lonnie · 30/07/2010 00:21

WE have 4 trip trap chairs used by our 12 10 8 and 6 year olds.

We had a Ikea chair for garden area it is ok no where near the quality of the TT chairs.

Dh and I now fight over whom gets to sit on dd1's chair that is now converted to a chair and it is one of the most comfortable things to sit on ever..

our kids have used their TT chairs virtually every day since they go them (Apart from dd1 this was at 6 months with them all) so it was well worth the £99 they cost..

dd3 refused (aka screamed blue murder) to sit in the Ikea one or any other sort of plastic chair would only use the TT or one of the handy sits that we had for going out and about.

I will agree with those whom vote for the ikea chair it is a good chair and for the money it is worth having. I wouldnt be without the TT chairs though.

mamatomany · 30/07/2010 00:27

I have to say my 10, 8 and 6 year old all still use their trip trapps and I will have to buy a new one for the baby as nobody is willing to let him have it.

otchayaniye · 30/07/2010 06:59

Ikea antilop - excellent for BLW and easy to clean and you can buy several and keep at relatives' homes.

The tripp trapp is excellent for older babies and toddlers once they've stopped smearing it everwhere. You can get a new tripp trapp for 119 pounds new and second hand for about 60-80.

Any other chair is just a pale imitation of these two chairs.

Yanbu to want a decent chair, but yabu to get pissy about what is essentially a gift.

nannyj · 30/07/2010 07:14

I was just about to order a tripp trapp but found the obaby megan wooden highchair. Have just put it up and it looks lovely. Tripp trapp £139, Obaby one was £32.95. You really can't see that much of a difference.

Tee2072 · 30/07/2010 07:19

Okay, help the uncoordinated girl. Everyone is saying how easy it is to remove the Antilop tray, but I have never been able to do so.

So...how do you do it?

And I agree with everyone else. Its a brilliant chair and so very easy to keep clean.

IsItMeOr · 30/07/2010 07:20

If your DS is a climber (like mine) you will be very glad you bought an IKEA antilop and not one of the fancy wooden ones, ooh, in about 8 months.

Unless you fancy trying to find somewhere to hide it after he decides to climb in by himself.

They had one of the BabyDan ones in the holiday cottage we stayed in. DS did strap himself in though .

ArseHolio · 30/07/2010 08:32

I pull the highchair tray from the back in the middle just above the strut.

MamaVoo · 30/07/2010 08:43

I think you're overthinking this a little. It's just a highchair. My MIL is the opposite and bought a very expensive one to keep at her house. It's hard to clean and ridiculously heavy to move. I have a cheapy plastic folding one which has been perfect from baby to toddlerhood.

craftynclothy · 30/07/2010 08:57

First time round we spent £30 at M&P and I hated the thing. The straps were too long even on the shortest setting, it was a pita to clean and took up loads of space.

IL's have a more expensive one at their house. Admittedly it is far better than the M&P one. However we decided to get the Ikea one (my parents have one at their house) and it is far better.

We didn't even buy the tray for it and have always sat dd2 right up to our table. Dd1 went onto a normal chair at 3, after using a booster seat thing (about £15) for more than a year.

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