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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:
sapphireblue · 30/07/2010 09:20

10? Trust me, no part of a highchair is going to be used at 10! DD is 2.4 and is tall enough to sit and eat with us at the table without any kind of booster.

DastardlyandSmugly · 30/07/2010 09:24

I have two Tripp Trapps and I love them. They look really nice in my kitchen, the DCs can get in and out of them themselves, they also uses them to stand on when we're cooking and they both love them.

DastardlyandSmugly · 30/07/2010 09:25

Although I do think the Antilop is a really good buy too.

Rockbird · 30/07/2010 09:28

DD was on a normal chair just before she turned 2 and refused to consider a high chair ever agin. If I had spent money on a highchair I'd be kicking it every time I walked past it now. DD stands on a stool when 'helping' in the kitchen.

[answer for everything emoticon]

stressheaderic · 30/07/2010 09:46

We have a Chicco Happy Snack, and its a bit of a behemoth sitting in the corner in all its technicolour.

We also have the Ikea one. Given to us fourth-hand, still as good as new. DD is 6 months and LOVES it.
For the very meagre price, its worth getting one just to have, take to other people's houses etc, have other children round. It is bloody brilliant.

laweaselmys · 30/07/2010 09:49

Admittedly it was a really old one, but DD had a wooden high chair. It was a complete pain! Even though she could sit up really well at 6 months + with padding she would slip down. An utter bugger to clean as well, dettol and a sponge stripped the paint off!

Maybe you should all think again - especially since your MIL sounds like she's open to advice.

ChippingIn · 30/07/2010 09:54

Sapphireblue - have you actually read the thread? Posts such as this:

mamatomany Fri 30-Jul-10 00:27:27
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.

It depends how tall the child is, how high the table is, how comfortable they are... yes they can all sit at the table once they are able to sit up alone - it doesn't make the it best or only option.

OP - I also don't understand the line of thinking 'It's a gift, be grateful for what you get' especially when she's asking if that one is OK - it's you that has to use it several times a day; everyday, it's you that has to fit it in the room, store it when not in use and clean it. It's fine for Grandparents to buy the one they like for their house, but when it's the one for your house - you need to choose it! My friends PIL bought a lovely wooden one for her, handcrafted, full of lovely little designs and turned bits and pieces - of course she didn't know they were going to do it and it did look lovely - but what a bastard to clean!!!

Have you called her this morning???

Rockbird - almost everything, you still can't tell me how to get the legs in the dishwasher pffffttttttt

twolittlemonkeys · 30/07/2010 09:57

I see where you are coming from but with the wisdom of hindsight, I would not recommend a wooden one. Yes they look nicer but they are a pain to clean. We used our wooden one (we had one which converted into a toddler table ad chair) for both DS but tbh the Ikea plastic one we used when at my mum's was far more practical, easy to clean, could be tucked away in a small place as the legs detach. Pre-children my ideas of what would work were so different to the reality when I was utterly sleep-deprived and cranky.

Psammead · 30/07/2010 10:04

I got a really lovely wooden one second-hand. They retail at about 120€ and it cost me less than 25.

We also have the IKEA one which we use for travel. You can get the legs off easily and it's lightweight.

That's my suggestion, really. Use MIL's highchair for travel purposes (like when you are going to her house) and get a nice one for your home. Second-hand wooden highchairs can be a real bargain!

IsItMeOr · 30/07/2010 10:07

Tee - mainly brute force . Standing beside it, put one hand on the top of the seat back, other hand under the middle front of the tray and pull up and over hard.

Mummagumma · 30/07/2010 10:15

YANBU - we are pretty strapped but the pram and highchair were the only things we spent money on with DS too (Bee and Tripp Trapp). My take is that if I'm going to use something a lot, and see it every day, it has to be something I like and in which DS seems happy and comfortable. Even if is expensive, the cost per use will be small compared with most of the tat you accumulate with babies.

EthelredOnAGoodDay · 30/07/2010 10:15

Antilop is the way forward. we have it. I was dubious before we got it but DD loves it. Have a fab christening-it is our DD's on sunday too!

ChippingIn · 30/07/2010 10:19

Twolittlemonkies - The TripTrap couldn't be easier to clean! Another friend had the wooden one where the top lifts off to become a chair and the bottom half turns over to be a table and that was great too, no problem to clean

Nannj - the obaby megan does look just like a TT - wonder how they got away with that! I would check on its dimensions though as it looks a little bit smaller? However, that may not really be a problem and worth saving £65.

porcamiseria · 30/07/2010 10:29

until they are 10!!!! sorry that made me laugh

agree with pavlov, deep breath, call her back, and ask for a contiribution

do it NOW

seeker · 30/07/2010 10:48

Why? My ds id currently sitting on his pleaying the ukelele (don;t ask!) and he's 9.

willowstar · 30/07/2010 11:07

I don't think you are being unreasonable. My daughter was very very small (below all the centile lines) when she was 6 months and able to sit up and start eating and I found the majority of high chairs drowned her, plus forced her to lean back. As we did baby led weaning this was a problem. we kept her in her bumbo until about 8 months then put her in her trip trap.

we did a lot of research before buying ours, it is going to be in our kitchen for a long time (planning more children hopefully) so seemed like a good investment.

oh and the trip traps now come with little wedges that go under the back legs so that they really can't be pushed back as shown in the youtube clip.

Anyway, get in touch with your MIL and tell her you have had a rethink, or wait until it arrives and tell her it was rubbish quality or something (only nicer!) and send it back.

mamatomany · 30/07/2010 11:35

Can i point out i don't use the baby set and cushion with the 6, 8 and 10 year old. You are left with a really good child's chair and on the basis that next doors kids ruined her Laura Ashley dining chairs spilling shit on them I'm sticking with the wipe clean tripp trapps until adulthood ideally.

mousymouse · 30/07/2010 11:43

we have got this one for both our dc. it*s quite neutral and fits on any chair. you can also fold it to take anywhere with you. ds uses it as booster seat without tray and dd has it with tray.

FindingMyMojo · 30/07/2010 12:17

popping in to vote for the IKEA highchair too. We never used out flash all singing all dancing Mapa & Papa one - complete waste of time & money. the IKEA one was loved by us all & then I freecycled it so it's still going strong.

nannyj · 30/07/2010 12:43

ChippingIn - yes it seems smaller so was worried when I got it out of the box but just put dd in it to eat her lunch and it fits perfectly. The baby bar comes with it too which it doesn't on the TT so good value. The finish isn't as nice as a TT but was finding it hard justifying spending £139 on a TT. Plus it doesn't have the new plastic baby bit like tripp trapps do now which I didn't like. The test will be when I clean it and all the paint strips off!!!!

JuicyLips · 30/07/2010 13:02

Just bought a new high-chair for dd as I was sick to the back teeth of not being able to clean the plastic one properly and feeling like she is so far away from the table when we eat. I got a nice wooden one that has a safety bar but not tray so pushes right up to the table (which is just what I wanted it for) from Asda for £40, think it is 'Redkite' make. It's really good. turns into a normal chair when they get bigger. Obviously a bit more pricier than the Ikea one but still not too bad for something that looks good and soo easy to clean. One downside is the harness and soft seat it comes with are both cream coloured, why do manufacturers not make them orange?? we all know this is the colour they're going to be about five seconds after the child gets into it.

BosomsByTheSea · 30/07/2010 13:07

I spent £120 on DanChairs for my DTs as I wanted Trpp Trapp but couldn't afford them.

having tried the Ikea highchairs in loads of restaurants and other people's houses, I WISH I'd got those instead. Sturdy, comfy, light, can go right up to the table.

JuicyLips · 30/07/2010 13:08

This is the Red kite one link for Asda's feed me comfy highchair

Ineedmorechocolatenow · 30/07/2010 13:18

We have two Tripp Trapps, but have wooden floors so if kids push off the table they just slide across. I imagine if you had carpet or lino it might tip over.

Don't understand why people think they're hard to clean?? Couldn't be easier!

DS (3.8) loves his , and DD (1.2) does too.

Downside is that they are pricey and would certainly go for the Ikea one if I had a different budget. I've used them in restaurants and they're great.

Certainly don't think you should just accept what MIL has chosen, as kind as the gesture is. We had a Chicco Polly before we got the Tripp Trapp and it was bloody awful. Impossible to clean, took up a huge amount of space and DS had to eat miles away from us if we wanted to get near the table. What a waste of money.

MerryMarigold · 30/07/2010 13:28

I got ds1 a wooden one which converts (may be the same one). Anyway, at around age 4 he decided he wanted to sit on a big boy's chair! So...alas, we are giving it away to my sister.

I have twins and I have 2 Antilops! They are 10 pounds I think, but the tray is a bit extra. They're always going on freecycle and gumtree. They are sooooo easy to clean, and can also be pushed to the table. My twins are now 20 months and I've taken the trays off and pushed them at the table. I am giving my wooden one to my sis. If I were you, I'd look on ebay too, there's often lovely wooden things on there which are v reasonable.

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