What do you do after child has outgrown high chairs?

[ivfbabymomma1]

First of all I'm sorry I'm posting here for traffic. I do usually post in the correct categories but I never get much response.

My child has outgrown high chairs. He's 2.5 but in 3/4 clothes so he's quite tall & big for his age.

We have a booster seat now at home for meal times but this has been a recent transition so I haven't been to a restaurant since, so what do you do in restaurants? Take a booster with you? Sit them on normal chairs and pray they don't run around?

This transition came because he was strapped in to his Tripp trapp and he was wriggling and the whole thing tipped sideways and fell 😢 he's very strong for his age. I guess he could potentially tip an proper chair too but he seems more content in it so he doesn't wriggle around as much.

Thank you in advance!!! I feel like I ask mumsnet every tiny child related question and I couldn't have coped with out your help!!

My little boy was in a highchair until about 1.5 years, after which he'd just stand up in it (hazard) and/or get out of the straps that is supposed to keep him seated.

Since then (he's 2 now) when we're out, we just sit him up on a regular chair and hope he doesn't run off. He usually doesn't if it's a bench type seat but if it's a chair. Sometimes he sits on laps for parts of his meal. His attention for eating doesn't last long so we rarely go out for a full meal, usually just a drink and snack.

At home, he has a little table and chair which he sits and eats his dinner at. He often gets up out of his chair to circle round the table but then sits down again to eat. It's an activity table, one side is flat for eating/drawing/playing, the other is a Duplo board so he can play with his blocks.

We do have a dining table at home but we find he doesn't sit at it and eat long enough as the table is too high and he tries to climb on it instead.

We had a small table and chair from IKEA for breakfast and lunch and a booster chair when we were all having family evening meal at the dining table.

We had a portable booster seat that strapped to the chair, we would bring it with us

We have a booster at home and got a portable booster thing to take out - if we just randomly stop for a coffee or something she sits on a normal chair
She does get bored and gets down quite quickly so like PP we tend not to be out for meals at the moment!

We had a travel booster, it folded and the seat compressed for travelling. Lasted for both kids. :)

DD also had a small table and chairs but before she was trustworthy sitting there we had a booster which day on a dining chair with a removable & moveable tray. She used the tray for a bit and then just the booster. I'll try to find a link

Following because my dd 15months (also in age 3to4!)) will no doubt grow out of hers before the ideal age and no idea what im meant to do with her at meal times

Not the point but.....in my experience taking a 2.5 yr old to a restaurant is a mistake for many reasons!

Thank you so much everyone I'll try and take a booster out and see what happens. Sadly I think my days of long meals are over too as high chairs are definitely a hazard for him! He sees it as a Houdini challenge!!

Booster seat for 2.5 year old as he's tall enough and a toddler now . I had a travel blow up one that was perfect Take it with you to restaurant

If he can't sit still for a meal and runs around, then you have to give restaurants a miss for a while until he learns to sit still.

Tbh young children get impatient at restaurants that take forever to serve your food & have long boring gaps- so you might find taking children to them is something you forego for a while or you only go to places that do quick service and decide to have one serving rather than order starters main and afters.

My youngest at 16 months sat in a booster seat rather than high chair as she was an escape artiste even when strapped in! My eldest gig too big for high chairs way before age 2. So I had to improvise and use travel booster seat

We take a chicco folding chair

@Plutonium7000 your probably right lol

www.argos.co.uk/product/8252032?clickPR=plp:5:7

It was like this, but a bit more basic. It was a few years ago so I can't remember the brand unfortunately

@ChimChimeny thank you!!! Did you take that out with you?

We have taller chairs to go at the dining table www.ikea.com/gb/en/p/urban-junior-chair-white-00165213/
They are the same ones that are in the IKEA cafe. When going out for food it's a good idea to take a snack at that age. As soon as kids sit down they want to eat. Kid friendly cafes will often be able to serve kids immediately kids lunch box with roll/ sandwich etc. I'd then order the dc a pudding to come with my food :)

@Isababybel honestly my world got turned around in 24 hours. One day he was happy to sit in his highchair for hours to eat, to paint & do crafts. And then next day he was like nope this isn't for me anymore!! Why???? 😂😤😅

@womaninatightspot thank you!!!

I’ve got a 21/2 year old and she just tends to kneel at the seats. Collectively my two have trashed our dining room chairs so if I was going to do it again, I’d get them their own cheap chairs. Every so often if we’re in a restaurant she’ll actually ask the waiter/waitress for a high chair and then not sit in it.

We prefer to all sit together for meals where possible so whilst he has a small table and chairs it's used more for play/drawing than eating, other than snacks, nursery also sit them all for eating including snack time. He sits at the table with us and when he's finished he asks to get down, we never have TV on even in the other room, when eating. Children getting up and down and running around mid meal is a real bug bear of mine. I don't expect him to sit at the table while we linger over a coffee/wine and chat but he knows to sit still while he eats. He's a very hyper/active child so this didn't come naturally, it's just been about consistency. Because of this he's ok to go out and sit for a meal, I always take colouring and a picture book so if he's finished and we haven't he has something to occupy him. He also likes to have a conversation at the table, sometimes it's about really random things like snails or if Travis can see in the dark because they eat lots of carrots (tonight). I told him dinner was ready tonight and he said oh no oh no we need to lay the table and got the placemats out while DH got the cutlery, it's just what he's used to. DS is two, approaching three, 12/18 months you might expect the Houdini thing but by 2.5/3 they should be able to sit for a short meal.

*rabbits not Travis!

I would keep using the trip trap at home but if he's strong/heavy enough to tip it, take off the strap/harness bit and just use it as a chair, with fulsome praise for "good sitting". This is what dSis did with her twins - they are 6 now and still sit on their trip traps at the table!

We used one of these, folds away like a a pac a mac that can fit in your handbag. Useful for keeping them in one place.

www.jojomamanbebe.co.uk/jojo-super-lightweight-travel-packaway-pocket-highchair-b1225.html?gclid=Cj0KCQiAhMOMBhDhARIsAPVml-EM7hnuANPQr4WurWMci5TF6dBZK_LU9xQL_JIGfDJY0-L4cTwJrIgaAqkBEALw_wcB

We used summer infant boosters for our dts when out for a meal as they were so little they couldn't reach. Still got them sitting in my shed and they're 7 now

I let them take off their shoes and kneel when out.

I just sat mine on my lap when out at this stage, it makes it much easier to control their behaviour l