To think she could have sat in a normal chair?

[Theskyitwasmaroon]

I drove to see a friend today, about 100 miles away. I took my DD who is 9 months, she eats solids now and at home sits up with us in a highchair.

We specifically got invited for lunch that my friend made.

My friend has a DD who is 3.5, they have a Tripp trapp so I didn’t take a highchair with me as I thought she could use their highchair.

However when it came to eating, my friend insisted her DD sit in the Tripp trapp? This meant my DD had to sit in her car seat on the floor. I had to then feed her lunch on my lap. Her DD asked to sit on the normal chairs and my friend insisted she must sit in the highchair (it was on the highchair setting still, the same setting we use for DD).

AIBU to think this is quite rude? It made my lunch uncomfortable as DD hates her car seat and likes to sit up. I felt a bit bad for excluding her. Surely one time sitting at a dining chair wouldn’t hurt?

You need an IKEA antilop OP the seat goes in the boot and the rest is just 4 click in poles we used to take it all over the place because most of my friends either had much older children or no children yet. They're about £15.

Also goes in the dishwasher. We had/have a wooden one similar to the tripp trapp and ds still uses it at home at just turned 6 no tray/straps/seat insert just a higher wooden chair, but the antilop got more use when he was a baby because I didn't have to clean it when he was smushing food into it, I just put it in the dishwasher.

Maybe her 3.5 year old doesn't sit nicely in a chair to eat, maybe she gets her food/sticky fingers all over the chair upholstery etc.

I think that if your friend was no longer using the trip trap then she would have got rid of it. Yes, 3.5 doesnt need a high chair but the trip trap is more of a booster isnt it? I would have put my child in their buggy next to the table in this situation. We had a portable booster that could be strapped to any chair that I recommend getting something like that and keep in the car, they are really handy. I think youre friends child sounds too big for a high chair but also I guess the onus is in you for assuming something that wasnt the case about your friends house.

I have had a similar discussion with my husband planning a meal with a similar aged baby coming over and we have a 2 year old with the Tripp trapp chair and baby setting on still.

I am planning on offering the high chair to the baby as our 2 year old doesn’t really need it for support obviously. However, I wouldn’t put them on an adult seat that isn’t wipeable because they’d destroy it. And if they’re not in the highchair they would definitely run off and I wouldn’t be able to focus on the friends coming over.

So could be a more subtle reason she didn’t offer.

No one has mentioned cloth high chairs, does no one use them anymore? I had something like this, it was so handy. Or in a pinch I tied the baby to a chair with a muslin 😂 (supervised etc etc)

www.amazon.co.uk/Lychee-Toddler-Portable-Restaurants-Shopping/dp/B07PHQP2NT/ref=asc_df_B07PHQP2NT?mcid=3ca35b6733723bd09b5d2fbd5f0062d5&tag=googshopuk-21&linkCode=df0&hvadid=696352643970&hvpos=&hvnetw=g&hvrand=2982985008550027261&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=&hvdev=m&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=9222437&hvtargid=pla-834483043193&psc=1&gad_source=1

there are portable ones for travelling that strap to a regular chair. But tbh, if you go anywhere and you think you need to use something of the host's - you have to check with them first.

Not relevant but ffs God those trip trap chairs… 8 year olds can sit in a normal seat … they don’t need their special £200 high chair. Makes me cringe 🙈

Eat one handed, job done.

This. The three year old might be a nightmare to sit still and eat and need the high chair to keep still. A Tripp trap can be used in the same configuration between 6-36 months as per image so a small 3.5 year old isn’t wildly grown out of it. Your 9 month old isn’t going to run off and is perfectly possible to be fed on your lap. I think you were being unbelievably rude to think your child has priority over another child’s chair.

That's not the point of them. I have one because my 3 year old is petite and he can climb up and down from it by himself and sit comfortably at the table in a way he can't on our dining chairs as they're too low for him.

They're worth the money because they adapt to fit them when they're 8 or older rather than being something you buy that works for a 2-5 year old and then have to get rid of.

I think it's nice when furniture has longevity and is built in a thoughtful manner to last. After watching Buy Now on Amazon, I'm even more convinced of this.

You’re missing the point completely about the tripp trapp chairs. They are there for as long as the child grows so as another poster is saying I’d rather this than spending £200 here and there in 2 chairs that I might not be able to pass on to others kids because they were crap materials and have to go to the landfill

Ummm I think you can hold your baby and eat lunch at the same time. I think most activities can and have to be done with a baby at times.

Your host sounds self centered re seating at table.

I don’t know what a trip trip is **but neither of my children would have fitted into a high chair at 3 and a half. And they weren’t especially big children.
Sounds like your friend was being petty but I’ve no idea why she’d do that.

** seen the diagram now. Seems odd your lo couldn't use that and her child sit in a regular chair. ( It looks very uncomfortable to me )

If you were my guest I'd give your baby the high chair as they obviously have the greatest need for it. That said, if I were visiting a friend I probably would have asked to use it.

If a guest has driven that far I think part of being a good host is to make them comfortable.

A 3.5 year old could have sat on a regular chair for one meal.

I do keep a fold up fabric thing that can be used as a feeding chair in my car but surely no one expects their guest to cart around an actual high chair for their baby/small toddler.

I woud have fed your baby in their stroller, with the back up straight.

I do get what a trip trapp is but I don’t get why you’d need a chair for life that’s different to a normal chair ? Like I get a 3 yo can sit a bit higher up in it or whatever but why just a random chair that doesn’t match the others when they can sit in a normal one? Maybe it’s because I could never pay £200 for a high chair lol. Second hand ikea number for me did 2 kids and passed it on to a baby cousin, avoids landfill and doesn’t cost hundreds.

Our oldest Tripp trapp was originally bought for a baby who finished uni a few years back and has pretty much been in daily use since. We’ve added 2 to our little collection and will pass them all on as the youngest DC finally grow out of them.

Of course they’re by no means a must-have and as usual in life people will vary widely on preferences and what they want to spend money on. Every single parent here has some baby/child item they love that another parent would sneer at as a waste of money or more fuss than help… that’s just how it works.

Quite - it's suitable for adults and states as much in the leaflets. It might seem a lot of money "for a high chair" but when you consider it can be used as a normal dining chair or office chair for years after, it's not so much at all.

I never had one but my SIL bought a wooden one second hand for £30. They are quite robust!

I don't believe that a 3 and a half year old would fit in the Tripp Trapp baby seat, my 2 year old wouldn't. I think maybe the op is embellishing the truth for dramatic effect.

@KindLemur I got one for DC2 but wish I'd gotten one earlier. Dc1 used it for a couple of weeks before we got the baby fitting done and it was the first time in his life he ate and behaved properly at a table. He could not sit at the table kept getting up and down and wriggling etc, we had a difficult time with him. It took us a long time to realise the problem was the dangling legs, the large foot support was what he needed and it was a game changer. They also push into a table unlike a high chair, i had twins and a very narrow kitchen so when the 2 high chairs were open the walkway was blocked, it was a pain. I'm not one for over doing baby products because a lot of stuff is unnecessary but tripp trapp chairs are excellent IMO.

Surely a 3.5 year old can sit at the table in a normal chair. They won’t be in high chairs at nursery will they?

Nurseries have chairs and tables sized to the children so they can sit with their feet not dangling and the table and plate below them at a proper height. A Tripp trapp (or a booster seat with a foot rest or similar) accomplishes this same thing by raising the child up to reach the table instead of shrinking all the furniture down to fit the children.

No clue what a trip trap is, but why doesn’t you 7year old use a chair?

whst do they use at school and restaurants?