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Behaviour/development

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Original poster

Tripp Trap highchair owners and 2 year olds (or thereabouts)

18 replies

cottonreels · 05/10/2011 13:12

Ive no idea if this is in the right section, but here goes:
We've had a tripp trapp chair since the beginning of weaning - its been great and I am a fan.

However, we never bought the harness believing she was perfectly safe with the wooden rail that goes accross. All well, until now that shes 2 (birthday this week) and Ive taken the rail off, and the seat is lower so she can fit her legs under the table, she simply gets down.

A couple of extra points: She has little interest in food and Id like her to stay at the table and at least play with it or attempt a mouthful.

                              I took the rail off because she worked out she could stand up and climb over it to get down. One day I was in the room with my back turned for just a few minutes and I caught her climbing over the rail and it just looked too dangerous.

Do I really purchase the reins at this point, or do I attempt to pin her in the chair somehow, or do I just let her get down whenever she wants?

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BlueChampagne · 05/10/2011 13:17

IME she will just fight reins anyway, which will also get dangerous. Both my DSs vetoed the tripp trap by about 18 months in favour of a grown up dining room chair (usually kneeling). Don't foget she's just discovered a new skill and will demonstrate it till the novelty wears off.

Not massively helpful I'm afraid; hopefully others will be along with more advice. By the way, DS1 (4) now uses the (adult setting) tripp trap at his desk in his room, so the money wasn't wasted!

Original poster

cottonreels · 05/10/2011 14:36

Thanks Blue, yeah Im sort of wondering if we're just in a hot spot of it being not so good. Though cant help but wonder, now that she knows she is able physically to get down from a chair, that any chair will be a problem... Therefore just keep using it as its safe now the rail is off.

Anyone else?

OP posts:

belindarose · 05/10/2011 17:42

I didn't buy the expensive harness but just have ordinary cheap reins attached by the d-rings to the sides of the Tripp trapp. DD is just 2 and if she stands up or gets down without asking, I'll use the reins. I like her being able to get up and down independently, it's just the standing on the chair I object to!

BleughCowWonders · 05/10/2011 18:37

did reins for a while, but put on backwards to make sure dc didn't escape. But left them off soon, really, as it was just a battle (sound familiar?!)

A child will eat when it's hungry, and as long as it's not walking around with food I don't mind. Personally I'm happy to let them come back to the table when ready.

Octaviapink · 05/10/2011 19:08

We didn't bother with the harness and dd was able to get down from the chair from about 20 months. However, when she was just over 2 we needed the Tripp Trapp for DS who'd turned 6months, so we got a booster seat from Mothercare for her. She can't get down from that. :-) But then she was pretty good at eating - I agree with BleughCow - let her come back to the table when she's hungry. If she leaves it too long, she waits till the next meal/snack.

Original poster

cottonreels · 05/10/2011 19:56

Thanks everyone, as usual good advice here
Have only just read your replies but at evening meal tonight I did exactly what you suggested. She came back on a second visit and ate a good amount. Then came back later asking for cheese, I said yes if you sit in your chair (fully expecting a battle) and she went and sat in it all on her own. Either the problem is over, or she's finally hungry!!

OP posts:

BlueChampagne · 06/10/2011 13:11

Heyhey - glad to hear about your success! Long may it continue.

seeker · 06/10/2011 13:16

Thought you might liken to know that my 15 and 10 year olds are still using their Tripp Trapps- so you'll get your money's worth!

BoosMaw · 06/10/2011 13:17

This is an interesting thread for me, I was considering buying a tripp trapp for my 20 month old DS, to use as a booster to reach the table comfortably. I've just given away his baby high chair as it was so bulky it was taking up half the kitchen, and wouldn't go up to the table, he can sit on a regular chair but it's low for him.

I was wondering about the safety of using it without the bar or straps, DS is such a chunky fellow I'm sure the baby set or bar would be wasted on him. Straps cost £20 ish? seems too much. Had thought about just using a broad luggage strap to strap him down, until he gets more reliable at sitting still.

So for those of you with tripp trapp experience, do you think it would be a wise purchase for us at this age and stage? Thanks

BoosMaw · 06/10/2011 13:19

And is it worth buying the cushion set?

MoaningMinnieWhingesAgain · 06/10/2011 13:23

No, cushion set waste of money. Needs washing all the time, gets covered in yogurt.

My two use TrippTrapps, 4.6 and 2.9. Not used reins or rail for ages, they both get up and down as they need to. Any cheap harness set from Boots etc would work ok with it, if you wanted to use it.

Octaviapink · 06/10/2011 19:37

I think at 20 months they're probably ok to get up and down by themselves - they understand gravity and falling pretty well by that age.

Original poster

cottonreels · 08/10/2011 14:00

Thanks again, if anyone is still listening...
I tried using her walking harness but to be honest I wasnt comfy with the idea - felt like I was tieing her up somehow. She didnt enjoy it much either.
Ive decided to let her simply get down, on the understanding if she keeps getting down or walks away for a long while, the food gets taken away and theres nothing else until the next mealtime. Hopefully, it will sink in soon, that, leave the table, leave your meal!
And yes, the cushion set was a waste of money. I didnt mind washing it all the time (though you do need to wash it a lot) but it was the fact that you had to unscrew the chair to wash it...what a faff.
Also I had the spotty black and white cushion set and it faded in places where I had to scrub at dirty bits.
Boosmaw - id buy the tripp trapp (great footprint) and maybe the bar but not the harness at this age - thats what Ive concluded anyway.,
Now dd is 2 years old (yesterday!) we've adjusted the seat and footrest again, and I can sit comfortably on the chair for 10 mins or so, so actually its becomming a nice perch for me too when she's not there.

OP posts:

BaronessBomburst · 08/10/2011 14:18

Glad this just popped up in active convo's as it seems to be similar to a problem we're hitting. In the last week DS (19 months) has taken to refusing to go in the Tripp-Trap (cue much kicking and screaming) but it seems to coincide with him just having learned to climb up onto one of our normal dining room chairs. I was wondering whether to get a booster seat instead - although that seemed to defeat the point and cost of having bought the chair in the first place. I think I might just take the bar off and see if that helps instead.

BTW I used the cushion set and still do. I don't bother threading the cushion through the central strap, but just pull in over the chair anyway. It's easy to take off and I bung the whole thing in the machine so at least it's faded evenly. It tumble-dries as well, on a low setting.

OwlMother · 08/10/2011 14:27

My youngest two have both had tripp trapps since weaning. We have two chairs and only bought one rail set which we used without reins.

Once they outgrew the rail we used reins, just normal ones from boots. They are both still in the chairs, dd is 7.7 and ds is almost 6. Even once they were out of reins ordinarily, the threat of having them put back on was enough to keep them in the seat - pretty sure we have only just taken them off ds's seat.

TuttoRhino · 08/10/2011 18:59

I took the reins off my DD's Tripp Trapp sometime before her 2nd birthday. She was climbing up and down by herself anyways at that point. Haven't had any issues.

Though when she's not hungry she just gets up and walks away.

Sleepglorioussleep · 09/10/2011 08:53

If you're looking for a high chair, as opposed to a highchair, iyswim, ikea do sone good ones. My dd still sits on one at six. Just thought I'd chuck that in.

BaronessBatsblood · 09/10/2011 22:09

An update for anyone who's interested nosey (and sorry, OP, for the hijack) but we took the bar off the Tripp-Trapp and it seems to have worked. We lowered the seat and footplate one notch to make it easier for DS to climb up and down himself, and he did! I dished up dinner, DH and I sat down and started to eat, and DS joined us - just climbed up and started tucking in too, both last night and tonight. :)

Now, anyone know how to get him into bed and keep him there?

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