so how DO you get your LO to sit still and eat?

[tiredandexasperated]

Our 17mo was a great eater until about 3 weeks ago when we stopped using his high chair. If we just use the harness on the chair (trip trap so elevated and has footrest) he slips forwards off the seat and dangles there, asking vociferously for help. Again. And again...

I would wait for him to outgrow this, only he won't take more than a sip of cow's milk, and BF an active toddler is really hard work.

We've tried snacking a la Sears, but he's much too busy for that.

Anyone have any ideas, before we go back to the babyset?

why did you stop using the babyset? I'd definitely put it back on again.
One of the huge pluses of tripp trapps is that they can be used for so long (without the baby set, eventually, of course). My son (big 2.9) always chooses his TT, as it puts him at the right height; I sat in one until I was 16! (ds has it now - a good investment!)

Why did we stop using the baby set?

Well he's a bright boy. He didn't like being restrained.
First of all he showed his objection by not letting me clean his teeth y'know how that can be and, weighing all factors up, I chose to keep on top of the teeth cleaning at the moment. Then it just got to the point where I couldn't get him into the thing at all (I'm single handed here most of the time as DH works late. And early).

So we took off the baby set, and have been working on getting him to choose to sit with me/us for his meals, even if it's not for the whole meal.

He does like his food, I don't think it's a question of type of food or presentation - it's just there is so much else to do...

Any creative suggestions?

Have you tried a booster seat? It worked with my LO

Just strap him on - at this point they always start objecting to everything - its just toddlers isnt it.

i dont give mine choices when the choices involve something I dont want iyswim.

I think the eating is more important than the tooth cleaning as well.

Trouble is, I'm not sure I'll be able to get him into the chair with the babyset any more. He is very tall, and including snacks we are talking about 5 plus times a day.
It would take a concerted effort, I am exhausted and there are more important battles for me to fight.

Clare123 do you mean a booster seat on a regular adult chair as opposed to a tripp trapp where he is at the right height with his feet supported? To be like a grown up on a grown up's chair? I think DH bought one a while back & will give it a go.

Really? can you get hold of an Antilop for a year or so? You can bung really quite big children and secure them in there.

And why does he have to be in there for snacks?

You have to learn to be able to hoist them about at this age as you will still be doing it when they are 2-3 - ie getting them into the buggy/carseats etc when they really dont want to [frustrated emoticon].

am a strap them in if they like it or not parent

So I guess most people on here are in the 'strap'em down' camp. That's fine.

I'm not.
Strapping down would be pretty much a last resort for me.

I'm looking for creative ideas to motivate my LO to sit and eat somewhat socially, at the table, because prior to this developmental phase he seemed enjoy us eating together, and having a family mealtime is, for many reasons, one of my parenting aims (albeit fairly low down).

We've tried music. We will try a booster, and maybe a small toy at the table.

Does anyone else have any more non-'strap them down' ideas to share?

DS used to sit on our laps until he was big enough to sit on a chair with a cushion on it.

Agree with Riven - a toy is much worse surely?

The nicer way to go is to get the little table and chairs and have a couple of meals/snacks at that and then save the high chair for family lunch and dinner.

I dont think they are ready developmentally at 17 months to choose to sit nicely all the time at the table tbh.

butadream, we usually go with sitting on my lapfor a bit. How did you get him to sit still enough for you to eat. Did you take it in turns?

Leoniedelt - hehehe - do you like being strapped down yourself???

Riven - I will talk to him about it I keep forgetting how much he understands.

Domesticextremist - I don't expect him to sit nicely at the table all the time!!!! Or to eat everything I put in front of him!!!I think I'm quite realistic. I just want him to eat enough to take a bit of the pressure off my metabolism. At the table in a social situation. That is important to me.

Yes took it in turns but also took the line that if he wriggled too much he was "obviously not hungry so it must be bathtime and bedtime now" (evening) or "it must be naptime" (lunch) - we still take that line now he is 3.5.

[Has one last go] but the strapping in isnt a restriction - its to protect them from launching themselves out - ie a safety thing.

Mine will quite happily sit in the highchair for ages as long as the food keeps coming - she will also ask to go in it to colour in etc - when she gets old enough to not fall off the chairs and brain herself then she will sit up with us...

Thin end of wedge. You let him out so eh woudl oblige with tooth cleaning, now he wonlt eat etc etc. Chances are he is just testing boundaries, toddlers dontl leik any sort fo restarint or limits , that si theri nature. He isn't old enough to reason like this no matter how bright, ignore the protest and move on . Put the baby set back on and see if it makes any odds. If he doesn't want to eat, take him out and let him get on with things - he will eat when he is hungry, toddelrs rarely starve themselevs . Props to distract will make thinsg worse long term , what fo youa re out and don't have it ? Eat with him, simialr food, with him havign only a little on his to start with and talk gernally about thinsg other tahn the food. Does he feed himself or make you feed him ? Look at what he eats voer a period of days rather than during any one day. Cut the snacks and offer foods such that every mouthful counts (ie. not biscuits and sugary drinks)

Next it will be the car seat straps, the pushchair, holding mummy's hand near roads and car parks - all of which are pretty much non negotiable so you have to draw a line early on.

Have you tried handing him a spoon or other object he will associate with eating as he is running around? The idea being that the object becomes a 'cue', and he brings it to the table...

There could be something you know he loves at the table the first few times you do it; after he has got the hang of coming over, introduce non-preferred foods.

It's just that everything else is much more fun than eating at the moment