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Parenting

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Original poster

Help please - how to keep DD in highchair?

19 replies

DitaVonCheese · 07/10/2010 14:29

DD has just turned two and we have one of those cheapo Ikea highchairs. I have very few rules, but one of them is that she has to stay sitting in her highchair until I get her out, as I'm worried about her falling out of it. Unfortunately though she thinks it's a great game to stand up (today she was trying jumping) when I go to get a cloth to wipe her hands and face. It does have straps but she's been able to undo them for about a year so pretty useless. I generally tell her no and make her sit back down again but she thinks it's hilarious. I've also tried explaining to her that I don't want her to hurt herself.

Today she was really winding me up and when I put her down on the floor it was with slightly less care than usual, and she fell forward and started crying, so not only did I feel like a horrific mum, I also felt as though I was teaching her to be aggressive and shouty to get her way, which isn't particularly a message I want to get across :(

Is there any point in persevering with telling her no/explaining or should I just resort to some sort of elaborate strapping that she can't get out of? My instinct is just to smack her (I was smacked as a kid) but I really really don't want to be a smacking parent.

Have to run out to the shop but any advice very much appreciated. Thanks for reading.

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BooBooGlass · 07/10/2010 14:31

The ikea chair was a nightmare for us. The strap is worse than useless. We ended up tying reins to it and tying securing him in with them. He's the same in the buggy fwiw, always has to have the straps threaded through his reins to keep him in.

indiewitch · 07/10/2010 14:35

Can you not get a different cheap chair or booster seat? It sounds like the chair is too easy for her to get out of. Or failing that a little table and a chair and she can eat at her own level.

cakeandwine · 07/10/2010 14:38

We stopped using a high chair when they started trying to climb out of it. Safer just to use a normal chair, which sometimes they had to kneel on to eat, which maybe wasn't so good for his knees but safer nonetheless.

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RunningOutOfIdeas · 07/10/2010 15:00

Once DD starting trying to clinm out of her high chair I stopped using it. She now has a cheap car booster seat strapped to an ordinary dining chair.

RunningOutOfIdeas · 07/10/2010 15:00

Oops CLIMB not clinm

Octaviapink · 07/10/2010 20:01

Yes, I'd have thought at 2 she can understand that if she falls off a chair she'll hurt herself so why not just put her on a booster seat - or as indiewitch says a small table at her level.

tassisssss · 07/10/2010 20:08

FWIW my dds were out of the highchair well before they were 2 and that's worked for us.

For BooBooGlass and others who have escapees in 5 point harnesses I can thoroughly recommend this baby our dd2 was a NIGHTMARE at taking her arms out of the carseat and this has worked fab for us. you can get them for £15 on ebay with free p and p

FiveGoMadInDorset · 07/10/2010 20:28

Both DC's were out of a highchair before 2 you can get booster seats to attach to chairs if you want.

simpson · 07/10/2010 23:15

I have the ikea chair for DD (2.8 she is tiny) and we have just stopped using it in the last couple of weeks as she was starting to stand up in it too.

Now she just sits at a "big girl chair" with DS (5)

Original poster

DitaVonCheese · 08/10/2010 13:19

Many thanks for the replies and sorry for not being around yesterday Will try to get a booster when funds allow (sigh) and improvise with her reins for now.

OP posts:

rubyrubyruby · 08/10/2010 13:25

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Miasma · 08/10/2010 13:27

Ds is in the Ikea highchair and we've knotted the strap at the back so it's really tight over his lap. He's never managed to get out of it, despite trying A LOT :)

BooBooGlass · 08/10/2010 13:32

Ruby, I take it you've never had an escapee
Ds has been honing his Houdini act since pretty much since he ciuld crawl. Take it from me, a highchair strap is no challenge to a toddler who can vault over a stairgate

rubyrubyruby · 08/10/2010 16:27

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

BlooKangaWonders · 08/10/2010 16:30

we had a fold up booster from argos - about £20. But reins/ harness fastened backwards was always more reliable than forwards, for some reason.

MrsJohnDeere · 08/10/2010 16:39

Could she just use a normal chair?

Alibabaandthe40nappies · 08/10/2010 16:41

I was going to suggest reins - the clips onto the long bit you hang onto are behind them so I doubt she could undo them.

rubyrubyruby · 08/10/2010 16:46

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Alibabaandthe40nappies · 08/10/2010 16:49

My parents have the highchair that we all had when we were little - it has special loops that you attach the short reins attachments to.
With the Ikea chair, I think you would have to use the long strap and tie that round the chair somehow, because I don't think it has anywhere to fix the short bits of reins to.

Things were so much better thought out in the 70s

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