Toddler not eating and hates highchair!

[Amycol23]

My daughter is 16 months and has always been a grazer eating wise. Never been a huge eater but she is eating less and less. She has always been petite but weight is increasing on the lines it should.

She absolutely hates highchairs or being strapped in....even in pushchairs. Within seconds of her being in a highchair she is screaming to get out. It makes meal times rubbish.

Any ideas or recommendations??

Does she need to be in a high chair? My son had reflux and for him the angle of the seating was an issue. He was better in a relaxed L shape. Often he had a plate on the floor which he ate from with some sheeting or a swift Hoover.

My youngest also hates the high chairs so she never uses it.I spoon feed her as she is walking about playing - or hand her pieces of food and sweep up any mess afterwards. I also feed her breakfast while she stands in her travel cot.

Would she be better off in a booster seat at the table? Mine were all out of highchairs by 12 months as they hated them, but were happy being at the table with everyone else.

If she prefers grazing then just have food out and available for her during the day until her appetite returns, then slowly start creating set meal times for her.

Ikea do a really cheap (£20?) tiny table and chairs for toddlers/small children. My 13 month old developed a hatred of his highchair about a month ago, and he eats at the little table now - just put a plastic sheet/wipeable mat underneath!

At that age dd would sit on the floor and eat, was the only way to get her to eat. At about 20 months she started sitting at her own toddler table which has really worked. Dd is a grazer as well, she eats breakfast and lunch but just pucks in the afternoon and has never been interested in dinners. As long as she's eating healthy food and faini g weight I don't really mind

You can get a high chair that converts into a small chair and table, or if you want her to sit at a normal sized table then maybe a Tripp Trapp chair?

If I force my DS into a high chair he gets hysterical and won’t eat. He needs to be willing to get in. I entice him with food laid out, a fun spoon and a special toy.

A couple of thoughts:

Do you sit down and eat with her so that she can enjoy the social occasion as well as the food being the focus?

And, if you haven't already, can you remove the tray from her highchair so that it is pushed up to the table?

It may be worthwhile trying to do fun activities away from mealtimes while she is sat in the highchair - drawing, painting, playdough, puzzles etc. to try and diffuse her hatred of the highchair.

Im not sure if its good advice i have a 15 month old. Sometimes he wont try something but once he does he wants more so i put tv on to distract and get first bit in. Or we just let him wonder around the living room playing and feed him down there he has a mouthful a play and then a mouthful.

He also likes to see whats going on in the kitchen so i show him a pan of cooled veg and let him pick which ones. Or he likes to look in the fridge.

None if it is what i want long term but for now hes getting food and vitamins in x

Thank you x alot of helpful advice. Think I will try with a table and chair. She has that at nursery. Thank you x