# When did your toddler stop using the high chair?



## Ziggysmama (Dec 26, 2007)

if you used one that is?

My DS is 15 months old. We have a gorgeous refurbished antique wooden high chair that we have been using succussfully since he needed it.
The thing is he seems to be growing a bit too big for it. I would take him out of it now, except he hasn't really mastered using a fork yet and I don't trust him not to get food everywhere (he already does a good enough job of that from his high chair)

So my question is, when did you graduate bub from the high chair?


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## homefrontgirl (Oct 17, 2006)

Subbing. . .

My 20 month old just spent the last three evenings eating dinner while standing up on a kitchen chair. I'm curious what others have to say.


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## alegna (Jan 14, 2003)

We put it away around 18 months.

-Angela


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## aprildawn (Apr 1, 2004)

My oldest was done with the high chair sometime between when she was 2-3. My youngest was done before she was 2. I was glad to be done with the extra piece of furniture/clutter, but keeping her at the table for mealtimes wasn't easy.


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## Jessy1019 (Aug 6, 2006)

Around 15 months or so I packed it away . . . he never really sat in it though, he ate on my lap until he could sit or kneel alone on a chair.


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## Blue Lotus (Jun 16, 2006)

We put it away by 13-15 months when dd was climbing it and standing on top by herself (!!) while I was out of the room. She only really used it for a few months, mainly as a place to put her safely while I did dishes or cooked. She ate most of her meals in my or DH's lap (and still often does). We got her a toddler-sized table and chairs that she uses for all her meals. She still hasn't mastered fork or spoon use either (at 23 months), but she also can help to clean up her own table.

For us it works well because we don't use our dining room table to eat at currently (it is lost under a pile of stuff). Once the table top sees light of day again, we will get her a booster seat so she can sit with us there.


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## heatherweh (Nov 29, 2007)

DS is 21 mos and has been done with it for a few weeks now. The only reason I keep it here is to give him the choice when he doesn't want to sit in his brand-new booster seat ie "You have a choice, your high-chair or your big-boy seat". I agree with pp, one less piece of furniture is super to look forward to. He makes a mess at the table, but it isn't really worse than at his high chair since we don't have a tablecloth or anything...


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## joy2grow (Apr 10, 2006)

As soon as my dd could climb up on a kitchen chair by herself she refused to use the highchair again, that was two months ago at age 16 months. At first she only wanted to stand on the chair but we were quickly able to get her to understand eating must be done sitting down or on her knees to be safe. We don't have a booster yet so occasionally we offer a large cookbook for her to sit on but most of the time she wont accept it.

Also I guess using a bib was associated with the highchair because that was no longer acceptable in her new independent place at the table, consequently I'm changing her clothes a lot more often (grumble, grumble). She is has surprisingly good skills with utensils but still makes a big mess for fun. She really doesn't eat that much since she breastfeeds so much it is more of a sensory experience anyhow. She also takes off from the table at meal times when she feels like it and that is more disruptive than I'd like. Still not sure how or when we will try to "handle" that one...


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## crazyeight (Mar 29, 2006)

oh gosh you mean i have to stop? lol... sorry we don't have a kichen table at all so we have both the kids in "high chairs" ds' is actually the only one thats a realy high chair and dd is just a booster seat with a tray on it. they are both in the living room on the floor. ds is great with the fork and spoon and i am contemplating getting a breakfast nook table and getting them both up on boosters but i am not sure i want to spend $200 for a new table! lol


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## yoginisarah (Dec 20, 2007)

My 18 month old is still in one but it's more of a booster now. It's just the kind that attaches to a regular chair and now we pull him up to the table instead of using a tray. I don't know if that counts or not


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## LittleYellow (Jul 22, 2004)

Uh..... 28 months









But dd's WANTED to stay in them. They still want to sit in them at my IL's house and at the Y. The highchairs at the Y were in use by babies when we arrived this week and dd's were not pleased that they had to sit in actual chairs.


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## SundayCrepes (Feb 15, 2008)

We're still using one at 27 months. However, we never used the tray, we always pulled it up to the table just like another chair. Sometimes he uses my chair, but then he goes back to his chair probably because he finds the height of it more convenient. I found an identical chair at a thrift store and we keep it outside at the patio table since we eat outside a lot. We'll keep using this system until he decides he wants to sit in a regular chair or we think he's outgrown his chair.


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## bri276 (Mar 24, 2005)

we never used it very regularly, but it's been out of commission totally for about 3 months now, and DD is 32 months. She HAS to sit at the table in a regular chair.


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## myce (Jun 16, 2007)

We just got our 17 month old her own little table and chair from her grandma's basement.







I think it's easier this way and she likes it too. She typically doesn't stay seated at the table for more than a couple minutes but it's okay with us if she wants to wander around between bites. But then she often tries to stand on the chair, which isn't allowed so we take the chair away until the next meal time.


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## AllisonR (May 5, 2006)

Tripp Trapp users don't have to answer the question! The chair goes from
1. high chair with bar at waist to keep babe from falling out
2. to high chair without bar so toddler can climb in and out as they want (and still be at the right height to the table9
3. to regular chair with seat and footrest that constantly adjusts to the child's height.

So they don't ever grow out of it. I sit on DSs Tripp Trapp if it is just me and DD, and I'm over 40.

And Tripp Trapps look great.

OK, thread hijack over! Continue as is.


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## waiflywaif (Oct 17, 2005)

We moved DD to a booster seat at the table at 14 months. The weird thing is that she ate SO much better at the table, immediately, plus all the irritating things like food-throwing stopped cold. I think she really preferred being at the table and I should have done it earlier! In retrospect I might never have bought a high chair at all, and just started using the booster when she could sit up well.


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## sarahsmiles (Jan 9, 2007)

DD is 18 months and is still in her clip-on Phil & Ted's booster. She lasted about 2 months in the "real" high chair, when we first started her on solids, but hated it. I love this chair because it keeps contained for coloring and other activities at the table, too. She just points and lets us know when she wants down.

She's starting to want to climb up into the big chairs, but this scares me because our dining set is falling apart and I don't think strapping a "regular" booster onto one of the chairs would be secure. The Phil & Ted's goes up to 35 pounds or so, so as long as she puts up with it, we're going to put her there.

She doesn't use high chairs at a restaurant or visiting friends, though.


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## robertandenith (Apr 1, 2008)

my first daughter used it until she was 3 years old but my littlest one barely until she was 1. I think it depends on the personality. My littlest one never like high chairs not even at restaurants. Til the date, we sit at booths and she won't use the booster, she just rather stands or kneel down to eat.


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## veganf (Dec 12, 2005)

We've never owned a high chair, but we used a booster seat from the time they could sit up (so they could join us at the table even if they weren't eating yet) until a year or so.
My youngest started claiming one of his brother's Stokke Kinderzeat's at about 13 months for mealtimes. The older boys were content to wait until almost 2 years old before moving to Kinderzeats.


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## franklinmarxmom (Nov 29, 2007)

I was in a restaurant the other day and saw a little boy who had to be over 4 years old sitting in one, right next to his baby sister!

DS (15 mos) is still in his and isn't complaining, but it's the kind that attaches to a regular chair and sits at our table, with his own tray. But he's not much of a climber anyway, and not even walking on his own yet...


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## Eliseatthebeach (Sep 20, 2007)

We stopped using the high chair at 12 months when my dd would literally climb out and stand on top of the tray.









Now we use the cushie booster, I had one for all my dc. We love it, it takes up soooo much less space, much much easier to clean, and imo is much safer!


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## nighten (Oct 18, 2005)

Around 20 months she expressed interest in the booster seat, so we tried it. She uses it most days, but we still have the high chair set up because there are times when she prefers it. I'm in no rush either way. I figure as long as she's eating, it doesn't matter where she sits.









She's never really tried to climb out of the high chair, though.


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## becoming (Apr 11, 2003)

Yikes, I think we need to get rid of ours! Our (teeny) 29-month-old is still using hers for most meals. We don't have a booster, though, and she is very, very short.


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## Alyantavid (Sep 10, 2004)

I really can't remember. I know one day he figured out how to climb up on the kitchen chair so I let him eat something there and that was the end of the high chair and he wouldn't even look at a booster seat. I'd guess somewhere around 15 months? He does still use one at daycare though.


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## cheygirl (Jun 13, 2006)

DD still uses hers pretty regularly at 20 months. She's a VERY messy eater so I prefer that she be in it too.


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## eepster (Sep 20, 2006)

DS (25 mo) still uses it at home for messy meals. He occasionally sits on dining room chair for neat foods and coloring. When we are out he sits on a regular chair.

When he started climbing into the highchair himself we moved it to the lowest setting so it is lower than our regular diningroom chairs.


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## BunniMummi (Jan 28, 2005)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *AllisonR* 
Tripp Trapp users don't have to answer the question! The chair goes from
1. high chair with bar at waist to keep babe from falling out
2. to high chair without bar so toddler can climb in and out as they want (and still be at the right height to the table9
3. to regular chair with seat and footrest that constantly adjusts to the child's height.

So they don't ever grow out of it. I sit on DSs Tripp Trapp if it is just me and DD, and I'm over 40.

And Tripp Trapps look great.

OK, thread hijack over! Continue as is.

Yep we have two of them tucked into our table right now. DS1 is still using his at almost 4 and I don't have any plans about getting rid of it any time soon. I probably never will just because they make good extra chairs that can adapt to a guest no matter the age. They really are great investments.


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## Mama Poot (Jun 12, 2006)

We started letting Henri sit at the table with us about a month ago. He's 20 months old now. He had just gotten tired of his high chair. However, now he sometimes asks to sit in it again, so we go back and forth. If he's eating something particularly messy I try to put him in the high chair and keep the mess to a minimum.


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## Mosaic (Jun 20, 2005)

DD has always been in the FP Healthy High Chair, whatever it's called... the booster. We ditched the tray by 1 year, and now she's 20 months and has decided that the booster is for her baby dolls and prefers to stand on a regular chair. Yeah, THAT's fun! We're working on getting her at least to sit on a regular chair, but with limited success since she's very short. Ah well, gotta love 'em!


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## emaye_to_2 (Jan 16, 2008)

We switched to a booster seat around 18 months.


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## Eloise1980 (Feb 28, 2008)

14 months, he has a normal chair with longer legs so it reaches the table. A friend made it for us and it's great.


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## Ziggysmama (Dec 26, 2007)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *Eloise1980* 
14 months, he has a normal chair with longer legs so it reaches the table. A friend made it for us and it's great.

That a great idea. I might put DP onto that project soon as...

Thenthing is though we don't realy have a dining room table right now.








We all eat in the lounge. He is way tooo busy to be trusted out of the high chair with food around all that carpet.. and he is also climbing out of it a standing up, scary stuff...
I might just have to put my thinking cap on...


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## KayCSmommy (Jan 9, 2007)

My son just turned 22 months, and we still use the highchair. He has never tried to climb out of it or into it on his own, we use it for more than just meals though. He colors and draws in his high chair and plays with messy things like play-doh (home made of course). When we go to the in-laws place he sits at the table with us in a booster seat, and he has since he was about 11 mon old. He actually perfers his high chair though. He can sit in as long as he wants too, because it is so much easier to clean then the table and chairs. Most the time he makes a huge mess.


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## CawMama (Nov 4, 2005)

Around 18-20 months. Ds started throwing a huge fit whenver I'd put him in there. So, I figured it was just more peaceful to let him sit in one of the big chairs (sometimes on a phonebook). Now he even sits in the booth with us at restaurants....how the heck did he become such a big boy?


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## Nolamom (Jan 29, 2008)

Our daughter moved from her high chair to the regular chair at about 25 months. At that age, she was great at sitting in a regular chair, using utensils and a regular cup, but was still a VERY messy eater!
Our 15 month old is still using the high chair and as long as he's happy there, I have no plans to move him anytime soon.


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