When to Switch to Booster for eating?/Dining Out with Toddler

Hi Christina,

Here is a web site for the high chair vs booster seat:

http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=2006082515280...

The other issue about child sitting in a high chair in a restaurant is now a discipline issue. How do you get the boy to sit in the high chair?

Here is another web site:

http://www.good-child-guide.com/

Hope this helps. D.

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I would think that if your son is not complaining about the highchair I would not change it, why change something that is working. As far as in the restaurant I definitely think you could try a booster seat if he does not like using the highchair there. You can leave a travel seat in your trunk so it's is always there just in case. There is a sturdy one at Toys R Us or you can get the travel one, depending how sturdy your son is in the chair.

Regards,

J.
http://www.GetwithitGoGreen.com

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Like someone said earlier about a booth. That is what we do for our almost 2year old. And then we have a high chair at the end of the table. she sits in the high chair when eating and then plays in the booth when she isn't eating. Or sometimes she will knee in the booth and it from the table. As for the high chair. Are u able to take the tray off and move the chair to the table? I had a high chair that would grow with the kids. When it isn't being used as a high chair then it would turn into a table and chair. It is nice, so that i can make room at the table when we have people over with us. Try the high chair at the table with out the tray.

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18 months is not too late to change this. The type of chair isn't in control of your child's behavior, you are. If you are very strict with dining rules, and rules in general, at home, they are usually easy to enforce in public. Start at home first. If you want to move him out of the high chair in public, do it at home first. Do not allow him to get down and walk around. EVER. Enforce it very strongly with a calm quiet warning followed by a firm consequence. Follow through in public a couple of times if necessary so he takes your quiet warnings seriously. It shouldn't come to this if you are consistent and firm at home, but since he's already learned he can get out of his chair at a restaurant (which is why he doesn't want the high chair) it could be a battle at first. Be strong. His bottom should never be allowed to move from the seat in a restaurant or at home. He should know no other option. Make it very clear, black and white, that meal time is fun and fabulous when he's behaving, and he gets a consequence every time he doesn't behave. He'll learn quickly, kids are extremely bright and happy to do well. If you get through this hurdle, he will soon be happily well behaved every single time you eat out. If you don't take control, he'll win and you'll have to stay home. To start, you may just want to keep him in the high chair in the restaurant and don't allow any tantrums about it. Again, if tantrums aren't allowed at home, they won't do it in public. Good luck! You can do it!

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My son is 23 mo and we switched to a booster seat at home around 15 mo. We had the little Fisher Price one with the removable tray. We kept the tray of and slid him right up to the table with a kids placemat, kid's silverware, but a real plate. Yes, he threw the plate on the ground a few times (mine are really tough ceramic), but if he did that supper was over! He learned very quickly and now can sit at the table with us for at least 20 min.

For eating out, my son always hated those wooden highchairs too! I like the booster seats at restaurants that just raise the kids up, but we do most of the time and try to get a booth and let him sit on his knees. The booth gives him room to walk around a little bit without bothering other people. The other "trick" I do is to bring 3-4 very small toys with me (Matchbox cars, trains etc.) He gets 1-2 to play with before the food comes. Then all toys go away so he can eat. After he's finished (he never eats much at a restaurant!) he gets 1-2 "new" toys. This usually lets us have a moment to eat in peace! The other thing I would suggest is to take him to a small, neighborhood place that is kid friendly and do so with some regularlity. We only take my son out about once a month, but it is enough that he is learning our expectations and usually does pretty well. Good luck!

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We have that Fisher Price booster seat as well and it was great for making the transition. It has a strap on it so that you can carry it on your shoulder when you go out and you can strap it to the chair to make it sturdier. It also has straps that you can strap your child in as well so it's not as easy for them to get out & walk around. I found my son actually sat in his own seat more readily when we switched to the booster while dining out but he doesn't like the booster when we are in a booth so we just let him sit on his knees or stand in the booth.

I switched to the booster I mentioned when my son was between 12-18 months. I just liked having him in a regular chair that was easier for him to get in and out of on his own and having the big high chair out of the dining room.

Here's a link to the Fisher Price booster we use:

http://www.amazon.com/Fisher-Price-Healthy-Care-Booster-S...

My son is almost 3 and we still use this at home.

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Hi Christina,

We use one of those portable little seats that hooks onto a regular chair. It folds up and everything so you can even take it to a restaurant if you want. We just use our's at home. It has a lap belt to prevent escapes. :0) It takes up way less space than the high chair so we prefer it for that reason.

I'm not sure about the restaurant....my daughter will sit in a high chair for that. Perhaps if you start using the above mentioned type of chair your son would be used to that and you could take it with you out to eat? Hmmm.....

Good luck!

M.

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I stuck to the high chair as long as possible. I hated the boosters cause they can fall out of them, they can tip over and then.

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Hi Christina,

I have a soon to be 2 year old little girl and I have just switched her, and so far so good, except for the occasional sweep of food on the floor. I have never had an issue with her acting up while I am out with her, but if she does, we leave. This taught her that she didn't get her way and she didn't get to eat! It worked the one and only time I had to do it.

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We always used a portable (attach to a chair with straps) booster with my first when we went out to eat. I hated how sticky and germy restaurant ones are. The other HUGE advantage we learned quickly was that it had it's own tray so we could keep her far enough from the table that she couldn't pull the table cloth or take things we didn't want her to have. Plus it was great to have when going to extended family's that might not have had other options except holding her. I started her on eating at 6 months so that was when we began using the booster. She completely switched over to it at home (we bought another one so we didn't have to remove the home one) when my son that was just 17 months younger was interested in being with us at the table and needed to use the high chair - I think about 3 months so my daughter was maybe 20 months. Again, it was great to have 2 portable seats for traveling to family or going out since my daughter was still so tiny. While pregnant with my third we decided to get rid of the high chair and just use the booster with her from the start. It just takes up so much less space and it was easier to clean the portable ones. By then my oldest didn't need it so we were fine with the 2. My older 2 did complain about their legs hurting and weren't quite tall enough for the plain chair so we ended up getting them "comfy seats" from "Step One." They don't have any buckles so they feel like big kids and they are soft on their bottoms while lifting them higher to eat more comfortably. At nearly 5 and 3.5 they still use them and my 15 month old is safely buckled with her own tray in the portable seat.

Try getting a special item or toy that you only bring out when at out to eat. Then it is new and interesting and will hold his interest longer. Playdough is easy to travel with and not too messy. There are lots of make your own recipes including edible ones if you are concerned with him eating it (though all are safe, some actually taste fun too). A mini magnadoodle or aquadoodle activity would be tidy and easy to transport. Those magic markers that only write on special paper come with lots of different character books and they don't leave a mess behind. The age might be listed higher than 18 months, but if you are sitting at the table with him, it will be easy enough to prevent him from eating them. Snacks are always a good one for before the meal though too many means he'll be finished well before you are.

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Hi Christina,

I would say keep him in the high chair as long as possible - otherwise he will be up walking around at home too. It is a constant battle with my son to get him to stay in his chair. In restaurants, he sits in a big boy chair, but if he gets up too much, then I get a high chair and he has to sit in that until he can behave. I have also found that eating in a booth instead of at a table is nice because I can put him on the inside and then he can't get out (although he does like to go under the table, which is worse!).

J.

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I have a 22 month old and we just started putting him in a booster seat when we go out. And we always sit in a booth when we have to do that that way he can't get out. If he won't sit in the high chair ask for a booth and if he won't sit in the booster... we have just been letting our son stand and now he loves his booster seat. he will be ready before you are but it is all ok and he will love being a big boy. let me know...

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Hi Christina-

I don't know if someone else already suggested this. We have a travel booster/high chair seat from babiesrus. Our son is only 14 months but as he gets older this seat also acts as a booster seat. The nice thing about it is you can seat belt them in. So that might be a good way to get your son use to being in a booster but he won't be able to jump down and run around. It has a tray but you can keep the tray off and push him to the table. We take our seat to any restaurant and house we visit and it's great.
Enjoy him!

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Hi Christina, I switched all my children over to boosters by the time they were 18months. My youngest (20 months) actully started using one at 13 months because she always wanted to be at the table with everyone else ( now she wants to sit in a regular chair because she has much older sisters, 8 and 6, and wants to be just like them!) I like boosters, personally, because they take up less space in my already cramped house. As for the eating out-- have you tried bringing crayons and paper for him to color or books to flip through, maybe even a couple of small toys. I know a small snack of crackers before the meal comes keeps my daughter busy. unfortunatly meals out with children doesn't seem to get any easier even when they get older-- I plan on not having a calm meal for another 20 years : ) good luck- C.

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Hello Christina,
I have 2 year old twins and we eat out at least once a week with little problems. What I did to keep them busy at first was to bring a coloring book and some crayons. That way they were coloring on characters they liked (Mickey, Princesses etc.) Since it's difficult to get any child to sit still while waiting for their food what we do is; my husband will let me know what he wants to order and then he will take the kids for a walk. If the restaraunt is in a shopping center he'll take them to some stores. If we're at Red Lobster they'll go see the lobsters in the tank. While they're gone I place the order for everyone, and when the food arrives I cut up the children's food so that it cools, and call my husband. By the time he gets back with the kids their food is a good temp. and they sit down to eat. I've come to terms with the fact that for now quiet dinner conversation doesn't exist. I know it will come back someday...lol. As for the booster, I started using a booster for the children as soon as they refused a high chair. They wanted to sit like big kids so we let them with no problems. Good luck with the whole eating out thing. I know it can be a challenge, but you'll do fine!

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Hi Christina,
My advice would be to continue using his high chair at home as looooooong as he will accept it and seems happy. My son HATED his high chair at home but loved the little wooden ones in restaurants so I bought on from a restaurant supply catalog and guess what? At home he hated it! LOL It defies logic. I remember doing a lot of "shift dinners" out at places--you know, I'll eat and YOU walk him around now YOU eat and I'll walk around with him. Not fun. Sometimes staying home is just easier--sigh.
But when you go, make sure it's to a kid-friendly place and bring some table activities for him to do besides the lousy two crayons and a place mat which most places thinks will entertain a kid for an hour! LOL
We would do whatever seemed to work at the time. If he's fussing in a high chair, ask them to bring a booster mid-meal or have him kneel in a booth. Take him outside for a short walk while the food is prepared--you know, kind of "any port in the storm."
I have also seen parents bring a portable DVD player into a restaurant and keep the volume low and the kids are mesmerized--true not the best habit to teach but I don't think one or two times a month would do any lasting damage! I remember thinking: "Why didn't WE do tat when he was younger?" Good luck!

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Christina (and everyone else),

My kids were in their booster by the time they were 10 months old and in regular chairs at 17 months (16 for my daughter). I sold my highchair on ebay. If you treat them (and train them to be) like big kids, they will act like it. I go out to eat alone with my children, always get a booth if possible, preview the menu so I can order right away (check it out online before you go), order bread and soup with noodles so it comes fast and they can start eating, lots of extra napkins, go before they are ravenously hungry, and expect them and make them behave - no throwing food, no running around. I don't take toys or snacks, they eat what I order. I never get dessert in house, I always order it when my food comes along with containers to pack up leftovers and leave once we are done eating. I constantly get compliments on how well behaved my children are but that is because I have worked hard to make them that way and I expect it of them.

By the way, my kids are 3.5 years old and 22 months. I also almost never have to put them into time out (once a month maybe). They KNOW when they have been bad and when mommy is mad. My mother never used time out, it wasn't invented back in the 60's when I was a kid. All we needed was the "look" and if that did not work then we got "the stern warning". If mom got to yelling at us we knew we were in serious trouble. That is how I have raised my children and they are turning out very well behaved. Treat them like infants and they will act like it. Treat them like responsible members of society and the family and they will act like they are.

A.

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Go out to dinner early... like 5pm before there is a wait and before your son gets tired. I bring a tote bag filled w/ stuff that I take out for my 2 yr old throughout dinner...little cars/trucks keep him occupied for a while, picture books, mini magnadoodle. He never seems to eat too much of his restaurant meal, so I bring extras--a yogurt, fruit, fruit snacks....last resort-- a lollipop! Lollipops give you an extra 10-15minutes of peace. Getting out of his highchair and walking around is not an option unless it's been a really long meal and we know he's had it.

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I don't know how to get a toddler to act civilized at the table. When you figure that out, write a book and I'll buy it!

But, my daughter (23 mos) doesn't even use a booster anymore. We trap her in a booth with one of our bodies and bring snacks for her to munch on and colors to draw with to occupy her. Then my husband and I eat relatively quickly as the clock is literally ticking away with how long all of that will work for her.

Most of the time, though, we just order out.

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