High Chair Advice

Hi J.,

Your son sounds a bit like my 13 month old right now. I have seen and used the Wriggle Wrapper, and if he doesn't like being strapped in, I think he won't like it very much.

Full disclosure: we sell Stokke Tripp Trapp chairs in our stores. And I know the Tripp Trapp seems like a lot of money up front, but consider this: I bought one when my first daughter was 1, and that was almost 7 years ago. Since then, we have used it nearly every day. And the benefits we've had as a family have been more than worth the approximately $.10/day it has cost over the years.

On the days when my son won't sit and eat in a high chair, he usually will sit at the Tripp Trapp, especially if I'm sitting with him.

With that said, it's also very normal to see changes in appetite with babies, especially around a developmental milestone. If your son has recently started crawling or walking, chances are, he's very focused on practicing his new skill, and isn't as interested in sitting down for "boring" meals. Be patient - it will pass.

For more information about the Tripp Trapp, visit our website (http://mbeans.com/stokke-tripp-trapp-classic-high-chair.h.... I've seen the inventor speak about the origin of his design and he's really a fascinating guy.

Good luck!

Try a small table and chair. The type used in day cares. Some kids just want to feel like they are in control. Offer his food and ask him to come sit and eat. If he is walking he can get in and out of the chair. Maybe he wants to feel like a "big boy," he sees you in a chair/table. If you are worried about a mess, it is no different that when they begin to throw food from a high chair. Since he is close to the floor no dangers in falling 12". We use a picnic table, fisher price, $89. If you are interested in the topic read up on Gerber and/or Pikler methods. They suggest not using a high chair at all, for many reasons, but one of them being that a high chair is too high. You childs "world" is low, or viewed closer to the ground. Therefore they should eat down low at their level. Not at yours. It is an interesting concept. Also giving your children some control. By letting them "come" to the table at dinnertime and get up when they are finished. The methods talk about getting your child to the table, keeping them there and teaching them to help clean up. At 14 mon. we are trying to teach our daughter how to set the table and giving her a damp rag to wipe the table. Everything is low enough for her to reach. Okay, so at this point, the plate doesn't actually make it onto the table and the cleanup rag into her mouth... but the concepts are there and she watches me and "tries" to imitate. Its worth a try and cheeper than buying a new highchair. Never heard of a wriggle wrapper, will look it up, but from the sounds of it do you really want to tie your child up to get him to eat???
I just looked up the "wriggle wrapper". I can see the appeal. Maybe if you are eating out and cannot/do not have a high chair, or for travel, as to not have to lug a bunch of baby gear. However for everyday use, to get your child to eat, not so much. Do you really think any type of device is going to get him to eat? Especially if thats not the issue, money wasted. I am sure yo have considered teething, growth, or "I'm just not eating" phase.

Had the same problem with my wiggle worm. Moved her to a booster seat. It buckles them in, but the tray actually holds her in nicely (the tray comes low enough that she can't wiggle over it even without the straps on and she is Houdini!! Picked is up in Walmart for $25, my 2 1/2 still uses his, and they are great for traveling too. We found little to no use for the high chair, and it's nice to have the kids at the table.

Hi J. - our daughter is not a fan of the 5 point harness - in the car, in the highchair, it is a constant battle. I considered the Stokke, but budget didn't allow it so instead I bought this high chair at wal-mart for $70. It has a 3 point harness, and she is so much happier without having her shoulders strapped in. As for the carseat, I try to travel when she's drowsy, because there's no way for us to avoid the 5 point harness there. Good luck!

http://www.walmart.com/catalog/product.do?product_id=1109...

Hi,
Eddie Bauer makes a wooden booster chair with a sliding tray that worked great for our kids. It is strapped to a regular chair, like a booster seat, but then it has a sliding tray, like a high chair. There is a seat belt, but we never used it. The sliding tray slides close enough to "lock" the little guy in. I don't think a kid could wriggle out of it. Good luck!

You don't mention age, so I don't know if this makes sense for you or not, but I use a Cushee Booster (http://www.amazon.com/BabySmart-Cooshee-Booster-Seat-Clas.... This was is almost $40 but we bought a different brand at Babies r Us for about $15. It does not have straps so I know that does not address that part of the concern, but my children were both more willing to stay in it because they didn't feel trapped, they felt part of what was going on at the table, and they loved the independence of getting in and out by themselves. It is also great because we can bring it anywhere we go very easily and they feel comfortable being in their own special chair.

We also have one of the Fisher-price chairs that straps to a chair that can be pushed up to the table. We no longer use the straps around our kids but still use the chair part as a booster. Again, we don't use the tray and push it up to the table so they feel part of things. I think it is very important for children to eat at the same table and at the same time as their parents so they are part of the family dinner experience. I would think if you used the sraps and tray on one of these it would be pretty impossible to slide out of it.

Finally, and this is a more expensive option, but we did invest in a Euro II chair from Leaps and Bounds for our five year old. The fact that he can put his feet on the stool part and be sitting comfortably with his legs at a 90 degree angle has kept him in his chair! He would never stay in a chair before that -- always half standing.

Good luck!

We used a booster seat that straps on the chair. Our daughter wanted to be with us at the table. She ate much better after that. It took a few days to get use to it but she did fine. Good luck