Most times we would put some food on a small table and let him come by and snack as he played. I just kept reminding him it was an age thing and it got much better eventually. He eventually snapped out of it around 19 months, BUT…BUT we never relented by letting him wander around or sit in the grownup chair on his own. We could get my son to sit still at this age for a few minutes (maybe!) You can read more at http://www.ellynsatter.com/. '', I know he's hungry (and as a toddler he already eats next to nothing), so it's frustrating! Please do not return to the store as once it is returned it cannot be resold and … It doesn't have to fit with some fantasy of a ''well-behaved child.'' Any advice would be greatly appreciated. Be on a schedule – Yes, I’m talking about the schedule again. I think 15 months is too young to punish this behavior, especially by denying food. She did not like being strapped into the booster or anything else. We allow our daughter to get out of the chair during… Read more », All three of my kids have gone through this lap-sitting phase around the same age, maybe until about age 2. You could consider the type of highchair which attaches to the table itself. As they get older, they ask to be excused and bus their plates to the sink. We kept the food to one area and fed really messy stuff only at the table. So two things you DEFINITELY do not want at the dinner table: a toddler screaming her head off in a high chair, or a toddler eating her meals on your lap. She continued to scream for the next 10 minutes or so until I just couldn’t take it anymore (my throat was starting to hurt from listening to her). Our daughter also did this around 15 months. Children want their parent’s attention more than anything in the world. Here’s one from IKEA: http://www.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/products/90146456/ Re: Toddler won't eat or sit in highchair by DandelionFrosting » 10 Nov 2013, 23:59 It might not be applicable, but Saurus is about the same age, and I've found that he will happily sit in his high chair, but only if I let him climb up into it by himself. My advice is to roll with your child's needs and moods a bit more. She has been cutting a tooth, but they haven’t really affected her like this in the past. These expert ideas for fostering good mealtime habits will help. It seems to empower them by not relying on us to get them into and out of a confining chair. We were about to have another baby though, and figured we couldn't do this forever. The one place she sits still briefly, is on a little chair we have on the deck where we have a small end table that's just her size. Good luck! If I had time or energy, I’d look it up, but I’d hazard a guess it’s a bit of a holdover from when eating unknown things could kill you. These are also great to have for coloring/Play-Doh or playdate snack times. "Twenty minutes in a high chair is about all you can reasonably expect from a toddler," Post warns. Over time her weight increased a little, and her meal time behavior become more ''adult''. We got her a booster chair that buckled her in, straped it to one of our kitchen chairs and just pushed her right up to the table. There is a desert reward if he eats a meal but usually he's not that interested in it so I don't force the food. Many kids this age won't sit still. She is the author of the Advice Smackdown and Bounce Back. When I let him out (he was very upset the whole time and it was torturous!) or a thick sturdy cushion. This website is for entertainment purpose only. Amy also documented her second pregnancy (with Ezra) in our wildly popular Weekly Pregnancy Calendar, Zero to Forty. Good Luck, Sarah. He chooses his dinner table toys and while he plays, we just shovel food in his mouth. Or a Con Law book if your spouse teaches Con Law and has a dozen different editions of these enormous books. Page 2 8:00 am and 4:30 pm Pacific Standard Time or visit our website at www.babytrend.com. Plus it doesn't set a good precedent for eating generally. She was fine once she sat at the table in the booster seat, and within a few days she would let us put the tray on the booster seat. They do not want to sit in their booster or eat from their own plate. She’s old enough to start introducing other Satter Method basics, namely: Dinner is over once you leave the table. What worked for us was to have a plate of food that she could come back to, ie I would stay at the table and she would run around and then come back for bites as needed. The battles were so annoying. -Run, swim, play! If he only eats a few bites he will be fine. He is confined to a chair or booster, which isn't a natural state for a toddler. This happened to us EXACTLY at the same time as you. No. Good luck! Up until now, she has always been a great eater and easily transitioned from purees to finger foods, preferring the control she has with them. For us this is one of those small stages that shall pass, eventually. That does not appear to be the case. She won't sit in the booster seat. Perhaps if your son is still in a high chair it would be better to move him to a booster so he is more part of the table. We got rid of the high chair to a friend. mama to another active 2-year-old, I highly recommend Ellyn Satter's book ''Child of Mine'' for feeding strategies. Hi, you don't say whether you let your son play at the dinner table. Then I let her graze at will. My philosophy has been to try to encourage but not to force compliance, except for a few mandatory things like the carseat where compliance is the only safe way. That happened at my house at just about your kid's age. But he’s developed an annoying little habit of refusing to sit in his high chair to eat. The stress level has gone way down. I am considering getting a small table and chair for inside, but don't want to spend the money if there's some way I can teach her to stay at the big table. I suggest you tell him that from now on he eats at mealtime at the table (maybe a snack mid-morning and/or afternoon). My daughter did this. With the first kid we died on our sword over not doing it and eventually relented. I was recently at her house for dinner. Also, by letting him decide he has had enough, you are letting him learn to listen to his own body and regulate his appetite himself, instead of doing it for him. She stopped screaming and ate her supper just fine when I took her out of the high chair and put her in my lap. So hang in there, these little guys won't let themselves starve as long as quality food is offered. I made it healthy finger foods, sometimes put in an ice-cube tray if my child was at a stage where she wouldn't just pick it up and throw it. Parents voted these high chairs the best of 2020. She loves Dora so much that she can't wait to sit down and eat on Dora. Best budget high chair: IKEA's ANTILOP High Chair. Sign up for the web’s most entertaining (while informative) weekly newsletter on your pregnancy! My 3 year old boy was the same way at 2.. and 1 and is finally starting to outgrow it as he's slowing down and his attention span is getting longer. Learning to sit up is an important and exciting skill for babies to develop, but it doesn’t happen overnight. Our little guy seems to like being up in his booster seat right at the table with all of us with his plate, utensils and cup on the table right along with ours. One thing was he was entering a clingy phase, which just happens throughout their young life. Hi , My 1 1/2yr old won't sit in his high chair to eat. He keeps standing in it and dropping food. One other thing that has been working lately to get him to eat a good variety is to shape his meals into fun pictures. There are lots of developmental benefits. How do we get her to eat in her high chair again? It feels horrible to let her cry and go without dinner. He especially enjoys when his older brother is with us for meals (I share time with his dad) as there is additional interaction, conversation, fun at the table. My husband and I have redoubled our efforts to eat meals at the kitchen table together and encourage our son to sit with us and eat, or at least sit with us for a few minutes (baby steps). Having a footrest at the right height is good for the body and goes a long way toward cutting down wiggles. The kids now eat at the table, more or less nicely, until they ask to be excused, at which point they are done. An unbending, absolute No getting up with food rule must accompany this approach. best wishes eat, eat, eat. It might be time for a booster seat, similar to the plastic ones that are in restaurants. But yeah, try the IKEA chairs. I think it's temperament. Even with my chasing her practically all day with food when she ws 18 months old, my daughter now, at age three, is capable of a 15 to 20-minute sit down at dinner. Thanks! Portable High Chair: […]. I think you are on the right track and it is time ask your husband to get off the floor and sit at the table East Bay Mom, I remember those days well. Over time my daughter has adapted to eating at the table, my biggest change was to not chase her around with food, but let food happen at the table at distinct and discreet times, and over time she adapted to that. It may engage him long enough for you to finish your errand. It sounds like she wants to be closer to the two of you when she eats -- the distancing of the highchair is perhaps making her feel left out. You can find used ones at Darla's on San Pablo in El Cerrito or in the secondhand section of Baby World in Oakland. __________________________________________________________________ I would recommend a youth chair….we use one that my dad made, but they have some at IKEA now too. There were several babies 15-19 months old, and she said, Is anyone's baby still eating in a high chair? We ended up feeding her "on the run" too (pretty much chasing her around and putting food in her mouth) and did so until recently because it was the easiest way for us to feel like she was getting enough nutrition. So if you’re hungry, you stay in your seat. We just went through that with my 2.5 year old and what I tried worked like a charm after only two times of doing it (I am very proud of myself!). To the mother of the toddler who won't sit in her highchair: We had the same problem with our son at about the same age. If you see a link to a retailer, please assume that it is an affiliate link. At first he spent more time playing than eating but that is definitely changing and its so much easier not to fight over every bite. As she got a little older (over 2) we would often hold her on our lap to eat. These are by no means quiet, intimate dinners. We needed the high chair for my son, so we really didn't have much choice. The phase isn't ending because he has learned that mom and dad will follow him around feeding him and he doesn't have to sit down to eat. The other The issue is now that my husband and I are at odds with how to handle this. It's OK. T.K. -Be mindful of juice and other liquids. Also, on the advice of a dietician we tried to add fat/calories to every meal. I mean it when I say that every day he is getting better at this!! Soft Portable Booster Seats and Toddler Trays Are you tired of frustrating meal When she's a bit older, I think it will be more fun to have family meals all together - but (I think) that should be enjoyable for all, not something I am authoritatively requiring of my daughter. He’ll sit for a few minutes then scream his little head off until mum lets him out. Sitting at one is something grown ups do. I’m hoping that this is just a short phase that will be over by the time you get to answer this, but I would love to hear your thoughts. Instead, try to make it mandatory for him to sit on the high chair while eating. That way he feels like he is sitting at the table like a big boy, rather than off in the corner in his high chair. (I would recommend that you try to find one with a place for her feet), I’m a big fan of grow with me chairs like the keekaroo and stokke. I have a very active boy and he's now seven and can sit at a table for about 15-20 tops (on a good day). He wants to sit in an adult dining chair like his older 4yr old. Getting a squirmy toddler to sit at the table and eat a meal can be a huge challenge. That means that wh… Ooo, just found this: http://www.askdrsears.com/topics/parenting/feeding-infants- toddlers/feeding-glance-birth-24-months Dr. Sears says for kids 18 to 24 months: ''Wants to eat on the run溶eeds creative feeding to hold attention at table. 1. He loves his new booster seat so much! Well, it's been nearly a year and the ''phase'' isn't passing nor showing signs of passing. So if your stubborn toddler won’t quiet down in his seat, hand him a magazine from the book or magazine aisle or from a rack near the cashier. Lots of luck! My son would not sit at the table and would attempt to make his way out of the kitchen altogether. We thought it was another phase and so we began to feed him while we read, played and occassionally while he was in the tub. This is not only frustrating, I am afraid she's going to choke. Hi My 19 month old little boy will not sit in his highchair which makes me resort to feeding him on my lap in front of the tv!! The conversion is easy to do and only takes about 20 seconds, and the best part is you don’t need any tools to do it. Our high chair gives us the option to remove the tray and push her up to the table, which we did try last night thinking that maybe she just wanted to sit “at the table” like us, instead of eating from her tray. But their tiredness/hunger manages the problem naturally. Our highchair has gone into temporary storage in the basement. “Short phase?” Hahahahahahahahahahahaha!!!! I'd say -- choose your battles. Toddlers go through stages with high chairs and everything else you want them to do. I work as a care-giver for toddlers, and the following tips have been very helpful to me when in your situation: -Cut out all snacks and create a rigid feeding schedule (breakfast, lunch, snack, dinner) and stick to it for a while. We struggled with it because we did not want to let him run around with food in his mouth, and it is awkward eating with a toddler on your lap. She just found the process frustrating, and her curiosity quickly got the better of her. They chat back and forth (toddlerese), share food and generally have a great time. 2) If she’s resistant to sit in/on anything other than a “regular” grown-up chair, you can try a Kaboost under-chair booster. I wish I could tell you that he sits politely and eats with us at every meal but instead we've all made some compromises and as he matures he wants to emulate our behavior more than fight us-- and he's at a healthy weight so it could be worse. His friend is about a month older and his parents have had some difficulties getting him to eat meals consistently. She was happy as a lark! At supper time last night, my husband managed to get her into her high chair in spite of going stiff as a board and screaming her head off. Your husband is doing the age-appropriate and pediatrician-recommended style of feeding your kid. We had one of those Safety First portable high chairs that straps onto a regular chair as a booster seat and also has a tray like a high chair. Amy is mother to rising first-grader Noah, preschooler Ezra, and toddler Ike. He screams at the top of his lungs when I tell him no. Then I bought her a Dora mat. At 18 months many are so much more into being mobile and exploring that food time is just too boring. at best. I have looked through the Smackdown questions but I can’t find one related to this phase we seem to be in the middle of with our 17-month old daughter (only child). They can sit in a chair without the worry of falling a few feet to the ground. For more tips, go to WhatToExpect.com. We serve their food on the small table and let them go wash their hands, sit and eat. Blue If this doesn't work, talk to the pediatrician. For dinners, my toddlers would always be willing to sit for a minute or two, but we then just accepted the toddler coming in for a bite then running off after he'd been excused. Sure, he prefers to NOT be confined. Anything to get her able to eat comfortably off the table while in a chair that does not contain YOUR lap/butt. I had 3 and 4 year old boys over and they were so excited to sit in his chair which I adjusted for them. so it's not a pain. Done force feeding, I know how you feel! They can also look cute napping, crying, or when they are babbling to themselves in the high chair. My oldest kid was content to sit in his booster seat at the table instead. How about a different kind of chair? Should we put him back into a high chair so the tray will keep him confined? So yeah. S, Agree with Traci about the Keekaroo. He may feel somewhat precarious in his high booster seat, strapped onto a chair. So, when I say schedule, I’m not talking about a specific time of the day, but an interval. We have affiliate revenue relationships with Amazon, and with other retailers that are handled by third parties like Skimlinks, RewardStyle, Commission Junction and Linkshare. We adopted this idea from daycare, where state law prohibits kids from walking around with food due to the chocking risks. I sit my 2 year old down at the table with us in a chair like ours so she feels like a big girl. When a toddler won’t sit still in a high chair at a restaurant, you as the parent must teach them proper restaurant behavior. I've got some more ideas on foodlerkids.com, a blog I just started this summer. She wants to sit in our lap at the dining room table and eat there. You can follow Amy’s daily mothering adventures at Amalah. If I were you, I would try a booster seat or using the high chair without the tray at the table with a plastic placemat. I am of the, ''When you're done, you're done'' mentality, whereas my husband will sit on the floor with him and feed him, or pick him up and feed him from his lap when this happens. 2 Read aloud to your child. My son is now 5 years old and we have a pretty calm dinnertime but at 18 months it was all about how much food I could get in his piehole before he took off or basically got too nutty in his booster seat. Maybe this strategy will work for you. My husband and I both enjoy making food look like things (egg ducks, quesadilla trucks, veggie dog octopi, etc.) She gets in some bites, sitting in her spot, or kind of on the go. In the past week, she has straight up refused to go in her high chair at home. And I guess some parents are more successful at ''making'' their kids sit still. He feels a bit pushed around when his play is interrupted and he is lifted into place. Not by your son's behavior, but by the fact that you find his behavior shocking. We just have on of the cheaper plastic IKEA junior chairs and our four year old still uses it and it’s awesome. It’s another mealtime battle to fight, but it’s a more worthy one than trying to cram a stiff-as-a-board screaming child into a high chair she’s probably close to outgrowing anyway. Since you are asking for advice, I am going to be straightforward here and say you really need to relax and adjust your expectations. Since it is just an age thing and he won't be eating like this at 8 years old, I lean towards your husband's laid back approach of feeding him where and when you can. It turned out he simply felt he was a big boy now and wanted to eat at the table with us, on real chairs as we did. Our kids eat from a small table. Our solution was to get rid of the high chair. Toddlers at that age are just too excited about exploring life to sit and eat, like, at all! In fact, it’s rare that kids under 10 (or even older) sit and eat meals at an appropriate height (most kids aged 3 to 9 years need a booster seat and a stool under their feet). Lastly some kids are not so hungry in the evening, so maybe he really is full...Good luck, I know how stressful the journey can be, but the book I mentioned really helped me manage my anxiety around mealtimes. Now we don’t care. If your baby is able to sit up by themselves and starting to eat solid foods, it’s probably time to consider adding a high chair to your kitchen set-up. “3) Alternatively, if you don’t want to buy any additional gear, you can boost her up old-school style on a phone book (WHY DO THEY STILL MAKE THOSE?) This is not only a choking hazard, it’s also counter-productive, as the more you allow him to do it, the less likely it is that he’ll ever consent to being placed in a highchair at mealtimes! We actually changed our directions to our nanny to not feed them lunch at the park or snacks when they're out and about to help get our friend's child better on track for eating full meals. But as you learned, sometimes that trick isn’t enough. When the high chair is too small, the booster seat too babyish and your child is not tall enough to reach the table – family dining can become hard work. been there. Connecting with your child before mealtime will significantly reduce dinnertime battles. She does sit still (now in booster seat) better than she did when she was younger. It's difficult to retire all these gadgets, but maybe you could trade your high chair in for a small table and chairs? If the food is out on the counter or a table, then as soon as the toddler is placed in the high chair, the toddler will instantly ask someone to get them down so they can go grab the food...and if a toddler asks for anything, it completely screws up your queue of actions, even if you have autonomy off. If you refuse to eat in your chair, it’s ok, you won’t eat! But there are some other alternatives: 1) A dining booster seat attached to a regular chair. My hope is that even if they don't eat very well, they'll still start with the most nutrient dense items. I JUST SCREAM MY FOOL HEAD OFF LIKE ONE. I thought it would be a problem to keep them in bed(or sitting at the table in this case). Convertible High Chair: These chairs can stand alone or be placed on top of a dining room chair. Please help! Our daughter did this at 16-17 months old. Any tips on what we can do to resolve/avoid some of this chaos and get back to our normal, not-screamy suppers? Maybe she is simply out-growing her need for a high chair. The OG’s of kids toys created this comfy armchair as an option for kiddos ages three and up that won’t fall apart or clash with your decor. I don't think your kid is ''training'' you in some manipulative way. My daughter is now almost 4, but between 1 and 2.5 we had significant trouble with meals, so I feel like I can at least help calm your worries. When she visited our house for dinner once, we gave her as a present one of two booster seats that were handed down to us. If you’re new here, you may not know that one of the best first strategies I share is spacing your child’s meals 2.5 – 3 hours apart with no snacking in between but water. A 16-month old friend of ours refused to eat any way other than standing. Yeah, we definitely went through a phase of HATING the high chair and we didn’t have a booster. S most entertaining ( while informative ) Weekly newsletter on your pregnancy and... Super well is for him, which is n't passing nor showing signs of passing 's time for a.... Themselves starve as long as quality food is offered 19-month-old to … Page 2 am! Need a very narrow behind to fit with some fantasy of a dietician tried... Old hates his high chair onto a chair without the worry of falling a few bites he will be now. Fed really messy stuff only at the table in this particula r group thing happened to EXACTLY! That this will be never-ending now that he saw his older 4yr old if not by your gets! Grew older, they 'll still start with the most nutrient dense items to borrow from! The floor: when your toddler is getting too big for his high chair and sitting down our! Foot rest, now she ’ s daily mothering adventures at Amalah goes away `` trained do... The worry of falling a few feet to the room and closed the door for two and a half.... 'S his, she potty trained early because she thinks it 's difficult retire. Lbs, but toddler won't sit in high chair have some at IKEA now too resolve/avoid some the... Year and the `` phase '' is n't passing nor showing signs of.... Week, she likes using it straight up refused to go in her high to... Happen overnight a battlezone a battlezone schedule – Yes, she potty trained early because she it! Settle down the process frustrating, and toddler Ike it creates unhappy meal times that well in to. In her high chair her like this in the meantime with food rule must accompany this approach in. Stopped offering juice/milk an hour or so before lunch and dinner tray will keep him confined introducing other Satter basics! Down and eat with us or sit in my lap and eat the same right! To make it a habit to feed your child and continue to challenge him to sit at table. 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