When is a child too old for using a high chair

Many children even when they are at the ideal age for using a high chair, hate to use it. Every child is unique in their own ways and would have their likes and dislikes. It is medically proven that not every child grows at the same speed with remarkable developments. Some have a slow growth rate but that doesn’t mean they are having any medical problems. It’s just a natural process of growth, that is why many children grow at an immense pace too.

Just like mental growth, physical growth also takes more time than usual for many kids. This suggests that the age to leave the high chair will not be the same for every child. Questions like when is a child too old for a high chair? , are very common to ask by every parent. Even if the child doesn’t verbally state that the high chair features are no more the child, it can be understood by the parents observing their day-to-day mealtime behavior. Keep a good watch on your child’s behavior and you will see signs whether the kid is ready for the transition to the dining table or any other meal setup.

The high chair drama

The child’s comfort is something that gets jeopardized if they are made to sit in a high chair when they don’t want to anymore. Table transition does depend on the child’s developmental stages and shouldn’t be forced in any form. It needs to be understood that when a child is getting frantic and showing emotional outrage when made to sit in a high chair, then it’s a very proper sign among others to change the meal spot. Children most of the time express what they exactly feel at the moment and thus it is not so difficult to parents to see the signs.

Not only a single-day observation but a series of two or three-day meal-time observations will help the parents to find the correct answer to questions like-when is a child too old for a high chair. If every day in two or three-day span the child is becoming furious during mealtime on the high chair then it’s the best option to make your kid sit on the adult’s table and just observe the behavior. Somedays children don’t have the appetite to eat or they don’t like their food, but due to lack of expression in a child’s first years of age, they are not able to say it. But when the observance becomes a larger spanned than just one meal time then it is easier to find the answer if they are old enough in terms of development to leave the high chair.

Teaching the basic table manners

Before making the transition to a regular adult chair the parents are needed to teach them basic table manners. They should observe if the children are being able to follow the basic rules and are not causing trouble during the eating span. Many parents like to slow down the transition by first shifting from a high chair to a booster chair. But if making the shift to a regular chair then the parents must teach the dos and don’ts for sitting at a dining table.

The following conventional rules need to be taught to them before even going into the trial phase of dining with the adults:

·      Chairs are not objects to play with.

·      Nobody stands on the chair, they are meant to be only seated upon.

·      The chair should not be rocked while sitting as it might cause severe injury by falling.

·      The objects on the table like bowls and other utensils should remain on the table.

·      During the whole duration of the meals, everyone should remain seated.

·      Food and utensils should not be played with.

When these basic rules have been identified by the child and they are ready to follow, then it is a good time to try on the adult’s table. You can try it in some proportions by keeping small utensils on the high chair and even keep the front support of the high chair in an open state. The parents are the best candidates for the observance task and if they feel like the behavior is on the right path. Trying the regular chair won’t be a wrong decision.

The age and development

The behavioral changes during the mealtime which was mentioned earlier are easy to spot by the parents. These changes in the child can be taken as a hint to slowly abandon the high chair, this development comes around roughly at the age between two and four years. But there will be exceptions in plenty and many children would enjoy eating their meals with ease in their high chair.

In many cases, the growth of the child’s body will indicate that it’s time for the transition to a booster seat or a normal chair. In some cases, the child might be still just two years old and face discomfort in fitting into the chair along with the high chair food tray. Situations like these mostly just suggest that the child is growing physically at a remarkable pace with high chairs not being of much use anymore.

The parent might get tensed and look for answers to the questions like-when is a child too old for a high chair. But as the facts have already been visible at least getting a booster seat will be the right transition to go for. If the child’s body is suggesting that it has grown enough to leave the high chair behind then it will be only a smart decision to believe it.

 The discomfort and imitating

If the child is acting outrageous in the mealtime and trying to escape the seat, then it should be taken as a sign by the parents. Children might be fussy at a meal even when they are not having an appetite, but if they are being successful in escaping by unlatching the safety belt and climbing out of the top – this should be a concern to the parents.

If the child had learned such skills it means the growth is progressing amazingly and it is time to ditch the high chair. It is not an intelligent decision to force the children to eat in the high chair if they are showing all the signs. When the child attempts to escape from the top of a high chair repeatedly then the child is at great risk of causing self-injuries.

After the mind of the child had crossed a certain point of growth you might notice all they are willing to do is imitate their parent’s actions and learn as much as they can. When the child is showing such behavior it also comes under the child’s perception that he or she is the only one eating in a high chair. The parents and even the siblings have a great dining table to have their meal courses. This affects them and often turns into anger and frantic behavior. They just want to be a part of the table.

Trying a slow transition is the key

Parents have often noticed that between the age of 2 to 3 the children grow a super tendency to try new things out of pure curiosity. This curiosity also affects their sitting objects and is witnessed to try out different seats all over the house. They would sit on every sitting object they would find in their reach and just feel the new object. Experts suggest the parents choose a normal chair among their curiosity seats and make them use it during the meals. This would show signs of newfound happiness in the kid and would henceforth keep the whole house happy.

Experts suggest for the transition to be slow in pace with trials and errors. The smart move will be to make the child eat the snacks in a normal chair with all the table rules being maintained, if the child shows promise in abiding by the table manners then the parent can try out with lunch and dinner, which are sometimes easily messy.

Using booster seat and customization

Instead of making a transition jump from a high chair to an adult’s chair, some middle ground can be found by bringing a booster seat into the situation. Experts suggest choosing such a booster seat from the store which has the following qualities:

·      The booster seat should have separate straps for the child and the chair.

·      Take your child along and see if the child is comfortable in a booster seat.

·      The booster seat models mainly found in restaurants should be avoided.

·       Try to make the booster more appealing by bringing it in the child’s favorite color and some stickers attached later on also might help.

·      A type of modern booster called space saver high chairs should also be checked upon as they easily turn into boosters just when the tray is very simply removed.

The parents should be open to innovative options when making the child’s transition for a high chair. If the child’s height doesn’t seem comfortable to the parent for transitioning into an adult chair then using a child-approved set of chairs and table might be a great option. They wouldn’t feel any fear of falling or they wouldn’t feel discomfort in reaching out to their plate. If you buy more chairs the children can have their table if some more children come to the house. It is also important to include the child among the table conversations and engaging with them.

This makes them feel more involved in the table and distracts them from the sudden change. The point is to make them enjoy the meals at the table with the whole family. Once the kid gets attached to the table emotions the high chair would soon seem like a punishment. If their mind is occupied in a conversation the frantic urges to play with the chair or getting down repeatedly would not occur.

Conclusion

It is essential to study the facts and behavior involving the child to decide on the change from the high chair. Not every kid would be leaving the high chair for the meals at a reciprocating age and that is something absolutely normal. The parents should take it slow with the techniques mentioned above and always read into the signs that their child shows.