ToddlerHard to believe, but here comes (yet another) toddler transition: the move from high chair to table. The seating options are a dining booster seat or a hook-on high chair — read on to find out which one’s best for your tot’s bottom.Dining Booster SeatsYour critter will probably be ready for a booster seat at around 18 months, but if she seems happy in her high chair, there’s no need to move her until around 24 months. A few more things to know: If you have a convertible high chair, then you already own a booster seat — you just need to make the switch (don’t panic if you didn’t keep the manual — the directions are online, too). And don’t use a car booster seat as a dining booster seat — though they’re both pieces of toddler gear designed to keep your cutie secure, they’re definitely not interchangeable.Pros:Dining booster seats are pretty portable, so you can use your own wherever you eat out with toddlers (and bypass that germy restaurant high chair).They take up less space — in your kitchen, closet, or car trunk — than freestanding high chairs.
They’re much simpler to clean than crevice-filled high chairs.Cons:If your child isn’t strapped in securely, it’s pretty easy for her to slip and slide in (or out of) her seat.A dining booster seat might create a tight squeeze (no knee room) for a tall toddler, and that means neither of you will be happy at the table.Most dining booster seats are too bulky to stow in luggage when traveling.Features to look for:Straps to attach the booster seat to an adult chair (these are a must)Safety belts to keep your squirmy worm from wriggling out of the chair (another must — and use them every time)Stain-resistant, easy-to-wipe fabric or plastic to make clean-up a cinchA design that suits your toddler’s temperament. A wiggler will do better in a plush, high-back seat; it might keep her calm and comfy longer. Got a mellow tot? A simple, low-back chair may do the trick.Hook-On High ChairsAs soon as your little one can sit up (around six months), she can score a spot with the grown-ups with a hook-on high chair.
These seats clip right onto the table (and can be unclipped and stashed away after each meal).Pros:Your tot can sit anywhere there’s a table, no extra chairs required.This handy seat is a huge space-saver over a freestanding high chair.Hook-on seats are easy to fold, a welcome feature for families on the go.Cons:You must pay close attention to the weight recommendation — hook-on high chairs usually hold up to 35 pounds, but that number varies from seat to seat.You need a very stable table to hook the chair onto. Even a tiny toddler can tip a shaky table.Hook-on high chairs tend to cost more than dining booster seats.With their seat covers and attachment parts, they’re trickier to clean than dining booster seats, which tend to be one smooth piece.Features to look for:A chair you can attach and detach in a snapClasps that won’t mark up your furnitureSturdy clips and a belt that can securely (and comfortably) hold your childA high back for extra support, especially if you have a younger toddlerA removable, machine-washable seat (preferably padded) so it’s easier to clean up a toddler mealtime mess or a vinyl-padded one you can easily wipe down
Rated a Consumer Reports' "Top Pick," the award-winning Sprout Chair will grow with your child through his/her developmental stages, from six months to five years; for children over age three, the seat post, tray and harness can be removed so your tot can sit comfortably at the family table. The chair also includes a variety of thoughtful features to help keep your little one comfortable and safe and make your life easier.Converts to a child seat! No need to retire poppy to the garage once your baby's high chair days are over.poppy offers additional value with longevity of use - the high chair converts to 'my chair' for later adventures, creating a fantastically fun space for toddlers pre schoolers to confidently eat poppy has the baby high chair essentials covered, offering great value beyond your baby's high chair years! A clean high chair in seconds Baby feeding time can be messy! poppy's large food tray wipes clean and is dishwasher safe. seamless aerocore seat eliminates any risk of food hiding in cracks.
Enough tray space for the biggest of meals! poppy has a generously sized food tray with loads of space for baby's foodThe tray is easily removed from the high chair and has been ergonomically designed to fit your baby perfectly from 6 months to 3 years. poppy's aerocore seat is soft spongy, providing maximum comfort so your baby can happily focus on their job - eating food!aerocore is insulating, hypo-allergenic, UV resistant and non-toxic, as well as being waterproof At only 4kg / 8.8lbs, poppy is lighter than your average high chair and easier to move within and between rooms. Need to pop poppy away? Simply remove the back two legs with the press of a button and store away. Globally safety certified (not all high chairs are!), poppy has been designed with your child's safety in mind first poppy's passive harness keeps your baby snug in their high chair, leaving you with two free hands (and peace of mind!) to buckle them up and fit the food tray.
Buckle your baby in with a five point safety harness. Attach the food tray with a simple click! poppy high chair is safe secure, whether your baby's a first timer or a seasoned pro of the food throne. A photo posted by phil&teds (@philandteds) on Sep 14, 2016 at 3:17pm PDT A photo posted by phil&teds (@philandteds) on May 10, 2016 at 3:25pm PDT A photo posted by phil&teds (@philandteds) on Feb 28, 2016 at 12:53am PST Health & Parenting Center Health & Baby Center Guide to Baby Food & Nutrition Feeding Baby: 8 Eating Milestones There are many milestones that need to be achieved when a baby is ready to start to eat solid foods. Here are some of the big ones. Baby Milestone 1: When They Can Start Solids Most pediatricians, and the American Academy of Pediatrics, recommend introducing solid foods to babies when they are between ages 4 and 6 months. That’s when they start to lose the “tongue-thrust reflex” or extrusion reflex, which is important for sucking the breast or bottle when they are younger, but interferes with feeding.
Babies at this point can also lift their heads up independently and hold their necks high. If your baby is around this age, can sit up well with support, and shows interest in the foods he sees you eating, it’s probably a good time to venture into feeding your baby solid food. If your baby is exclusively breastfed, it is recommended that you wait until he is 6 months to start solids. Baby Milestone 2: When They’re Ready to Move From Puree to Chunks “Chunking up” babies’ food is a process -- obviously, they shouldn’t go straight from rice cereal to raisin bran. But after the first few weeks of adjusting to eating rather than just drinking his food, your baby should be ready to handle a little more texture in solid foods. Introduce new textures slowly. Good starters are mashed bananas or mashed avocados. You can also use the “staged” store-bought baby foods -- going from the smooth puree of stage 1 to the slightly thicker stage 2 and then the chunkier stage 3 by around 9 months of age.
(Babies don’t necessarily have to have a lot of teeth to handle more texture in their foods -- they can often gum soft foods very well!) Baby Milestone 3: When They Can Sit in a High Chair When babies are ready to eat solid foods, they can sit upright with support and hold up their head and neck. They're capable of sitting in a high chair! That's a serious milestone, but you'll need to follow these safety rules: Always buckle a baby into his chair for safety, even if he is unable to get out with the tray in place. As he gets older and becomes more active, he may be able to squirm out. It is a good habit to buckle a child as soon as you place him in his chair -- even if you think there's no chance he could fall out or climb out. You may get distracted for a moment, which happens really easily when we are trying to do a million things at once! Baby Food and Nutrition GuideSolid Foods SlideshowEating MilestonesStarting SolidsBaby Food ChartMaking Baby FoodIntroducing FoodsExpert Q&A