Won't eat in her highchair

[katzone]

My DD has just turned one, she started walking at 11 months and since then she will not eat in her highchair. She hates being strapped in it and will kick and scream and refuse food. If we let her out she will either sit on the floor and eat or toddle around and come back when she has finished her mouthful, have some more and toddle off again. At first I was concerned that she wasn't eating enough as I kept insisting she sat in the chair to eat. So then I gave in and let her down because then at least I knew she was getting enough food so she wasn't hungry or lacking in nutrients etc.
Now I am worrying that although she is eating well she is going to be a nightmare to get to sit at a table for meals as she gets older.
I'm not sure what to do for the best? I don't want her going hungry but I also don't want to be making a big problem as time goes on with her thinking it is ok to sit on the floor or walk around as you eat!

 

[special_kala]

What about a little table and chairs?

River goes through phases of not wanting to sit at the table, we just let her get on with it as she always goes back to eating at the table

 

[sun]

My LO hates highchairs too. We have a little table and chair he can eat snacks at, but we also have a booster with a tray that just sits on a regular chair. He is much happier sitting right at the table with us (so no tray) and eating with dishes and cutlery that looks like ours. One day he was done with the tray/baby dishes and spork LOL...

We also really try and limit how much he eats while walking around so it's hard to get him to stay at his little table to eat, but it's getting better.

 

[RachA]

Maybe try a booster seat.

I personally won't give mine a meal unless they are sat down because i don't want them learning they can eat while wandering around. My lo went through a phase of sitting on my knee to eat. I think she thought that by doing that she could get up and down from the table - once she realised that wasn't going to happen she wanted to go back in the high-chair.

On one hand i want to say that your child won't actually starve themselves so don't worry if your lol isn't eating much as it'll pick up. However we routinely 'starve' our lo because she chooses not to eat what i make her so she doesn't get anything else - after nearly a year she hasn't worked out yet that i won't make her anything other than what we are having.

Once thing i would suggest is that if you think your lo isn't getting enough nutrients etc then get baby vitamins - because of the above problem we've been giving our lo vitamins for a year.

 

[letia659]

we havent used a high chair in a long time I found a booster seat at a second hand shop so he has sit at the table with us ever since I got that it just sits on a regular chair and we push him up to the table with us

 

[Mrs Doddy]

Ah yes - my headache too. Main meals I make her eat at the highchair and distract her as much as possible, lids of pots, spoons ect. I let her have fruit and toast while wandering around playing , also when cooking she stands at the gate screaming so I give her something then, she eats more this way - she starts nursery next week and I hope this will help

 

[pinktaffy]

i got a high low highchair and she would only sit init as a low chair she hated being 2 high up and would try and climb out lol. weve now converted it into a table and chair she loves it.