The last time we had children under 2.5 we had more adult furniture so we used booster chairs as an in-between highchair and chair. Our current setup is all child-sized so we don't have booster chairs anymore. At what age do you guys normally start to transition to child sized chairs?

Our 17 mo def still needs a highchair for meals and art activities as it is not safe to chance her walking around with a fork or getting ahold of scissors or something that an older child is using. Our 23 mo seems really close to me to being able to transition to a child sized chair but I waffle back and forth on it. He is happy sitting in a highchair, but he can be safe w/ art supplies for the most part but has a hard time staying at the table with them, and staying at the table while eating. He doesn't seem to be able to understand yet that if you get up you are done as he is not learning from that lesson when I give him the chance

Suggestions?

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Oh, good question! I am interested to see everyone's answers to this one too because I have the same situation with one of my toddlers who just turned two years old two weeks ago.

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When I worked in a center, as soon as the dck's were in the toddler room (around 1 and walking) they sat in child sized chairs. For the most part believe it or not, they did great! For the one's who were new to sitting in the chairs or didn't want to sit to eat, we would just sit next to them (we did family style dining anyways) and/or kept putting sitting them back down and eventually the got it.

Now here at my fcc, all of the 2 year old's sit at a table and my 2 youngest who are 15 months old sit in high chairs at meal times because it's just me here and I don't want them to walk around with food. Sometimes at snack they do sit at the child table, depending on who is here and what it is.

When we do art and other activities, the younger ones sit at the child table with the older kids and that gives them some practice on sitting in chairs. They usually only use hc's for meals.

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I would say start with the 2 year old, and be consistent every time. Just get rid of his high chair over the weekend. He can now sit in a "big boy chair".

He gets up, he's done. That's all. Not a big deal, don't worry he didn't eat enough, etc. "Oh, I see you want to be excused. Say "excused please next time"...remove plate. If he complains, just say "Once you leave the table, you're done." and stick to it. He will get it if you're firm yet kind.

Once he's got the hang of it, you can start with the next youngest. With him, I'd just do it for meals first, and keep the high chair for art activities for a while. Would that work for you?

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Anybody you can successfully sit without falling sit at the child sized picnic table. My youngest is 14 months and have no problems as we have a rule every body sits till every one is done

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At the center I work at it happens when they leave my room for the next room. This happens no later than 18 months. The youngest kids move up is probably 14-15 months.

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I have two child sized tables. One is more for 3-4 and the other is sized for 1-2. I have a 16 month old who is learning to sit in a chair instead of a highchair and dcb who just turned one today. I just started him sitting in the chair yesterday. my 1 yr old cant walk and I just sit next to him and keep him from falling off. My dad cut the chairs down so they are only a couple inches from the ground. Once he can walk, he will be able to sit at the table by himself.
If they get up, I just sit them back down. All the centers i have worked at before my home daycare, the 1's all sat in chairs and fed themselves. You just have to train them

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Everything I use is also child-sized.

I still use booster seats.. I have no high chairs

I just strap the booster seat to the little chairs.

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Not sure if a booster would work w/ the chairs I have, but I will try it!

At what age do you remove the booster and use just the chair?

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I guess there is no particular age. I try to transition them to the regular chair when their skill or developmental level dictated the change.... kwim?

I have a 14 month old right now who sleeps on a mat, uses silverware and sits on a regular chair.

I have a 2.5 yr old that still sleeps in a crib at home (not here), does NOT use silverware very well and still sits in the booster seat because they are so messy and uncoordinated.

So long story short, it depends on their skill levels.

I suppose size too...I've had HUGE toddlers that wouldn't fit in a booster seat.

HTH

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When they are ready to sit safely and will follow my directions. Varies from child to child.

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I transition no later then 18months. I have one booster seat with straps if someone is having a particularly tough time handling themselves but need to be involved in that activity.

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I put my 3 in high chairs or booster chairs still and they're 25, 22 and 20 months. I have the ones that attach to the regular chair and then my DS' high chair. I have an extra booster in case I have a younger baby who needs the high chair, but otherwise I just put my DS in his chair and the other 2 in their booster chairs. Once a child is 3-3.5 I would let them as long as they don't goof around and risk falling off or get up repeatedly. Otherwise it's pretty much a maturity level. Can the child reach the table without a booster? Do they risk falling?

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The 23 mo can reach the table fine, the 17 mo not completely. The 23 mo may fall occasionally, he is pretty uncoordinated. The 17 mo would not fall.

My main issue with the 17 mo would be at art time- she eats crayons and sucks on markers and I am sure she would eat glue. She LOVES to dump and throw colored pencils. She loves to rip and tear paper (especially someone else's!). She would hurt herself w/ scissors. She will not stay seated at all during art at the table but is perfectly happy in her highchair for the whole art time.

With the 23 mo my main issue is mealtime- he still eats in a HC at home and when I have him sit at the table he takes his neighbors food constantly, gets up but is not done (and doesn't learn after leaving the meal early multiple times, seems truly confused).

I did run up and get a booster and try it out on my child-sized chairs. The chair is too narrow and not deep enough for the booster and there would not be enough space between the table and the booster for the child to get under the table

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I don't do it based on age....I always first put them at the table with the rest of the group and see how they do. Mind you, my group consist of children ages 16months to 5yrs. If they can't manage at the table, I then move them to the highchair. I will leave them their for about 3 weeks. MOve them back to the table and see how they do. By then they usually get it. ALL OF my kids sit at the table. I hate high chairs. TOo hard to clean

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I started transitioning them between 14-18 months. I started putting them at the table starting out on the 'easier' not so messy meals/ snacks. I usually still had one meal or snack during the day where messier foods were served that they were in the high chairs for. That way i could make sure they were cleaned up before they got up.

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I have child-sized tables and chairs. Now all my kids are 2 and up, but I started with everyone under 3. Infants ate on my lap until they could sit up securely on their own, then they went into a chair. If they needed a little help staying up on it, I'd use a seatbelt sort of thing someone gave me--just a nice wide quilted fabric thing with velcro. And I sat beside them. (Obviously, I only had one lap-sitter enrolled at a time.)

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At our center, when they move into the toddler room at approx 18 months. We do have one booster seat like BC for a child who is developmentally ready to move up, but still too small/uncoordinated to sit in the child sized chairs.

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I also don't go by an age but more when I think they are ready. Typically around 12 months, and I sit with them at meals and reinforce we don't walk around with food, etc. It is a lot of work in the beginning but worth it to have all our furniture child sized. If they aren't in a regular chair I have a travel type highchair that attaches to the child sized table so it still has them at the table with the class but offers more safety. Right now all my kids are in child sized chairs ages 10m to 31m. Our chairs are very low for their ages.

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