booster seat or high chair?

[sophiestars]

I am just wondering what you all use as my little boy has just turned 3 and we have one of the wooden high chairs that you can raise and lower the foot rest and seat.
We have used it without the tray since he was probably about 1 and because it doesn't fold it takes up quite alot of room in the kitchen. We don't need it for my son anymore so I am wondering if it is adequate to just use the booster seats (with trays) that strap onto your normal chairs. I have an 8 month old, two 18 month olds and a one year old (not all at once of course!)
It would mean i can take them off at the end of the day and put them away rather than having a big highchair permanently in place.

[gegele]

i have a highchair than i fold away and a booster seat which comes with a tray but you don't have to use it.
i have my son who is 15months and a mindee of 10months. i use both for both lol

if you haven't got the space definately keep the booster.

[avril]

I have both but mainly use the booster seat, it's a wooden one that straps onto a chair and then the child can use the table. I bought it from boots and cost approx £45 but I find the child likes it as they can be at the table with everyone else.

[TheBTeam]

I have three booster seats (solid plastic) with trays, and I just put a mess mat on the floor and sit the children around in them if any children are 'rockers' I place the chair with the back to a flat surface, so they don't fall, these are suitable as soon as a child can sit and hold head high, which is okay for most 8 month olds.

I use on a chair which i put the littlest ones in as these are still spoon fed by me and it is easier to have them higher, rather than me sat on the floor!

[Dragonfly]

Once they can sit up and support themselves ie *-9months i use booster seats, I kept tripping over the legs of high chairs, plusssssssssssssss you can pack them away at the end of the day. Bonus:thumbsup:

[nannymcflea]

boosters attatched to a chair for all mine,including my own. I have the ones that fold and have trays so they can sit on the floor if you need to,or even for craft on a messy mat.:thumbsup:

[miffy]

I have a high chair that folds which is great. I've never used the booster seats so can't comment but if you're short of space they seem the ideal solution.

Miffy xx

[Polly2]

I have booster seats which are good but have also bought 2 ikea highchairs. They are quite small and also stackable and the legs come off for storage. :thumbsup:

[ORKSIE]

I use boosters attached to chairs. because the child can sit at the table when we are doing a craft activity:)

[sarah707]

I have booster seats - they fold away much smaller than a high chair and they're easier to clean down. :D

[singingcactus]

I had booster seats, but I hated the hassle of tying them securely to the chairs every day, then taking them off again each evening so adults could use the chairs. So I got a couple of the ikea high chairs which take up way less space than even the boosters and don't need to be fastened onto a regular chair. This meant that I could also get rid of my big dining chairs and use my folding ones.

That being said, we tend to use child sized table and stools here. The kids sit around it and serve themselves. It is easier for them cos they can stand up to serve if they need to and then just plop back down on their stools.

I sit on my chair just next to them, but they get autonomy at their table, I just help out when they want me to.

[Chatterbox Childcare]

Have you looked at the children's chairs from ikea? They don't fold but sit up the table like a normal chair but higher. I have 2 and all the children fight over them as they are higher than my adult sized chairs.

[The Juggler]

I use boosters as soon as children can sit without flopping forward properly as I think it's better for them to be up at the table with everyone else.

[Alibali]

Booster seats here too, it means all the children are sitting at the table, I also have one of the ikea chairs which is great once they are a bit bigger.

[sophiestars]

Hi thanks everyone, I think i will stick to the booster seats and get rid of the high chair. It's a wooden one that sits up to the table with the tray off but it takes the place of a chair so if i use boosters I can get my last dining chair from the loft (!) and put it where it belongs! I also like the idea of being able to remove the boosters at the end of the day so the table is back to normal.

[The Juggler]

having said that, I never seem to have the energy to remove my seats at the end of the day! I just clean them but they are not in the way like highchairs they just sit around the table.

I just think the social aspect is nice for the lo's

[janminder]

I am alternating between the two at mo with my nearly 3 year old mindees. Really messy food like spag bolognese, breakfast cereal I use high chairs with plastic sheet under. Tonight as it was 'drier food' i used boosters so they could sit with the other two children.