Solutions for 14m & 16M olds wanting to sit at table please?

I have two littlies that are at the in between stage of highchair and being able to sit safely at the play table on toddler chairs. They really want to sit at the table with others and I would like them to but it's really difficult to find a toddler chair that has sides to it so they don't slip sideways and is a similar height to the toddler chairs iyswim. It would also be handy to have a tray on their chair for learning to self feed foods other then finger foods. Other than this really expensive (but ideal) low chair:

Low Level Feeding Chair

Does anyone have a good solution that works for you at mealtimes for mixed age children??

Mothercare Convertible Highchair - highchairs - Mothercare
I use these (just the chair part), very good price here. T-bar front is removable for when they do not need it. I push them up to a Ikea low table.
Easy to find secondhand too.
ETA: I now see it is out of stock.... ebay is a good place to find them, they have been making them for years.

I've been having the same problem and was just going to hack the legs on my really cheap ikea wooden high chair and hope it worked.

Moggy's link is not working, but is it perhaps a similar thing to this?

OBaby Cube Wooden Highchair - highchairs - Mothercare

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by clareelizabeth1

I've been having the same problem and was just going to hack the legs on my really cheap ikea wooden high chair and hope it worked.

---

I was thinking of doing something similar with thei ikea £9 antilop hiughchair if i cant find an alternative

Urg, links not working!

Try this:
mothercare wooden highchair/lowchair And Table | eBay

I've been gifted a couple of ikea high chairs off Facebook and am waiting for hubby to shorten the legs for me.

I saw on another thread someone had shortened the idea antelop highchair legs to sit around a low level table

I have 3 LO s who sit at an ikea LACK table on small wooden chairs with backs ( no sides ) (originally from ikea about 12 years ago! ). They have been sitting there since the youngest was about 10/11 mths old. They are now 14/17/21 mths and all sit fine! Took a little encouraging to stay sitting down but they sit much better at the little table than at tall chairs at the main table or even than sitting in highchairs!
Mine all self feed ... finger food, with or without spoons etc ... Yes it's messy but I find it easier to wipe down one table than several high chair trays!
I have a couple of low wooden step stools in the kitchen and they also all like to sit on those at their table. They sit very well on the stools. In fact at some training I was at recently it was suggested that it is better for children to sit on a stool ... better for posture, digestion etc.

In that case ikea do lovely little stools...mammut I think the range is called, I want to buy some but dont have space, considering some for garden in summer as we eat snacks outside at a little table when weather good

The stools are very low so sure they'd get the hang of them

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by alex__17

In that case ikea do lovely little stools...mammut I think the range is called, I want to buy some but dont have space, considering some for garden in summer as we eat snacks outside at a little table when weather good

---

Are they the plastic ones? ... I had s couple but didn't find them very stable! Mine are wooden ... a bit like the top of an old step ladder and very sturdy .. and also from ikea! I'm on my phone ... If I can find and link I will! ...hopefully linked!
Like this but only the top half!
http://m.ikea.com/gb/en/catalog/products/art/30178879/

We all sit at dining room table for lunch.
My highchairs become just that...a high chair no tray just at the table at the right height.
Works brilliantly, breakfast and lunch are my favourite times in the day, we all sit around together, learn table manners, have 'quiet background music' - classical mainly...

I am sorry to say this but I really don't get the low table mealtimes in a home setting. Where do you sit?
I am presuming that this happens when people have play rooms and spend most of the day in them?

We have uhmed and ahead over our dining room table...do we go back to a drop leaf to give us more room?
But the children love sitting up at the table, some in chairs that are high with their seat belt on, some on a booster, some on normal chairs with a specialy made thick chair cushion ... Sometimes, given the choice of low or high tables for craft they choose high because it is different.
I don't see how you can expect children to be ready for school, eating out, at granny's etc.. If they don't eat at normal size tables with adults.

We usually sit at the big table ... With children on tall chairs or booster seats on chairs.
However I have found that the LOs sit better at the low table when they can have their feet on the floor. I usually sit on a low chair/stool with them and have my plate on their table. Usually only lunchtime!
Except the one teatime when I have 6 schoolies and 4 LOs needing to eat so use both the tables in the kitchen!

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by FloraDora

We all sit at dining room table for lunch.
My highchairs become just that...a high chair no tray just at the table at the right height.
Works brilliantly, breakfast and lunch are my favourite times in the day, we all sit around together, learn table manners, have 'quiet background music' - classical mainly...

I am sorry to say this but I really don't get the low table mealtimes in a home setting. Where do you sit?
I am presuming that this happens when people have play rooms and spend most of the day in them?

We have uhmed and ahead over our dining room table...do we go back to a drop leaf to give us more room?
But the children love sitting up at the table, some in chairs that are high with their seat belt on, some on a booster, some on normal chairs with a specialy made thick chair cushion ... Sometimes, given the choice of low or high tables for craft they choose high because it is different.
I don't see how you can expect children to be ready for school, eating out, at granny's etc.. If they don't eat at normal size tables with adults.

---

We have a bit of both-

We have a dining table and high chairs up to the table where we all sit for family meals and some activities-
Advantages are that we are all sitting together etc, as you say.
Disadvantage is children all need lifting in/out of chairs, no independence, they cannot reach the table properly from the floor for laying the table/clearing up.

So, I also have a low table and chairs for snacks and some activities where even little ones can sit themselves down, pull the table up to their chair, get themselves up and take their own cup to the sink, set the table themselves and clear away because they can reach it all.

I find the combination is perfect for us (all EY children)

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by moggy

We have a bit of both-

We have a dining table and high chairs up to the table where we all sit for family meals and some activities-
Advantages are that we are all sitting together etc, as you say.
Disadvantage is children all need lifting in/out of chairs, no independence, they cannot reach the table properly from the floor for laying the table/clearing up.

So, I also have a low table and chairs for snacks and some activities where even little ones can sit themselves down, pull the table up to their chair, get themselves up and take their own cup to the sink, set the table themselves and clear away because they can reach it all.

I find the combination is perfect for us (all EY children)

---

I agree, I have both too - but ours do the whole stretch up and put things in correct place as best they can when they set the table.
My chairs are a bit of a climbing frame, they have steps to climb so they climb up and down on their own, but then I put the seat belt on the chairs, boosters they can do themselves.
They climb down if they can and everyone has to take something to the dishwasher and wipe their placemat.
I find the waiting for me to get them down a good waiting experience ...but I do have DH hovering somewhere to help, I appreciate it might be more tricky on your own.

The older EY ones (age 3+) use the family table from time to time to eat, play, craft etc. But they usually prefer to sit at their own table, I feel they are safer at that height too. I am dead against booster seats for little ones at the dinner table since my dd was on one and pushed herself away from the table, resulting in the dining chair tipping backwards and a large bump on her head and luckily not a fractured skull. OH is currently looking at customising the ikea antilop highchair to the desired height :)

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by FloraDora

I agree, I have both too - but ours do the whole stretch up and put things in correct place as best they can when they set the table.
My chairs are a bit of a climbing frame, they have steps to climb so they climb up and down on their own, but then I put the seat belt on the chairs, boosters they can do themselves.
They climb down if they can and everyone has to take something to the dishwasher and wipe their placemat.
I find the waiting for me to get them down a good waiting experience ...but I do have DH hovering somewhere to help, I appreciate it might be more tricky on your own.

---

I do the same. We all sit at the kitchen table, some on boosters some just on the chairs. We learn about table manners and that we can't just get down and go back to playing as soon as we have finished, we wait for everyone to finish. We talk about different things and they learn about cleaning themselves after they have finished and putting their own rubbish in the bin. Then everyone goes back off to play together.
Occasionally they have a snack at the low tables in the playroom, they sit on wooden stools, even my 14mth olds can easily sit there at the table, they just don't like staying sitting and would rather get up and walk around with their food which is a big no no for me but all main meals are served at the big table with all age groups sitting around.

xxx

Hi acorns. How about Totseats found on Am*z*n. It's made with washable material which the toddler can go in up to 30 months and can be attached to dining room chairs and I imagine children's shorter chairs. Cost approx £20. There's no tray but might be worth a look.

http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/aw/d/B002...A9MNWH72K0AVFN

I imagine it's similar to those used in nurseries, haven't used one myself. I have highchairs and booster seats up to my dining table. The chairs with booster seats attached I put with chair backs against a wall. The children like to push their feet against the framework under the table top which could tip chair backwards. The wall stops this. I also have lower table and chairs for snacks and to use for messy activities etc. Hope the link helps :-)

Just found another one. £9.99.

http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/aw/d/B00C...23VRRYC40QPFCP