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Saturday, September 23, 2006

Hating the Chair

The high chair is making me insane.

It is impossible to quibble with the one we have, which was extremely kindly handed down to us by my in-laws. All things considered, it is a fantastic bit of engineering, since even when my Houdini-child extracts himself from its straps and stands in the seat, or climbs up onto the tray itself (just momentarily, don't get all bent out of shape), it remains upright without even threatening to tip.

So I am grateful to the highchair but I can't stand it. These devises are next to impossible to clean without immersing them in the bathtub and attacking them with toothbrushes (to get into all the secret nooks) and toddler table manners being what they are, one is guaranteed that one's cleaning efforts will be entirely eradicated as soon as the first meal is served.

Impossible to tell what the problem is with sitting in the highchair, really. This week, Felix revealed that he is happy to take his meals off the highchair's tray, as long as he was sitting on a chair in front of the highchair (preferably on my lap, but he'll stretch up if he has to). Clearly these issues are signs that something has to give.

But I'm not so sure about my choices. There are some splendid (Stokke) expensive (Svan) Scandanavian designs, it just seems like folly to contemplate spending so much on a temporary piece of furniture when one has nowhere to store it. Not to be outdone, there are some astonishingly expensive non-Swedish/Danish designs as well. (Witness the Babylon, the Bam Bam the Boon Flair and the Nest.) The things that clamp on to counters and tables are vaguely compelling, but won't work in my house (weird table, short-lipped counters) And is there a verdict on those plastic booster seats? They're cheap and ugly and kind of unstable, so are they even worth a shot? I'm giving up on strapping the kid in anyway. He doesn't sit for it and I just wind up with nasty food-coated straps).

I'm not asking for a miracle or looking for some outrageously cool Engadget solution to this phase of impatience- Felix's and mine, because I really don't think one exists. It is probably all compromise and wrestling until one of two things happens: I break entirely or Felix realizes that the pleasures of eating can be a distraction from the pain of sitting.

Still, getting back to Scandanavian design for one moment, the Handy Sitt does have some charm, though there are those tragic torture straps again.

posted by Elise at 5:12 PM

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14 Comments:

Anonymous said...

The plastic boosters are OK, and they're nice to be able to bring with you when you eat at other people's houses, but you MUST make sure you strap it to a very sturdy chair. My daughter would reach forward and grab onto the table and then rock the whole chair--once she actually pulled herself over, but luckily it was onto me instead of onto the floor.

9/23/2006 8:20 PM

Anonymous said...

I highly recommend the ultra-inexpensive super easy to clean Ikea Antilop, with cushion and tray, if you can get one where you are. Downside: it doesn't fold. It's also not great for a tiny baby but I don't think that's a big deal?

Did I mention cheap?

http://www.ikea.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/CategoryDisplay?storeId=12&catalogId=10103&langId=-1&topcategoryId=15567&parentCats=15567*15659*15667&categoryId=15667&cattype=sub

For boosters - yeah, they can tip the chair over, but if you can get past that in some way we like our inflatable First Years one fine - it's ultra portable.

http://store.babycenter.com/product/gear/1907

9/24/2006 5:00 PM

Anonymous said...

I have to vote for the booster w/a clip-on tray. we have an older one that is great, very sturdy, large tray, etc. Doesn't take up any room, which is why we never bought a high-chair. Check out lots of models and ebay as well.

9/25/2006 7:39 AM

Elise said...

Many thanks. Indeed, I think the era of the highchair is on the wane around here. I actually think the tray itself is part of the problem. It is far too tempting to climb on, so I'll ponder some belly-to-the-table options.

9/25/2006 9:23 AM

Anonymous said...

I agree with the previous thoughts about the booster chair. Felix is of an age where he's about to give up the high chair anyway so you'll need a booster soon enough. They're cheap and easy to clean. Don't bother with the tray; just push him up to the table and let him eat like a big boy. Good luck!

9/25/2006 3:34 PM

Angel said...

i have to agree with the Ikea Antilop, with tray, suggestion. no, it doesn't fold but it is very easy to dis- and even re-assemble, so portability isn't a major issue. and it's incredibly easy to clean, is cheap, and stands up well to my son (who refuses a booster and climbs out of normal chairs.) plus, if you remove the tray, you can scoot the chair right up to the dining table, making a booster unnecessary. it tricks my son into thinking he's a big enough boy to eat at the family table on a daily basis. my only issue is that the strappies get grungy every now and again. but otherwise, i'm pleased as punch. good luck :)

9/29/2006 11:39 AM

gef said...

We love our Stokke chair--yeah, it's a little pricey (you can find deals on ebay) but Dale used it for about a year and of course the new kid will use it eventually too. Not as crazy as blowing $$ on a stokke crib or an oeuf bouncy seat (though if you've got $ to blow--by all means!).

9/29/2006 12:48 PM

Elise said...

I have known a number of folks who swear by the Stokke chair and here's a question: can you use the Stokke with a toddler who resists being strapped in? Will it work all right if you just let the kid scale the thing and plunk down and eat or is the strapping-in part of it really necessary?

9/29/2006 3:30 PM

Anonymous said...

We got the Fisher Price Healthy Care booster from Target, and it is a really great, sturdy design. We use it at grandma's. Can be used with or without tray for toddlers who want to eat at the table. I can't say much about the cleanability, since I don't mind having a little encrusted grit in the nooks. The tray can go in the dishwasher.

We're using a hand-me-down high chair at home, but I really want to blow the $$ on the Stokke or the Babylon. I have friends whose kids used the Stokke through preschool, and I've sat in it and it's really comfortable. I'm wondering if the Babylon is as comfortable, since it has the advantage of the tray kit (for more $$). I won't be getting either, though, until I'm feeling a bit more flush.

1/08/2007 7:01 AM

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2/06/2007 6:07 AM

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2/09/2007 3:45 AM

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2/09/2007 3:45 AM

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