I have two 2 1/2yr old twin boys that just in the last few days have thought eating in their high chair was not cool anymore. I have a very nice oak table with cloth chairs. Any suggestions on how to keep my table and chairs looking nice. My kids aren't the cleanest of eaters. Also, we have carpeted floors, but not to worried about that since carpet is dark and very old. We tried cereal this morning and it didn't go so well. Also, any suggestions on how to keep you kids from getting down from the table before they are finished eating without a struggle. We have tried eating like big people a couple of times and without the restraints of the high chair it hasn't been going so well. Thanks for your suggestions.
I think they make mats you can put on your chairs, which you put under the booster seat and it helps prevent the chair from getting damaged. To prevent them from getting down, I strap them into the booster seat.
I bought those plastic seat covers and put them on my kids chairs and even got a huge piece of clear vinyl to put over a table cloth on the table for easy clean up. You could put a mat under the table if you like. They are going to spill. That is part of learning NOT to spill. You have to let them practice. As far as getting up from the table I find if I am sitting at the table with them or we sit as a family for meals it's much easier.
I would suggest using booster seats on the chairs. This may contain the mess, and it will get the kids closer to the table so it's moe comfortable for them to eat. Hope this helps.
When my now (almost) 5 year old was a baby we bought a plastic seat that strapped to a chair and had a tray. The tray is removable and the seat has three different height adjustments to it. It also has a "seat belt" that you can strap the kids in with.
When he was little we used it like a high chair, and as he got older it was converted to a booster seat with a seat belt. We also are using it with my 17 month old daughter. We got ours at Babies R Us for around $20. I don't remember the exact price, but it was on the less expensive side of things.
maybe getting them thier own chairs to eat in until they are old enough to not destroy them (i have a 4 year old...i know...my chairs are recked, but i didn't care about htem in the first place...and he has his own chair so the rest of us can always have a clean one). For the carpet, you might get one of those vinyl tablecloths with flanel backing to put under his chair...then you can just wipe it up/shake it out and not worry about the carpet. That's what my mom did with me. ;)
Our twin boys recently decided this very thing! It is frustrating trying to keep the chairs and table looking nice. All the fingerprints and food is a constant cleaning nightmare!
Anyway, we moved their plastic picnic table inside so they can sit there...it is working with one boy. Now, we have the high chairs back also so the other can sit in his high chair (brother likes to take his food when he is done instead of asking for more).
I do like the smaller table for them -- easy to clean and move. They can wander if it is food I do not mind them eating there. And, they do not fight the high chairs as much if it is messier foods and I explain that the other table is tired and needs sleep for the meal.
First of all, just get ready for messes. :-) I have pictures of the big messes under the table when my twin boys were that age. I didn't have carpet to contend with, though.
We used neat sheets. They were great because you could put them in the washing machine. They contained the mess very well and if there was a spill, all I had to do was put them in the washer.
I would also suggest getting some kind of booster seat that has straps. We had ones that strapped around the chair and also strapped them in. It made life much easier for us and I felt safer. I didn't have to worry about them falling over and they had to stay in until they were done eating and I had cleaned them up.
Have fun with your twins. You're starting to get into the fun stage now. !!
Both my kids went through the same thing, not liking the high chair. My daughter wasnt' in one for long at all. What we did was found booster chairs that would slide under the table, some are too tall and the sides will hit the lip (if your table has one), we remove the tray (we have one that came with a tray and one that was just basic without. I keep a couple old towels in the linen closet and wrap one around the seat to keep from staining (which doesn't help when they decide to take their snack and sit in one of the other chairs...). I have hardwoods but once they are in the booster and slid in, they need assistance getting out for the most part. And a couple days of removing their di8nner if they escape, will cure them of getting up and thinking they can roam around during dinner.
There are these booster seat type things you can use with or without the tray the seat straps to the chair and then you can either strap the child in or not. Try putting a towel down on the chair underneath the booster seat to help keep your chair clean, or some vinyl clothing like a vinyl/plastic tablecloth folded up to about the size of the chair seat.
Bed Bath & Beyond and Linens & Things sells plastic chair covers, I would recommend getting some of those, and a booster seat that straps to the chair and has straps to hold the kids in, We love our Fisher Price Healthy Care Booster. We keep one in the car so we always have a highchair when we go places that don't have them. I also recommend a splat mat to go under the chairs.
I have purchased booster seats that have straps that can hook onto chairs. And you could tell them they can get out of the straps when they are X old, or whatever you choose would work, or don't even tell them about the straps, it's just something you do. Our booster has a table on it as well if that works better. We made it a habit to keep our two boys in the chairs throughout dinner (with straps) and then try to clean up the kitchen a bit before they get down... Then they feel like they are bigger boys and it helps keep things clean. We put our second in the booster when he was 9 months and it keeps the clutter down too without high chairs.
We bought a portable high chair for each child instead of using free standing ones because our dining room/kitchen is small. It was a great solution! They are compact, lightweight, folding, and come with a tray and straps with buckles both for holding in the child and for securing it to the dining room chair. We thought our kids would only use them when they were little, but now they are 3.5 and 6, and we're still using them--without trays and seat belts now--as booster seats at the table. Inexpensive, compact, gets the kids right up to the table; keeps family mealtimes happier!
I bought my daughter a portable seat that sits in the dining room chair until she was able to sit without fidgeting or getting down all the time. I took the tray off and pushed her up to the table. That worked out great. She's 3 1/2 now and has great table manners :)
I have a 2.5 yo as well, and we have been going through the same thing. I've been letting him start at the table, and as soon as he plays, or gets down, or breaks a rule, he goes back into the high chair. It seems to work pretty well for us, and he hasn't been throwing a fit about sitting in his highchair when he knows it's a consequence.
I tried the portable booster seat but my daughter hated it I think as much as her high chair. So I took one of our big phone books and wrapped it with a towel, leaving some towel to cover the rest of the chair that the phone book didnt cover. And we just put a washable coloring mat under the chair. That way she could sit in the "big" chair like the adults and I just needed to wash the towel when it got dirty (which was a lot at first) and wipe down the mat on the floor. We also have a place mat on the table.
My parents use a little wooden "high" chair... Its a little kid chair that sits up high so it can be pushed up to the table. That works well too; she's still using it even. They got it at a unfinished furniture store.
*If you do go with the portable booster seats I still suggest putting a towel under them and a mat on the floor because if your kids spill any type of liquid it still makes a huge mess. We found that out the hard way.