Parenting & kids - Coping w/o a highchair, w/hyper baby

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Coping w/o a highchair, w/hyper baby

My 11 MO has started climbing out of her highchair at every meal. We
now have the strap set as tight as I feel comfortable setting it and
we also keep the "table" part up against her belly as tightly as I
feel OK doing. Nevertheless, she can get to a standing position in
seconds flat. Very dangerous.

Also very inconvenient. The highchair was a key part of how I coped
when each of my two older kids was an infant and young toddler. I
could get all kinds of stuff done in the kitchen while the baby fed
herself, or even just played in the highchair. It was especially a
lifesaver at dinnertime, when babies/toddlers tend to be cranky and to
want to be held a lot but mom needs to make dinner. I found that the
baby could cope pretty well if she could sit right next to me in the
highchair and nibble on food and/or play.

I feel I need the highchair more than ever with this baby, who is the
most active of my three so far and also, as the third, the most
benignly neglected. Even in our reasonably child-proofed house, this
baby can get into trouble or destroy something shockingly fast. It
helped enormously, until last week, to be able to put her in her
highchair while I concentrated on cooking or, at breakfast-time, while
I concentrated on getting the older two and myself ready to get the
schoolbus. Also, the baby really starts acting hungry about an hour
earlier than the rest of the family is ready to, so if I can't feed
her while making dinner, then she is going to be hungry and cranky. I
have taken to nursing her before going into the kitchen to cook,
which, IMO, is a step back.

She doesn't only climb out when she's done eating -- in fact, she
likes to stand up and reach down for her pieces of food!! Incredibly
adorable, but dangerous! Since she began doing this, she has been
eating a lot less solid food, which I'm not at all pleased about. She
was a great solids eater.

We have tried repeatedly pulling her back into the chair and also
saying NO very sternly. She finds the latter hilarious; the former,
frustrating to the point of shrieking. I imagine it will be about a
year before she will "listen" when we tell her to stop climbing out,
so I need to find a new coping mechanism.

First question: Does this sound problematically odd? That a child at
11 months can't sit still long enough to eat, for God's sake? Is this
a sign of the dreaded ADHD? I mean, my first child was (and still is,
at 8) a very active go-getter, but he never climbed out of his
highchair during a meal and, in general, he was just not *quite* as
destructive or constantly on-the-move as this one.

Second question: To anyone with a baby like this who was too active to
sit and eat (and/or, anyone who *chose* not to use a highchair and
whose baby was very active): How on earth did you manage to get solids
into them?

Coping w/o a highchair, w/hyper baby

Nevermind wrote:

My 11 MO has started climbing out of her highchair at every meal. We
now have the strap set as tight as I feel comfortable setting it and
we also keep the "table" part up against her belly as tightly as I
feel OK doing. Nevertheless, she can get to a standing position in
seconds flat. Very dangerous.

Have you considered purchasing a high chair that has a 5 point harness
rather than just a lap belt?

Coping w/o a highchair, w/hyper baby

"Nevermind" wrote:

First question: Does this sound problematically odd? That a child at
11 months can't sit still long enough to eat, for God's sake? Is this
a sign of the dreaded ADHD?

It certainly isn't a sign of that. It's just the sign of a very
active child.

Second question: To anyone with a baby like this who was too active to
sit and eat (and/or, anyone who *chose* not to use a highchair and
whose baby was very active): How on earth did you manage to get solids
into them?

I chose not to use a highchair because my child could climb
out of it. Once she saw that she could do so, it was pretty much
over for the high chair. My child also developed an extreme
aversion to it when I tried to put her in it. After that, I didn't see
any point in pushing it. And, around that time, a friend of ours
had a child who climbed out and broke his femur. That gave us
another reason to ditch it.

After that, I sat and ate with her, often feeding her myself, as I've
got a thing about food messes. She sat on my knee for awhile, in a
chair on her own (but with me right there), and eventually used a
booster. She liked that better, so climbing out wasn't an issue.
I always sit with her when she eats (unless it's an on-the-go
snack), so it was eaiser to experiment.

She's an only child, so I don't have nearly as much to deal
with as you, but that's what I did here.

P. Tierney

Coping w/o a highchair, w/hyper baby

After that, I sat and ate with her, often feeding her myself, as I've
got a thing about food messes. She sat on my knee for awhile, in a
chair on her own (but with me right there), and eventually used a
booster. She liked that better, so climbing out wasn't an issue.
I always sit with her when she eats (unless it's an on-the-go
snack), so it was eaiser to experiment.

She's an only child, so I don't have nearly as much to deal
with as you, but that's what I did here.

P. Tierney

I did exactly the same with DS.
I enjoyed feeding him!
He enjoyed not being strapped into a high chair.
He still made a terrible mess though ;-)

Coping w/o a highchair, w/hyper baby

"Tracey" wrote in message
. com...
Nevermind wrote:

My 11 MO has started climbing out of her highchair at every meal. We
now have the strap set as tight as I feel comfortable setting it and
we also keep the "table" part up against her belly as tightly as I
feel OK doing. Nevertheless, she can get to a standing position in
seconds flat. Very dangerous.

Have you considered purchasing a high chair that has a 5 point harness
rather than just a lap belt?

i second t his poster! over the shoulder will keep her tied down! my 15 mo
old has just started to wriggle out of his hig chair with lap belt only, so
i have to do the w hole thing now. and i am so with you about leaving them
in it to get some things done. and i only haave 2!

christine

Coping w/o a highchair, w/hyper baby

"Nevermind" wrote in message
om...

First question: Does this sound problematically odd? That a child at
11 months can't sit still long enough to eat, for God's sake? Is this
a sign of the dreaded ADHD? I mean, my first child was (and still is,
at 8) a very active go-getter, but he never climbed out of his
highchair during a meal and, in general, he was just not *quite* as
destructive or constantly on-the-move as this one.

i'm sure it's normal :-) my little one didn't like the highchair
particularly, but my older one was fine with it.

Second question: To anyone with a baby like this who was too active to
sit and eat (and/or, anyone who *chose* not to use a highchair and
whose baby was very active): How on earth did you manage to get solids
into them?

i doubt i'd have bothered with a high chair except that my mum bought me
one. other ways to feed them a on your lap, in their pram, sitting on the
floor facing each other (on a towel or something! the mess!!) #1 is
obviously easiest.

if i was you i'd probably take her out of the highchair & put her on the
floor or carry her as soon as she stands up once, & probably only use it for
food from this point on.
kylie
--
www.rdj.com.au

Coping w/o a highchair, w/hyper baby

Nevermind wrote in message
. ..
Second question: To anyone with a baby like this who was too active to
sit and eat (and/or, anyone who *chose* not to use a highchair and
whose baby was very active): How on earth did you manage to get solids
into them?

I make sure there is food laying around my daughter's play areas. I don't
leave it out all day but I make sure she always has something to eat, to
graze on. She eats more walking around than in her highchair.
I know it's inconvenient (it is for me also at times, b/c she also would
never sit in a bouncy seat, or exersaucer, or swing, or anything but my
hip!) but it will be grown out of eventually :o)
Marie

Coping w/o a highchair, w/hyper baby

Hi -

Maybe this is just a stage? Maybe when she gets the hang of walking
she'll be more willing to sit for eating?

Can your older kids sit with her while she's eating to entertain her?
Even 5 minutes would probably be very helpful.

We also had toys that ONLY came out when the kids were in the highchair
(just as we had toys that were only for use during diaper changes).
Maybe that might help?

Good luck!
--Beth Kevles

http://web.mit.edu/kevles/www/nomilk.html -- a page for the milk-allergic
Disclaimer: Nothing in this message should be construed as medical
advice. Please consult with your own medical practicioner.

NOTE: No email is read at my MIT address. Use the AOL one if you would
like me to reply.

Coping w/o a highchair, w/hyper baby

Nevermind wrote:

snip story of 11mo who stands up in high chair despite

reasonable precautions

My sympathies! Sounds like a tough spot!

We have tried repeatedly pulling her back into the chair and also
saying NO very sternly. She finds the latter hilarious; the former,
frustrating to the point of shrieking. I imagine it will be about a
year before she will "listen" when we tell her to stop climbing out,
so I need to find a new coping mechanism.

Personally, I wouldn't stuff her back in the chair *or*
rely on "NO!" to work (you might *say* it, but you can't expect
it to work ;-) I'd take her out and put the food away so that
she learns if she wants to eat, she has to sit down. Even at
11 months, she should learn that pretty quickly, though it might
be a rough couple of days.

First question: Does this sound problematically odd? That a child at
11 months can't sit still long enough to eat, for God's sake? Is this
a sign of the dreaded ADHD? I mean, my first child was (and still is,
at 8) a very active go-getter, but he never climbed out of his
highchair during a meal and, in general, he was just not *quite* as
destructive or constantly on-the-move as this one.

Nah. Maybe she's just more physically capable earlier.
I wouldn't read too much into this at this early age. Maybe
it's something, or maybe it's not, but it's likely too early
to tell for sure. Never borrow trouble ;-)

Second question: To anyone with a baby like this who was too active to
sit and eat (and/or, anyone who *chose* not to use a highchair and
whose baby was very active): How on earth did you manage to get solids
into them?

We did not use a high chair, but I'm not sure my
babies were unusually active (or maybe my perceptions are
just skewed). Mine got *hungry*, so I never had to push
food at all, and they'd do what it took to get access to
food. Sometimes they'd snack in the exersaucer
(we have the vintage model without all the gewgaws, so
there was room on the tray for snacks ;-)
We had a tall chair they could sit in pulled up to the
table (I had a wide belt-like thing with velcro to
keep them in it). Sometimes they'd sit on a lap.

I really wonder, though, if you took her out of
the highchair whenever she stood up if she would learn
very quickly to sit down in it in order ot eat. Does
she not like eating? It sounds from your post like
she likes eating, but is just having a grand old time
figuring out all the different death-defying ways she
can play with her food. If that's the case, removing
her might work quite nicely.

Best wishes,
Ericka