[OT] Did anyone forego getting a high chair?

My mother wants to buy us a high chair as a gift, and asked me to decide
which one we want and give her the ordering info.

The thing is, we're not even sure we want one. DS is 7.5 months old and
started getting some solids at six months. So far, whichever one of us
feeds him just sits him on his/her lap, gives him whatever amount he wants,
and then lets him get back to his baby job.

We're a little weird in that we don't have sit-down meals at a dining-room
or kitchen table. We both have several mini-meals throughout the day, and
we just eat in the living room--DH on the sofa, me at my desk. We've even
dismantled the dining room and made it into an exercise room, since it was
only something we used for guests (and when we host Thanksgiving, we'll
bring back the tables and the chairs temporarily).

Considering all that, we're not sure a high chair would fit in with the way
we actually live our lives. Yes, I plan to teach DS to sit through a meal
when he's older, but I don't foresee us adopting a more conventional pattern
as an everyday thing. However, since we have no other children, we don't
know whether we'll someday think a high chair *is* necessary.

So, did anyone simply forego the high chair altogether? If so, what did you
do instead? And on the flip side, did anyone think a high chair would be
unneeded, only to discover it became indispensable at some point?

Thanks,

Belphoebe

Hi -

You're forgetting the huge MESS aspect of an older baby's eating
habits. Yes, you'll probably find a high-chair, or at least a booster
seat with harness that you can attach to a plain wood or heavy plastic
chair, does become indispensible. You'll use it to confine the baby to
one spot for the sport of dropping cheerios, cheese squares and many
messier items onto the floor. You'll want it so that your sticky baby
doesn't go all over the house mid-meal when the phone rings, or when you
want to heat up the next course.

Our kids ate on our laps at 7 1/2 months, too. By 12 months lap eating
was only feasible outdoors in a bathing suit! (Watch a friend's 1 or 1
1/2 year old eating to see what I mean ...)

Say thanks to whoever has offered you the high chair.

My two cents,
--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.

"Beth Kevles" wrote in message
...

Say thanks to whoever has offered you the high chair.

Beth, you've convinced us!

Thanks,

Belphoebe, calling Mom

Belphoebe wrote:
My mother wants to buy us a high chair as a gift, and asked me to
decide which one we want and give her the ordering info.

The thing is, we're not even sure we want one. DS is 7.5 months old
and started getting some solids at six months. So far, whichever one
of us feeds him just sits him on his/her lap, gives him whatever
amount he wants, and then lets him get back to his baby job.


I eat the same way, FWIW : ) But as Beth pointed out, as they get older,
they're really messy eaters. And the high chair can also be useful when
you're trying to do something in the kitchen that requires no interference
from small people (last Christmastime making candy springs to mind for me!).

The highchair lives at my mom's - I'm in an apartment now, and I've got a
booster with a tray that straps to a chair, which I like because it can be
used without the tray on the occasions we eat at the dining room table, and
with the tray if we're sitting elsewhere. Since my dining room and living
room are carpeted, I also bought a yard of clear heavy vinyl at the fabric
store to lay under the chair. You can buy plastic sheets specifically made
for putting under highchairs, but I've never seen a clear one, which I find
more aesthetically pleasing.

--
iphigenia
www.tristyn.net
"i have heard the mermaids singing, each to each.
i do not think that they will sing to me."

"iphigenia" wrote in message
...
Belphoebe wrote:
My mother wants to buy us a high chair as a gift, and asked me to
decide which one we want and give her the ordering info.

The thing is, we're not even sure we want one. DS is 7.5 months old
and started getting some solids at six months. So far, whichever one
of us feeds him just sits him on his/her lap, gives him whatever
amount he wants, and then lets him get back to his baby job.


I eat the same way, FWIW : ) But as Beth pointed out, as they get older,
they're really messy eaters. And the high chair can also be useful when
you're trying to do something in the kitchen that requires no interference
from small people (last Christmastime making candy springs to mind for
me!).

The highchair lives at my mom's - I'm in an apartment now, and I've got a
booster with a tray that straps to a chair, which I like because it can be
used without the tray on the occasions we eat at the dining room table,
and
with the tray if we're sitting elsewhere. Since my dining room and living
room are carpeted, I also bought a yard of clear heavy vinyl at the fabric
store to lay under the chair. You can buy plastic sheets specifically made
for putting under highchairs, but I've never seen a clear one, which I
find
more aesthetically pleasing.

--
iphigenia
www.tristyn.net
"i have heard the mermaids singing, each to each.
i do not think that they will sing to me."



I have two words....

Shower curtain
You can get clear ones (or any color you want almost AMOF) at just about any
discount department store...WalMart, K-Mart, Target, even Kohl's They're
not expencive (the highes't I'd seen was $20.00 but then I found the same
thing somewhere else for $10.00) Plus they're bigger than a square yard so
you can trim it to the size you need/want

Jen

WalMart, K-Mart, Target, even Kohl's They're
not expencive (the highes't I'd seen was $20.00 but then I found the same
thing somewhere else for $10.00)

If you have a Big Lots store in your area they usually have items like shower
curtains for about $5 - $10. You can get onesies and baby sleepers for bargain
prices as well.

badgirl wrote:




I have two words....

Shower curtain
You can get clear ones (or any color you want almost AMOF)

brain melt....what does AMOF stand for?

badgirl wrote:

Shower curtain
You can get clear ones (or any color you want almost AMOF) at just
about any discount department store...WalMart, K-Mart, Target, even
Kohl's They're not expencive (the highes't I'd seen was $20.00 but
then I found the same thing somewhere else for $10.00) Plus they're
bigger than a square yard so you can trim it to the size you
need/want

You can get a clear curtain liner for $2-$3.

They aren't as thick, though, as the vinyl you can get at a fabric store,
and I wanted something fairly heavy. You could also hit the hardware store,
of course, and look for heavy plastic dropcloths.

All of which would fit into my aesthetics much better than a big circle with
pastel teddy bears : )

I found another use for it as well - my bathroom vanity's carpeted, so I lay
the plastic sheet down to stand on while coloring my hair : )

--
iphigenia
www.tristyn.net
"i have heard the mermaids singing, each to each.
i do not think that they will sing to me."

"Belphoebe" wrote in message . ..

So, did anyone simply forego the high chair altogether? If so, what did you
do instead? And on the flip side, did anyone think a high chair would be
unneeded, only to discover it became indispensable at some point?

Well, I'm not sure my solution will help, given the fact that you
don't use a table, but we have a "sassy-seat" which is a chair that
clips on to the edge of the table. Sassy doesn't make them any more,
(I inherited mine from my mother, who had it for one of my little
brothers) but there are similar products on the market. I like it
because it seats the child *at* the table - more part of the family.

When we eat in the living room, she either sits on a lap, or in her
"car" (a large walker that she's outgrown, but still likes as a seat),
or on the floor. But she's older - 22 months.

Cathy Weeks
Mommy to Kivi Alexis 12/01

"All4meUC" wrote in message
...

If you have a Big Lots store in your area they usually have items like
shower
curtains for about $5 - $10. You can get onesies and baby sleepers for
bargain
prices as well.

Yes, we've gotten many outfits there, including onesies in bigger/older baby
sizes, which seem to be a bit hard to find.

--
Belphoebe