High chairs have been around longer than you believe. However, the earliest high chairs resembling those in use today date back to the 1820s. Your infant can typically eat from a tray and sits at an elevated position in a high chair, making it easier for you to feed them. Obviously, modern high chairs come with many additional features to make your kid more comfortable and to assure their safety and security.
A highchair’s purpose is to ensure that your child’s mealtime is safe and pleasurable. When they can sit up without assistance, infants approximately six months old are ready for a highchair. Make sure the one you chose fits your youngster. Popular highchair manufacturers offer a variety of highchairs based on lifestyle, accessories, pricing, and appearance.
Types of High Chairs
While the what and how of feeding your child may be your primary concerns, the correct baby high chair can make the transition to solids smoother. Here is an overview of the available kinds of high chairs:
Wooden high chairs
This timeless alternative is now again fashionable, and the subtle materials and clean lines complement the majority of homes. Some models are simple throwbacks, while others include modern features such as height adjustment, reclining seats, and easy folding for storage.
High chair made of plastic or aluminum
Typically, a modern high chair with a lightweight frame is simple to clean, portable (often on wheels), and compact for storage. These are also among the most affordable alternatives.
Full-featured high chair
Some multipurpose seats can operate as high chairs, cradles, and even swings. Typical features include an adjustable seat with recline, a tray table that can be stowed, and wheels for mobility.
Portable high chair with clip
These high chairs without legs attach securely to certain types of tables or counters to provide a solid, safe seat for infants practically everywhere, whether at home or on the go.
Booster feeding chair
Need a feeding chair that takes up minimal space? Attach a feeding booster seat to one of your current dining chairs. Typically, these chairs include detachable lap trays so that, when your child is ready, he can pull himself directly up to the family table.
Convertible high chair
These high chairs will see you through the toddler years, since they can work similarly to a plastic or metal frame high chair, then fold into a booster seat as the child grows. Some even transform into standard dining seats thereafter.
When is a child suitable for a high chair?
Once a baby is able to sit upright without assistance, they are developmentally ready to use a high chair. They should demonstrate reasonable stability and control while seated, with only a minor amount of bobbing. The ability to hold up one’s head is also required.
Every manufacturer of high chairs will provide an age recommendation for each chair. Most experts suggest waiting until a kid is six months old before utilizing a booster seat. This is a good beginning place, but you should ensure that your child is prepared. Each child matures at a different rate, after all. Due to safety concerns, you should not rush it.
This achievement is advantageous for both babies and their parents. With your child in a high chair, you are free to prepare and eat your own meals or assist other children during mealtimes, and your child can begin to learn about the socialization and family contact that occurs at the table.
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Aspects to Consider When Selecting a High Chair
When purchasing a high chair, be sure to consider all available possibilities. When shopping for a high chair, considering the following characteristics might help you make the best option for your lifestyle, space, and personal preference.
Cleaning: The last thing you want is a high chair that requires complete disassembly for cleaning. Consider purchasing high chairs with detachable, machine-washable covers and few crevices or crevices where crumbs and liquids might become lodged.
Durability: You want to be able to use the same high chair for at least two years, so be sure to get one that is constructed to last. A high chair should also be sufficiently stable to resist tipping.
Safety features: A well-secured safety strap should be used in the sitting position of high chairs in order to prevent injury. Young babies must have a five-point safety harness in the reclining position, thus it is essential that the high chair you choose includes these safety features. Also ensure that the chair has no easily accessible crevices that could trap or pinch a child’s finger.
Size: If you’re attempting to fit a high chair into a tiny space, consider purchasing one that attaches onto the table or folds up for storage when not in use. If you need to carry your baby’s high chair to various locations, such as on vacation or to a babysitter’s house, consider purchasing a travel-friendly high chair.
Wheels: High chairs with wheels are highly useful, especially for single parents who need to multitask while their child eats. Carefully test the locking mechanism on the wheels, and be prepared to operate it on the fly.
Versatility: High chairs with removable trays and height-adjustable seats can more readily grow with your child, therefore it is crucial to consider these characteristics.
Advantages of Using High Chairs
1. Motivates babies to eat independently.
Self-feeding provides developing eaters with essential motor abilities, such as the pincher grasp. For infants who are able to sit without assistance, using a high chair could introduce them to self-feeding at an early age. It also facilitates your ability to feed them.
2. Helps the child learn to feed himself quickly.
With the best feeding high chair, children soon learn how to feed themselves. They are capable of exploring, playing, grabbing food, and swallowing on their own. And when youngsters eat alone, they learn more about the food they eat, tune in to their natural hunger cues, and eat only as much as they desire — a life skill for sure.
3. Makes feeding simpler.
High chairs also make feeding easier. The meal trays on high chairs include a cup holder for holding bottles or cups to facilitate serving and allow you to have all of their food in one location. And you could feed them without having to chase them as they roam around.
4. Facilitates cleaning.
As with other new experiences, it is probable that when infants begin eating on their own, it will be extremely messy, and as a busy new mother, you could likely do without this added cleaning duty. With a high chair, you can simply concentrate it in a single location.
With a spat mat or newspaper placed beneath the chair, cleanup is very straightforward. Wouldn’t that be fantastic? And most high chairs are designed to be simple to clean.
The meal trays can be removed and reinstalled without difficulty and are simple to clean. Today, there are also dishwasher-safe pans for quicker cleanup. Other than the food tray, the remaining components can be cleaned with a soapy water wipe. It sounds like a dream!
5. Security and Safety.
This is a characteristic that cannot be disputed. As parents, the protection of your children is of the utmost importance. High chairs are created specifically with infants and toddlers in mind.
They are tailored with enhanced safety features to ensure the comfort of a developing infant. In addition, they are equipped with safety straps to assure their security throughout the meal.
Some high chair models have reclined seats to support the delicate backs of extremely young newborns. You can choose from a variety of high chair models on the market, ranging from inexpensive to costly, according on your demands.
With the proper model, however, it may be a one-time purchase, since they can grow with your child (adjustable heights) and, with no upkeep, can be used well for future children.
Also, if you want to be environmentally conscious and avoid plastics, there are wooden high chairs available. Safe!
6. Allows babies to participate in family mealtimes and other activities.
Mealtimes are an integral part of every family. A great deal of attention has been placed on encouraging family mealtimes, that is, for babies to eat with their parents. This helps the youngsters develop social skills and good manners because they can make eye contact with all family members.
In addition, it would educate your child the value of family life and make them feel included rather than excluded.
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Simply position the child’s chair at the dining room table. Simple, no? Consider that you are hosting a party with visitors.
High chairs allow you to incorporate your infant in the festivities. They would not feel excluded, they acquire behavioral lessons from observing others, and they do not develop social awkwardness.
7. Facilitates child management while working.
The first thing that springs to mind when you think of a high chair is that it is built for mealtimes. Certainly, they are, but your use of the high chair is not limited to this purpose. It could function as a safe place to place your youngster while you are occupied with other tasks.
Give them something to play with, such as a plush toy or building blocks, and you can monitor them without worrying about their safety. However, make sure you always observe your child while they are in a high chair.
In conclusion
Babies and parents both benefit from developmental milestones. With your child in a high chair, you are free to prepare and eat your own meals or assist other children during mealtimes, and your child can begin to learn about the socialization and family contact that occurs at the table.