The Case Against High Chairs

High chairs.  Everyone tells us over and over again that they are a must-have.  But are they?

When my daughter was born 10 weeks early we didn’t even have a bed for her.  We had to get everything so quickly, high chairs weren’t even considered.  And that turned out to be a good thing.

My parents gifted us a wonderful high chair when my daughter was 3 months old.  It is hand made and turns into a rocking horse.  I can count on one hand the number of times we actually used it as a high chair, and we only used the tray once.

I’ve been writing a number of posts recently about what you really need for your kiddo and how to save money, and it has made me think about how necessary a high chair really is.  I’ve come to the conclusion that they are not only unnecessary they are potentially harmful.

High chairs are traditionally used

To feed a baby purees and let them play on a small tray.  Theoretically, that makes them a requirement for every household.  Until you think about it a bit more.

So the baby is sitting, stuck in a chair they can’t possibly escape, separated from the family by their own special table.  High chairs never really fit around the table in a cohesive way leaving the baby out of the family circle.  When mom has to feed the baby, she has to turn away from the group to do so.

It is incredibly isolating for a child who would prefer to be in the center of the action, and it cuts mom off from the rest of the group.

And then there is the question of 

Should kids even eat purees?

Commercial baby food is loaded with sugar and isn’t actually very nutritional, so to keep the baby healthy a lot of moms make the purees themselves. 

That is a lot of work.  You have to prep the food, steam it, put it through a food processor, strain it, and then freeze and defrost it if you make a big batch.  And for what?  So the baby can get used to food that doesn’t’ match what real food looks like and then become picky eaters?

Baby food wasn’t even a thing until the 1920s (according to solid starts).  Before the 1900s, babies were introduced to solids at the average age of 11 months when they already had teeth.  They were given softer table foods, like berries, fruit, and bread.  

While this may not be an option for every family, feeding purees doesn’t have to involve a high chair.

What we can do instead:

Instead of investing in expensive, bulky high chairs, throw a towel over a chair at the dining table, add a booster seat, and let the baby join the family at the table.  They can eat what everyone else is eating for dinner, or they can eat purees. 

Joining everyone at the table makes them feel like part of the family while reducing the risk of them becoming picky eaters.  It keeps mom from being separated from the family while she is trying to feed the baby, and it promotes good table manners early.

Cleanup can be easier at the table because you only have to wipe it down, where some high chairs need some disassembling to truly get clean.

It only takes a month or two of sitting at the table for 11 to 12-month-olds to learn to use utensils and stop making as much of a mess.  As a mom, it is really nice that I don’t have to spoon-feed my daughter and we can all just eat together.

Do you still need a high chair?

Maybe.  

Everyone’s family dynamics and routines are different.  You may not have eating space in the kitchen, so you need a high chair to compensate so you can make dinner or eat breakfast. 

Before you invest a ton of money in a high chair, take a moment to really consider if you need one.  A number of booster seats come with tray tables so they can serve as high chairs if you need them to and they are much less expensive than high chairs.  There are also high chairs that are designed to sit at the table and grow with the child until they fit in a regular chair.

High chairs are bulky, can cost between $30 and $200, and typically get used for less than a year for each child.  Try to pick a solution that fits your needs and is easy to store between children.

Personally, I really like the bumbo seat.  When I was cooking, I could set it on the countertop and have the baby involved.  Then, when she was a little bigger, we kept it strapped to one of the barstools in the kitchen.  She would eat off the countertop (easy to clean) and do arts and crafts there.  At around 19 months, she completely outgrew it and started just sitting on the chair without a booster seat.  Our high chair solutions were only in use for 9 months. 

The high chair isn’t a must-have

Many people don’t even bother with one, and that is okay. 

What baby feeding solution did you use?  Let me know in the comments below.  Don’t forget to follow me on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, or Pinterest.