High chair stander

Cavegeko · October 2013

Hi,

DD won't sit in her high chair now. She will stand there grinning and won't sit when we ask/tell her too. She can push her chair away from the table and climb into it and stand there. She cries when we sit her down. She cries really really hard when we use the straps. She will stand/ kneel in the regular chairs to eat. She will sit on our laps to eat, but we only started that as a last resort since we really really want her to eat. She needs to gain weight and eat more calories than she burns off running around. She weighs less than 17 pounds.

The last thing I want is for her to loose her balance when she stands.

We want her to sit and eat with us when we eat. This standing thing is new as of middle of last week. She doesn't stand in her chairs at DC, so I don't know where this is coming from.

Would it be time to switch to a booster seat or something else? We have the oxo sprout high chair. We tried lowering the seat so that it wouldn't be as easy for her to push away from the table with her feet. Now she just uses her hands to push away and then stands and grins.

This is really driving me up the wall.

I am looking for suggestions.

TIA!!!

Sigir · October 2013

My dc does this. When she does, I tell her "we sit when we eat" and put her back down on her butt. If she won't stop standing up I tell her "ok, you're done eating until you can sit down" and I put her on the floor and ignore the tantrum. She wants to sit on our laps to eat and we don't allow it. She is getting with the program a lot more now. I don't have the issue you have with needing her to gain weight though, so I don't know if this will help you or not.

I am a STM and don't put up w shenanigans.
Eta I don't mean that in any bad way- just that as a STM I think it's easier for me to not feel guilty that she misses a meal or has a knock down drag out tantrum. I know she won't starve and when she is hungry she'll eat, through experience.

Cavegeko · October 2013

I don't think I would have a problem with "if you don't sit down, then you you don't eat" approach if DD weighed more. We don't really let her get away with a lot stuff, she does try lots, but with holding food makes me feel like we are being bad parents. The pediatrician doesn't help that either since we have lengthy discussion every time we are there for a well check or a weight check and talk about he diet and quantity of food. I always leave feeling like I am doing something wrong with the care of my child. We tried adding formula to breast milk, pediasure, straight formula, and carnation instant breakfast. DD never like formula from the beginning and that wasn't a problem until her weight gain slowed. Then the pediatrician wanted us to add formula and we tried it. DD refused anything with formula and pediasure. We have had some luck with the carnation instant breakfast, but DD has to be in the mood for that. She eats well and eats lots. Though, at the moment, the only meat she will eat is chicken nuggets.

So last night, we told her repeatedly to sit when we eat when she would go to stand and she did sit for a while, then she stood up, grinned, signed bath and refused to sit and screamed when we did make her sit. We think she signed bath the previous nights too. I am not sure, but I think our dinner times the last several nights have been later than normal. She still needs to learn to stay seated at the table. DH get quite frustrated with the standing and I am doing my best to stay calm while being firm when we tell her to sit. I am also getting frustrated with DH's frustration.

emberlee3 · October 2013

Pressuring her is counter-productive at mealtimes. It triggers stress hormones that actually suppress appetite and create negative associations.

Try ignoring her and proceed with eating your meal. She will probably decide to join you eventually. Put away the highchair and let her sit in a regular chair or booster at the table, so she feels included. Or get a child-size table and chairs and sit down there with her.

unaveragejane · October 2013

Ouch, it sounds like you've got a little bit of a power struggle going on here. Your LO has figured out a way to exercise some control and willpower by standing up in her chair. She's also looking for attention, it sounds like. (I'm not saying that you don't give her attention, but it's just that she probably gets a lot of reaction when she stands up and she's looking for repeat performance from you.) I personally would probably try to take the high chair out of the equation. You might try to give her some choices that you are comfortable with (i.e. do you want to sit in the booster seat or at your little table?). And give her some good over-the-top attention when she does sit somewhere appropriately to eat.

Want a personalized experience?

High chair stander

Re: High chair stander

Choose Another Board

Search Boards