Table Conflict

[Greenshadow]

Ok I am having an issue with tables! I have my $1k dining room table that I would like to NOT use for the daycare kids. I was using it until I found an old table at a thrift store and my husband cut the legs down for me. So now I want to use that. Problem? The smallest kids that I watch are too small to just sit at the table. I have two that are about 1 1/2 years old. They get up and want to wander around the whole time because normally they are in a high chair. I do have booster seats but I use stools for their table and so they wont hold a booster seat. Should I just pull them up to the table in the booster seats? I guess I could do that, huh? They would be SOO low though whereas my 2 1/2 year olds would be just right. I dont think the booster seat will boost the littler ones up enough. Hmmm.....what do you guys do for lunches and snacks? I would like to NOT use my own dining room table, if at all possible.

[Crystal]

I have a small plastic, little tikes table for the toddlers....it works perfectly and can easily be put away at the end of the day.

[jen]

I have a little tykes table and a little tykes picnic table...they work great!

[Greenshadow]

Thats great but Im looking for advice on my situation. Do you use that table for crafts and eating on? Do you have younger children? Where do they eat? At that table? How do you keep them seated because the two I have that are a year and a half wont stay seated as soon as I walk away for a minute.

[Lilbutterflie]

What about the kind of seats that sort of clip on to the side of the table? They are like portable high chairs, but without legs. My sister-in-law who used to run a daycare used to use those. I personally have a small two year old and he sits in a booster seat at my dining room table along with all of the other kids. But then again, I'm ok with it b/c it's an inexpensive dining table that we will upgrade when my kids get bigger and I don't do daycare anymore!

Another idea, my mother-in-law has a very expensive antique dining table. For instances when the grandkids come over, she bought a large rotary cutting mat (available at a sewing supply store) and cut it in an oval shape so that it fit her table exactly. Then she places a table cloth over it and it is completely safe from any spills, accidents, nicks, etc... ::

[Unregistered]

We have on average 5 toddlers. They always ate in their highchairs while the "older" children sat at their preschool sized table. But then they started climbing out and we we realized how nice it'd be to get the highchairs out of the room to give more room for play, since the highchairs couldn't even keep them seated. So we started sitting them at the preschool-sized table along with all the other children. After all this time (at least 7 months or more), they STILL won't sit at the table the whole time. They all want to get up and walk around with their food. Or play toys, then go back and take a bite, then go back to dragging out more toys. We're so busy trying to refill plates or cups, getting out cots, cleaning up spilled milk, on the list goes...that we can't stay on top of them the whole time and make them stay seated until they finish eating. It's a hassle, but one we deal with to be rid of the highchairs. So, I don't know about anyone else, but for us, I don't think the toddlers will sit at the table the whole time until they're older. We even have trouble sometimes with the preschoolers getting THEM to stay at the table the whole time. Sometimes I wish we could tye them to their seats! Or give them all highchairs that are low enough and small enough to be seated at the preschool-sized table!
My whole point was that we can't even get our 2 yr olds to sit as long as they should and maybe they're just not ready yet at that age? Do you have room to keep your highchairs in the same room with the children's table? I'd recommend keeping them in highchairs as long as you can, if you have the room (and they haven't learned how to climb out yet!). Good luck... chasing toddlers down to keep them seated gets very tireing!

[Crystal]

Thats great but Im looking for advice on my situation. Do you use that table for crafts and eating on? Do you have younger children? Where do they eat? At that table? How do you keep them seated because the two I have that are a year and a half wont stay seated as soon as I walk away for a minute.

My toddlers all eat at that table. The chairs sort of "cup" their bottoms, so they sit well in them and their feet touch the floor so they can balance themselves more easily. I start sitting them at that table the very first time they try to stand in their high chair....usually by the age of twelve months. They do try to walk around at first, but I simply redirect them, every time they attempt it, I guide them back to the table, tell them "we sit at the table when we eat" and after a week of this, they learn they may as well just stay seated when they eat! It can be trying, but it really does work if you are consistent about it, and in the end, it's worth the work because I no longer have to deal with the high chair mess.

we don't use that table for crafts, only for meals, as it is in my dining area and we do all crafts/art, etc. in the playroom.

[Crystal]

What about the kind of seats that sort of clip on to the side of the table? They are like portable high chairs, but without legs. My sister-in-law who used to run a daycare used to use those. I personally have a small two year old and he sits in a booster seat at my dining room table along with all of the other kids. But then again, I'm ok with it b/c it's an inexpensive dining table that we will upgrade when my kids get bigger and I don't do daycare anymore!

Another idea, my mother-in-law has a very expensive antique dining table. For instances when the grandkids come over, she bought a large rotary cutting mat (available at a sewing supply store) and cut it in an oval shape so that it fit her table exactly. Then she places a table cloth over it and it is completely safe from any spills, accidents, nicks, etc... ::

These are great ideas as well.

[originalkat]

I was also thinking of the clip on seats. Since you use a real table (just with shorter legs) I would think it would be sturdy enough to hold those.

[jen]

We use it for eating and crafts. If they are not old enough to stay seated I use a highchair, but really, I haven't had any problems. Little kids sit at the chairs, which sound much like Crystals.

[GretasLittleFriends]

We don't have room for a second table, so we have to use our nice dining (kitchen) table for meals and crafts. To solve a similar issue I was having about not wanting to ruin the table, I bought a table cloth that was soft felt-like on the back and plasticy on the front. It cleans easy, protects my table, and when we have company over I can just take it off and put it away. Viola- a grown-up table.

[nannyde]

We have little floor level high chairs for the two little ones and a table with adjustable legs for the biggins. Any child that won't sit properly and stay at the table is confined during meals. Safety is first and ease for the adult is second. I don't want to redirect kids during meals. It's too time consuming and keeps us distracted from uber supervising bite size, rate at which the children are putting food in their mouth, chewing, and swallowing, and their table manners.

I wouldn't tolerate what PP is saying about kids getting up and walking around with food in their mouth. That's really dangerous. Confinement during meal time in proper seats with adjustable working straps that are snugly fitted to their waist and thru the mid section of the crotch with a wide base and a wide wrap around tray is what I've found works best. I really prefer the high chairs that are at floor level so if the are able to tip the chair or try to get out of it they would only have a foot of fall zone. I've never had that happen because we back the chair up to a solid wall so they can't tip back, put the tray snugly up against their abdomen and have the working straps sized perfecly for each child as they grow.

We want to be able to turn our backs away from them to get additional food or drinks when they are not eating without worry that they will tip over or get out.

Nan

[mac60]

I too use high chairs until they understand the concept of sitting in a chair and staying there, usually between 2 and 2 1/2 will move to a chair, or in my case, the bench. It sits a little higher than a chair and I can fit 3/4 kids on it to eat. No getting up and wandering at mealtime.

[jen]

We don't have room for a second table, so we have to use our nice dining (kitchen) table for meals and crafts. To solve a similar issue I was having about not wanting to ruin the table, I bought a table cloth that was soft felt-like on the back and plasticy on the front. It cleans easy, protects my table, and when we have company over I can just take it off and put it away. Viola- a grown-up table.

I did that for awhile too and it worked well.

[misol]

We have little floor level high chairs for the two little ones and a table with adjustable legs for the biggins. Any child that won't sit properly and stay at the table is confined during meals. Safety is first and ease for the adult is second. I don't want to redirect kids during meals. It's too time consuming and keeps us distracted from uber supervising bite size, rate at which the children are putting food in their mouth, chewing, and swallowing, and their table manners.

I wouldn't tolerate what PP is saying about kids getting up and walking around with food in their mouth. That's really dangerous. Confinement during meal time in proper seats with adjustable working straps that are snugly fitted to their waist and thru the mid section of the crotch with a wide base and a wide wrap around tray is what I've found works best. I really prefer the high chairs that are at floor level so if the are able to tip the chair or try to get out of it they would only have a foot of fall zone. I've never had that happen because we back the chair up to a solid wall so they can't tip back, put the tray snugly up against their abdomen and have the working straps sized perfecly for each child as they grow.

We want to be able to turn our backs away from them to get additional food or drinks when they are not eating without worry that they will tip over or get out.

Nan

These are what I have as well. I think they call them "chairries"? These are the best. They come in different heights but all are still pretty low to the floor. Just pick the height that fits under you table and you should be good to go!