Around 6 months of age, your little one is ready to start eating solid foods. Bananas! Avocados! Little finger foods they can pick up and manipulate themselves!
It’s all so very exciting!
Of course, it’s also a grand and messy new adventure. Which is why finding a highchair that works in your space and with your baby is kind of a big deal. You want one that contains the mess as much as possible, keeps your baby comfortable and safe, and makes baby mealtimes easy to administer.
So what should you be looking for when you go out into the world in search of your baby’s first high chair?
- Easy to Clean Fabric: There are a lot of really cute high chairs on the market today. But unless the fabric is easily removed and thrown into the washer, you probably don’t want it. Because the fact is, kids are messy. And that fabric is going to wind up covered in goo. So be good to yourself, and search for something that will be easy to take apart and clean.
- Adjustable: One of the perks of the current high chairs available is that many of them have the ability to convert and grow with your child. From high chair to booster seat, this can be a great benefit that allows our child to stay at table height as they grow, without you needing to purchase anything new. Look for adjustable options that will take your little one from babyhood to past the toddler years.
- Dishwasher Safe Tray: This is one of those added benefits that isn’t necessarily a requirement, but that will make your life so much easier. If you can throw your highchair tray into the dishwasher, cleanups just became a breeze.
- Works With Your Table: Eventually, you’ll want to get rid of the tray completely and slide your baby right up to the table. But when that time comes, you may not yet be ready for your little one to be in a “real” chair (those things are easily tipped and escaped from). Having a high chair with an adjustable height, or one that was chosen specifically with your table’s height in mind, can make your transition easier.
- Space Saving: Depending on where you live, and how much space you have to work with, a highchair that can be easily folded up and stored a way may be a big bonus for you. Luckily, there are plenty on the market designed to do just that.
- Safety: Ensure the highchair complies with the official safety standards, check the highchair has a wide base for extra stability, and make sure the harness is included and is comfort safety regulations. Make sure your child is aways properly strapped in when sitting in his highchair, and always supervise your baby while he is in the highchair. Never leave your baby alone when he is eating, just in case he chokes.
Just one last thing to remember: since cleanup is perhaps the biggest consideration with high chairs, be sure to pay attention to just how many nooks and crannies your top choice has. Every little one could serve as a place for food to hide out—making cleanup more difficult than it should be.
Written by Leah Campbell, infertility advocate, adoptive mama, writer and editor. Find me @sifinalaska on Twitter.
This information is not intended to replace the advice of a trained medical doctor. Health & Parenting Ltd disclaims any liability for the decisions you make based on this information, which is provided to you on a general informational basis only and not as a substitute for personalized medical advice. All contents copyright Health & Parenting Ltd 2016. All rights reserved.