Many people do not favor the idea of buying a high chair. They think it’s useless to buy an expensive piece of furniture just to feed the baby. Buying a highchair is not a compulsion. And your baby won’t even use it right after his arrival.
However, if you are in the middle of deciding on either to buy a baby high chair or not, then let us help you.
Benefits of High Chair for Babies
We have made a list of 7 benefits that you and your baby can avail, if you use a baby high chair.
Saves Time
Life with a baby can be a handful. Looking after the baby, cleaning the house, finishing up the chores, professional commitments, etc. can even make a 24-hour long day seem shorter. But, thanks to a highchair it can minimize the efforts of the mother and save her time.
Mothers can easily feed their babies if the babies are seated on a high chair. The babies are unable to run, crawl, or glide when seated inside it. Once they are all settled and have no chances of escape, mothers can make babies finish their meals.
Exposure to Learning
The development of the baby’s brain is completed in the first 3 years of the baby’s life. To make him mentally smart, give him a lot of exposure to different colors, shapes, and textures.
By having your baby sit on a highchair he can observe his environment and things in his surroundings from a heightened level. If your baby is older than 8 months, then he’ll try to grab different objects from the table to feel their texture. This will also improve the fine motor skills of the baby which will help him later in his schooling stages.
Self-Dependency
When compared to traditional eating, babies who have their meals in a high chair learn to eat by themselves much more quickly. As these chairs are designed to comfortably accommodate the feeding items of the babies that allows them to focus only on eating and not on handling the cutlery.
Self-Discipline
When babies reach an age where they can feed themselves, highchairs become their best friends.
They learn how to place the bowl or plate on the tray and how to use a spoon without much assistance from the parents. Once they start eating by themselves they also learn to understand when they’re full, and when they should stop eating. This develops self-discipline in babies and promotes a healthy relationship with food.
Family Time
A high chair makes it possible for parents to include their tiny angels in family mealtimes. Babies can sense what kind of relationship family members foster with each other. A good family environment makes the babies confident and they reflect positive social behavior.
Other Activities
Who said you can only use a baby high chair for feeding the baby? Nope, get creative. A high chair can be used for a lot of creative activities. Your baby can use it for his reading time, for playing with blocks, or simply watch a movie when he is comfortably seated on his high chair.
Security and Safety
This perhaps is one of the biggest reasons why parents invest in a highchair. It keeps the baby safe and secure during mealtimes. The safety belts and harness points ensure the parents that their little one won’t pull a trick or run after everything during mealtimes.
Now, after reading the above benefits if you are convinced to run to the nearest store to get one for your baby, then wait…
Before purchasing a highchair you must ensure that it is suitable and safe for your baby. Read the following eight steps to choose the right high chair for your baby.
Eight Steps to Choose the Right High Chair
Safety
Safety should be the priority of the parents when shopping for their baby. It doesn’t only apply to high chair shopping but, for every other thing such as toys, feeding items, pacifiers, bottles, etc.
There is a huge variety of highchairs easily available in the market and online. Not all high chairs are exclusively designed for feeding purposes. Therefore, when you are surveying the market, be sure to specifically look for the high chairs that are suitable for feeding the baby.
Mealtimes magically become very interesting for the babies. Every tiny thing will catch their attention and they will make a run after it. Feeding your stubborn toddler, who has sworn not to sit straight can be tiring. When you buy a highchair, your first concern should be how safe it is to keep your wiggly baby seated?
Check if the safety belt is strong or not. Also, consider how many harness points the chair has. But, that’s not it. You should also check the body of the high chair. It shouldn’t have sharp edges or hinges.
If the body of the highchair satisfies you, then move towards the examination of its overall weight and how sturdy it is. Highchairs with wide bases are more stable and won’t topple in case your little one throws a tantrum.
If you are planning to buy a highchair with wheels, then do ask the seller if the chair has a feature to lock the wheels.
Space
After safety, the second step to select a highchair for the baby is to take into account the space you have available for the chair.
The traditional wooden high chairs are heavy and occupy a lot of space. Before you purchase the high chair, make sure you decide upon where you will keep it and how often you will use it. Keeping a heavy and huge chair in a small space will make it difficult to move around.
Highchairs that have the features of reclining seats tend to take more space than the normal ones. On the other hand, collapsible high chairs are ideal for small spaces and traveling.
Don’t be tempted to buy a highchair that is huge and occupies a lot of space, it will be a trouble for you to take it out for mealtimes and then keep it back.
Versatility
Every parent wants the baby items to last longer. Even though babies are small, the prices of their items are quite big. Highchairs are no exception. They are one of the expensive pieces of furniture.
To get the most of your money, look for high chairs that are versatile and will grow along with your baby.
There are certain types of high chairs that can be changed from an infant high chair to a high chair for a toddler to a booster.
Investing in multiple purpose baby items is a very wise approach. It will not only be beneficial for your baby but also for you to save your hard-earned money.
Affordability
Let’s face it, highchairs aren’t the only things that your babies need. Your babies will need a crib, bassinet, stroller, car seat, etc. and all these things are pretty expensive.
Highchairs are not cheap and depending on their structure and features, they might cost parents a handsome amount. Before, you invest to make sure that you understand that your baby will use the highchairs for hardly a year or two. Therefore, if your budget is limited, no need to opt for pricier highchairs.
However, if you wish to have more kids then you may invest in a good high chair that can be used by your other younger kids.
Comfortable Seat
If you want your baby to relax and have his mealtime, then you must give him a comfortable seat to sit on. If the seat is uncomfortable, your little one is not going to sit straight and will bug you the entire time.
Ask the seller about the fabric of the seat cover and its softness. If possible touch the seat to get an idea about the fabric and how comfortable it will be for your baby.
If the seat of the chair is well-padded then your little one will last longer in his chair. Remember, a comfortable baby is a happy one, the one which is least likely to throw a tantrum.
Footrest
Checking for footrest is perhaps the most overlooked step by the parents. A footrest might seem like an additional and useless piece on the highchair, but it is very important for your baby’s posture.
When a baby sits on a highchair, his feet remain dangling the entire time. This increases the risks of varicose veins in the babies.
Contrary to this, a high chair with a footrest allows the baby to rest his feet on it which supports his lower body.
If the highchair you want to purchase doesn’t come with a footrest, then no problem. You can easily get your hands on eco-friendly footrests that can be easily attached to the highchair. They are also said to improve the blood circulation in the baby’s body.
Our pick:
Easy Cleaning
Mealtime can get really messy with the babies. They love to smear their food on their clothes, table cloth, and even in highchairs. If you are already racing against time and don’t want to spend hours cleaning the highchair, then be very vigilant while picking up one for your baby.
Check if the parts of the high chair can be easily detached for cleaning or not. Also, take into consideration how many holes and crevices it has. If the food gets stuck in these holes it can develop a mold that can be very unhygienic for the baby.
Check Reviews
The last step before you finalize your selection is to check what people are saying about the particular brand you are planning to purchase. If somebody in your family or your friend’s circle have made their babies use it, then ask how was their experience? Were their babies safe and comfortable? etc.
Don’t worry if nobody around you has had experience with it, you can always look for reviews online. Check different groups, look for posts and threads that discuss different brands of high chairs. Select the one that is most trusted by the parents.
Conclusion
Highchair shopping is not rocket science. You can always select the one which you think will be the most suitable for your baby and you.
Make sure that the highchair you purchase is safe, versatile, and easy on your pocket, the baby will grow up soon and he won’t be needing it forever.
Author Bio
Natali Is a Co-Founder at Little Baby Paws. Little Baby Paws is an online store with one main goal for all parents, and that is to be a one-stop-shop for easy to use baby and toddler essentials.
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