A Little Boost

Okay, so my SIL's move to scratch the highchairs has pushed me in that same direction. I had gotten these boosters before Christmas but just hadn't put them on the chairs yet. Our goal was to get rid of the high chairs before they were two but I just wasn't sure I was ready to make that move yet. I didn't know if it would be a huge battle to keep them sitting in their chairs and not climbing all over the table (which they love to do!). Plus I sometimes used the chairs as time-outs when making meals for the kids b/c they loved to get into things during that time (strapping them into the chair was the only way I got food on the table some nights!). However I finally took the plunge.
I would love to get a kids table like so many do, but we simply do not have the room. I also didn't want to mess with actual booster seats that strap to the chair b/c that's essentially what we had with our high chairs and I was tired of cleaning them. So, I found these great new things called Kaboost. They fit to the bottom of the chair and simply raise it up so the kids are sitting at the right height for them. There's two heights and right now we're on the tallest setting. The Kaboost actually makes the chair more stable and it has big rubber feet so the kids can't pull the chairs out from the table on their own. Although they like to try.
They do really good in the chairs, especially Jake. He'll climb in the chair and turn around for you to put his bib on. Then he turns back to his food and starts eating. He would stay seated for the entire meal if Abby didn't show him he could do otherwise I think. She loves to stand or kneel while she eats (and so he copies her). That's fine, but occasionally she'll climb on the table and go get things off others plates. Totally not acceptable. She's had one fall after she did this b/c she didn't align her feet back on the chair when sliding off the table, but she was just fine and within 5 minutes she was climbing the table again. It's funny though she'll get onto Jake for climbing on the table and tell him no, but she usually does it first. And so far, no one has gotten up during meal time to run and play. I usually have to kick them out of the chair when they're done!

Our favorite afternoon activity - coloring! I usually let them color when they get up from their afternoon nap. Although we still like to eat colors, they're getting better. Jake's my more avid colorer, but he's quick and intense. He focuses on the paper and colors and does the job fast. Then he's off to doing something else. Abby however, colors very little, but will try to collect all the colors on the table (yes, including Jake's) and make one or two little marks on her paper just so she can say she's still coloring and sit at the table. They're also doing really good on learning to draw circles and lines although their circles are still crazy looking ovals.

Dinner time is now much more fun without the high chairs. They love sitting in the big person chairs with mommy at mealtime.