Mealtime may be many issues for a toddler: messy, routine, fulfilling, uninteresting, thrilling, or, let’s face it, a complete tossup. Particularly in case your rising tot would relatively be elsewhere than on the desk. That’s, anyplace else however of their excessive chair. So what do you do when your toddler refuses to sit down of their excessive chair?
It’s frequent for kiddos to refuse many issues in the course of the toddler years. Maybe you narrow their sandwich incorrectly, or they needed the blue plate, not the white one. A few of our little folks even have tantrums when it’s time to sit down of their excessive chairs. Nonetheless, breakfast, lunch, and dinner don’t should change into battlegrounds. Learn on to find why excessive chair refusal could occur in toddlerhood – and what you are able to do when your toddler refuses to sit down of their particular seat on the desk.1
Why a Toddler Refuses to Sit in Their Excessive Chair
In case your toddler refuses to sit down of their excessive chair, it’s seemingly for one in all many causes, reminiscent of the next:
- They don’t like being confined to their excessive chair. Toddlers crave independence and freedom, and being strapped in a spot they’ll’t come and go from as they want doesn’t enable for both. It’s important that kids can transfer freely and uninterrupted, and the excessive chair can typically get in the best way of their need to maneuver their our bodies and make them refuse to sit down in it.2
- They’re tired of mealtimes. Conversely, they may even be missing construction surrounding mealtimes. Our little folks can wrestle after they really feel pissed off and can’t categorical themselves; this may be after they really feel bored, they aren’t but able to eat, or they really feel unsafe or distressed due to a transition to consuming or feeding after they weren’t ready.1
- They wish to be extra such as you. In different phrases, sitting in a “common” chair. It’s regular for kids to mimic the folks round them and to wish to replicate what they see, which might result in toddlers refusing to sit down of their excessive chairs.3
- Some kids will not be but prepared to sit down unaided in a excessive chair. This may very well be attributable to musculoskeletal (muscle tissue and bones) stress.4
What Can Be Performed When a Toddler Refuses to Sit in Their Excessive Chair?
Though the answer for when your toddler refuses to sit down of their excessive chair will look totally different from one kiddo to the subsequent, there are steps you may take to make sure your toddler stays put lengthy sufficient to get their each day vitamins in. In case your toddler has been protesting the excessive chair, attempt the next tricks to get again on observe with making certain secure, productive meals for everybody.
Go Again to the Fundamentals
Double-check whether or not your youngster is appropriately restrained and cozy of their excessive chair. Over time and as kids develop, their excessive chair straps, and maybe foot assist, have to be adjusted, or your toddler would possibly refuse to sit down of their excessive chair. Youngsters are much less prone to sit tight and safely when changes aren’t maintained. For these with out foot assist, a generic removable footrest could make a world of distinction relating to youngster consolation and security.5
Construct Consistency
When younger kids know what to anticipate for the common parts of their day, they’ll get on board with habits extra simply than if routines are ever-changing. Even when it appears your tiny human will solely wish to nibble away on the lounge ground in entrance of their favourite cartoon (no judgment!), it’s by no means too late to set clear expectations for mealtimes – together with seating preparations – and keep boundaries surrounding these expectations. Clear expectations and consistency may help keep away from a toddler’s refusal to sit down of their excessive chair.6
Lead by Instance
In case your toddler sees you incessantly consuming away out of your seat on the eating room desk – or just getting up and down quite a bit all through meals – they’ll seemingly be extra conscious of the temptation to ditch their spot, too, and refuse to sit down of their excessive chair. However, in the event that they see you persistently sitting right down to eat in a single devoted space, they’ll understand there are household norms for mealtimes that everybody is anticipated to take part in.3
Have Your Kiddo Put money into Their Consuming House
Whether or not which means permitting them to select a enjoyable new plate, cup, and utensil set or tasking them with the tremendous necessary “job” of wiping down their tray earlier than and after meals, enable your toddler to take possession of their excessive chair, as an alternative of refusing to sit down in it. Toddlers love feeling “in cost” of issues. Capitalize on this as you’re employed towards mending the excessive chair relationship.1
Help Developmentally Applicable Feeding Experiences
In different phrases, let your toddler be messy whereas of their excessive chair to keep away from their refusal to sit down in it. Doing so permits sensory and tactile must be met whereas offering a secure surroundings for exploring totally different tastes, textures, and meals. It solely is sensible that the excessive chair is a extra fulfilling place to be when that is the case.7
Be Intentional About Their Time within the Excessive chair
No person likes to sit down nonetheless too lengthy, proper? Toddlers have loads of vitality that may’t be contained for an prolonged time and this would possibly result in them refusing to sit down of their excessive chairs. Assist your toddler out of the excessive chair as quickly as they’re finished consuming, and encourage movement-rich actions earlier than every seating to maintain the wiggles away lengthy sufficient for them to refill.2
Go away Room for Flexibility and Modifications
Some toddlers won’t ever want being in a excessive chair, and that’s okay. They may wish to attempt one thing extra like what they see you or a sibling utilizing, or they may need a much less restrictive area to focus extra on consuming and fewer on squirming. The objective is to search out what works for you and your loved ones. Studying towers, booster seats, youngsters’ tables and chairs, and even “massive” (grownup) chairs are all viable choices when the excessive chair isn’t reducing it.
When you’re a mum or dad to a toddler, you understand how attempting these years may be. Gaining cooperation throughout mealtimes is not any exception. Though it’s regular for a toddler to refuse to sit down of their excessive chair, there are methods to make the household desk extra fulfilling for everybody.
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