If your baby has mastered eating in the high chair, he might be ready to move into a booster seat. Not to be confused with the booster seats that toddlers use in cars, booster seats for feeding purposes are small seats that can help infants transition into eating in regular chairs. Putting your baby in a booster seat can help him feel included in family dinners and can help give him a little bit of independence. A booster seat can also ensure that you'll never have to seat your child in a potentially unsafe high chair at a restaurant.
Step 1
Determine if your baby is ready to use a booster seat. According to Baby Center, the rule of thumb is that if she can sit up on her own without falling over, she can sit in a booster seat. It is key to make sure she can sit up on her own, because most booster seats don't have nearly as much as support as high chairs.
Step 2
Pick out the right booster seat for your baby. There are many different kinds of booster seats available; the best one for your baby depends on his age and your situation. If this is his first booster seat, you'll want to get a model that has a belt or seating harness for support as well as a tray to hold his food. This set-up resembles a very small high chair, which is ideal for an infant.
Step 3
Install the booster seat. If your booster seat has outside straps, wrap these around the back and underneath the chair, then fasten the straps together. Tighten the straps as much as possible to minimize the possibility of your baby knocking the booster seat off the chair. If you're bringing the booster seat to a restaurant and there are no individual chairs available, place the booster seat on the inside of the booth to avoid contact with anybody passing by your table.
Step 4
Remove the tray and sit your baby in the seat. Without taking your hands off of him, locate the inside harness straps and fasten them so that he is securely seated. If he's eating from the dinner table, you don't need to put the tray on, but you might want to put it on for peace of mind. If he's eating from his booster seat tray, just snap it on and serve his food.
Things You'll Need
- Booster seat
- Chair
- Bib
