Should you use a harness on a high chair?

[skip]

Hi,

I've got a Stokke Trip Trap high chair and my son seems comfortable whilst feeding in it. I do not use the harness and feel that it is safe to use without it. I have however read that falls are the main source of hospital visits for babies/toddlers and that you should therefore use a harness on your high chair. What do you think? Do you have this chair and has your child fallen out of it, climbed out and fallen without a harness on? I'd be keen to hear of your experiences. Thanks, Skip.

[Fuschia]

We have the IKEA chairs and ALWAYS strap them in and even then one of them has managed to escape and fall out a few times. If you start young so they expect to be strapped in, will save arguments later when you are dealing with a fractious toddler who doesn't want to stay put. As someone who uses the highchairs plus paper and crayons in place of a playpen when we need to confine our twins safely, the harness is truly our friend!!

[snowboarder]

I always use the harness on our ikea chair too - it's just a waist harness though. I do find on some high chairs the 5 point harness is totally restrictive - kind of pins them back into a recline position which is messy and doesn't seem v safe re choking etc. Never used a tripp trapp....but obv safety is key.

[candj]

Hi Skip, not sure how old your son is, but my youngest uses a tripp trapp without harness and has been doing so since she was 22 months. The seat of the tripp trapp is quite wide and we scoot ours close to the table (so that if she needed to get out it would need to be pushed back) so I think she's safely in there. I would think that if your son had a few near misses that you would consider having a harness.

I used the Ikea one when we lived abroad and also used the harness because the chair bit around the child is quite low and with a younger baby felt that they'd be able to tip out of it (being top heavy).

Hope that helps.

[skip]

Thanks for that. He's 6 months old and I push the chair right up against the table. I don't think he's unsafe, but the safety people promote the use of a harness so started to worry.

[Polly D]

We've got the tripp trapp, without the harness but with the baby seat, and R has been in it since he was 7 months old (perhaps I should take him out now ho ho ho). Never fallen out of it, or attempted to get out of it. I push him up to the table and he's much more interested in making a mess with his food.

But do whatever makes you feel comfortable.

Funnily enough, I was thinking this morning how ridiculous I was strapping R into his harness in his pram when I took him out alone for the first time at 8 days old. As if he was going to wriggle out of it! But all I could think about was potential 'danger'.

Edited because we crossed in the post and I was also going to say I wondered the same when researching highchairs but a very relaxed and sensible friend with 3 under 5s and 3 tripp trapps pointed out that of course the manufacturer would encourage buying all the bits and bobs.

[helena handbasket]

It seems silly until you have to take a baby to A and E because he's fallen and landed on his head. You don't exactly feel like mother of the year explaining that one, I can tell you from experience.

Please use the straps.

[Fuschia]

Polly D Wrote:

> Funnily enough, I was thinking this morning how

> ridiculous I was strapping R into his harness in

> his pram when I took him out alone for the first

> time at 8 days old. As if he was going to wriggle

> out of it! But all I could think about was

> potential 'danger'.

Having had our buggy tip up getting off a train and son no 1 hanging down towards the track held just by his straps... I would ALWAYS strap in a new born in.. in case you throw them out bumping down a kerb!!!

[helena handbasket]

Oh Fuschia how awful! I literally felt ill reading that.

Please use the straps.:)

[womanofdulwich]

ditto- all it takes is a loss of concentration- distraction-doorbell etc. ALways use straps on buggies and highchairs.

[Fuschia]

helena handbasket Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> Oh Fuschia how awful! I literally felt ill

> reading that.

>

I know!!! Me too!!!!

[candj]

But the tripp trapp doesn't come with a harness or does it? It has the baby kit with the padded cushions for younger children. I would think at 6 months your little one should still be in one of these? Both my children only used the tripp trapp from 20 or so months when they were both well able to get up and down themselves. Also both mine were not sitting up that well at 6 months and occasionally would fall over when sitting on the floor.

And agreed on buggies, the straps are there for a reason.

[KBN]

I have the Tripp Trapp. My daughter is 9 months old and is always strapped in. She is something of an escape artist and has already worked out how to push the highchair back from the table when it is close to it, and how to stand up in it and arch back. There have definitely been times when, but for the harness, she would have headed for the floor.

I guess I would just say that she is always one step ahead of me and does things I sometimes don't know that she has mastered...

[darlin']

My daughter worked out how to climb out of the Tripp Trapp at about 12 months. I turned around one day to see her standing up on the seat clapping herself for her wonderful achievement! Arrrggghhh. And this is with the baby seat in too. I don't know why it doesn't come with straps?? Bizarre really.

[redjam]

I had a wooden highchair for my first born, chosen for looks rather than practicality, I'm ashamed to say. The first time my daughter went in it (about 7 months, I guess), I realised she kept slipping down unless she was supported by a cushion, yet with the cushion we couldn't use the straps. Oh well, I'll wedge her in tightly and she'll be fine, I thought.

Fast forward several hours later, there I was in the queue at the local A&E, having to answer loads of questions about my child-rearing to the doctor, feeling like I was practically going to end up on some child abuse register.

So yes, I'd say use the straps.

(Incidentally, my daughter was fine, after the initial shock of slipping onto the floor and landing on her face. I, on the other hand, was a nervous wreck for several weeks afterwards...)

[green bean]

Agree with strapping in - just to say we bought a second hand tripp trapp which had some D rings at the back of the seat which I've been able to attach a Lindam harness to (advertised for use with highchairs or as reins - from Sainsbos for a few quid). This works very well and much cheaper than buying the Stokke branded version.

[skip]

thanks everyone. top tip green bean for the Lindam harness; shall try and get one. skip.

[Mrs TP]

Definitely straps although all babies are different and you can read them as to what they are likely to do. My first two didn't need the straps (although I do think your memory goes for these sorts of things) and sat there quite happily. No 3 stood up in the high chair at 11mths when we were preparing a gorgeous New Year's Eve feast. I shrieked when I turned around and saw her stood up clapping herself. Luckily my shrieks didn't cause her to fall and MR TP dived heroically across the kitchen and scooped her out of the chair. Since then we use the waist straps and if she has trousers on with belt loops then attach the over shoulder straps to the belt loops as she is pretty good at the Houdini stuff even with straps on. I think generally she is just more trouble / adventurous than the others, e.g. picking stones up to eat them, chucking all manner of inappropriate stuff down the toilet etc.

I remember one of the health visitors who came round when my first was just toddling and she complained I had a big packet of Persil powder on the floor and said I should put it out of reach in case no 1 ate it. I argued she wasn't that dim and just wouldn't go near it but did pick it up whilst the health visitor was there only to put it back on the floor the minute she was gone. Now no 3 is not dim but she is certainly experimental and I can assure you that the Persil is firmly out of reach.

All part of the fun. x

[sb]

.

[skip]

Thanks. I'm sure you're right. I've actually ordered the TT harness online now and am waiting for it to arrive. Yes, better safe than sorry.

[ClareC]

Dumb question maybe but where is

the harness in a Bugaboo pram? Am feeling incompetent that it didn't even occur to me there should be one, let alone notice there actually is!!!

sb Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> We have the TT and always use the harnesss. Like

> someone said, they might not wriggle/escape at 6m

> but try introducing the harness for the first time

> at 12m (when they turn into little Houdinis)and I

> imagine it'd be a challenge.

> The harness is an add-on, just like the babyseat.

> It all adds up but best not to scrimp on safety.

>

> Having said all that, I never used the harness

> when our daughter was in the bugaboo pram....It

> just never occurred to me (I blame sleep

> deprivation).....I feel very stupid now! Awful

> thing to happen Fuschia! Made me feel ill too...

> :0

[Fuschia]

sb Wrote:

I never used the harness

> when our daughter was in the bugaboo pram....It

> just never occurred to me (I blame sleep

> deprivation).....I feel very stupid now! Awful

> thing to happen Fuschia! Made me feel ill too...

> :0

We also had a shock in Horniman gardens when DSA1 was pushing the nipper buggy in with the babies and somehow let go of it, launched it down the hill and it fell over on its back.. I rushed up expecting two see two little heads smashed like eggs but thankfully they were safe, and still strapped in!

[The Nappy Lady]

I think if you look under the mattress of the Bugaboo Pram there are D rings you can attach a harness to. Very few people use them though (hands up I didn't though I knew they were there).

I think if going up and down steps and on public transport I would be inclined to use one, but if on the flat, walking in the park say, with my hands through the safety strap on the handle I wouldn't bother.

Molly

[qeetah]

We have a tripp trapp high chair and just wondering if we need to buy the harness AND the baby set or is the harness sufficient and work on it's own so no need to buy both? Any advice would be much appreciated before I start using it for my 5 month old....Seems quite expensive to have to buy both.

Many thanks

[ClareC]

If you were buying one or other I would get the babysat. I have both and the harness without the babysat would not work for a baby that young IMO. Your welcome to pop over and look/try my chair to help you decide.