Am i too relaxed?

she is also much more compliant with the cm, and much more defiant with me...!!!

We were the same - it's something to do with their neurons not being fully developed and only having a certain limited ability to control their emotions/ instincts - if they do it all day at childminders/ school they literally have no reserves of self control left when they get home!

she is also much more compliant with the cm, and much more defiant with me...!!!

We were the same - it's something to do with their neurons not being fully developed and only having a certain limited ability to control their emotions/ instincts - if they do it all day at childminders/ school they literally have no reserves of self control left when they get home!

see - now i thought she was just being a little madame for mummy! lol!
that's the thing - i dont think she is being deliberately difficult.. and i know that she probably can't manage to sit for the whole time at the moment, so i don't want to create a battle...!!

I'm not a childminder so I don't know much about child development other than my daughter's. When I started weaning we didn't sit at the table, I sat on the sofa next to her and we had little bits to eat at mealtimes. Then we switched to a highchair later on.

She's 15 months now, and she sits quite happily at the table until she's finished because I've put the highchair facing the window so she can look out at the garden. I don't know how helpful you'd find it, or if you can do that, but my daughter gets distracted, points out interesting things through the window then goes back to eating when she's finished looking at everything? I don't try to make her eat, she just stops and starts until she's ready to finish and we talk about all the birds and washing she can see etc?

I'm not a childminder so I don't know much about child development other than my daughter's. When I started weaning we didn't sit at the table, I sat on the sofa next to her and we had little bits to eat at mealtimes. Then we switched to a highchair later on.

She's 15 months now, and she sits quite happily at the table until she's finished because I've put the highchair facing the window so she can look out at the garden. I don't know how helpful you'd find it, or if you can do that, but my daughter gets distracted, points out interesting things through the window then goes back to eating when she's finished looking at everything? I don't try to make her eat, she just stops and starts until she's ready to finish and we talk about all the birds and washing she can see etc?

that's the bugger - our dining room table is at the other end of the lounge... away from the windows... so i guess it's a bit boring for her (my company obviously isn't stimulating enough!!)

Eddie is only allowed to eat if he is sat in his chair so he knows that if he wants to get down, he can but he is finished with food. We've taught him a sign for finished so that he can tell us when he's done.
I wouldn't be happy if he was dipping in and out as I can imagine that as he got older, he would slowly start to refuse to sit up at all because I usually let him play and eat. But then I have a very stubborn child who is very quick to realise a way around things
We're lucky at the moment because Eddie takes such a long time to eat a meal that we all usually finish around the same time.

Pippa has to sit at the table untill shes finished eating. Most of the time she does sit still till we've all finished and i have worked hard to encourage her but its not a huge deal if she doesnt

I've always found that my toddlers like to graze rather than eat big meals so to be honest I'm quite relaxed about eating and roaming, we have a set meal time but I let them continue to return to their food for a good while. Sometimes its all gone in one go and sometimes it is eaten over an hour! As long as its suitable it gets left out.

We don't really have problems in restaurants so we are happy with this. We have got a bit lazy about sitting round the dining table recently, mostly because its covered in random rubbish but I'll be making a few changes there soon.

My two did exactly the same until recently. They turned 3 in april and its probably only been since then that we insist that they stay at the table until everyone is finished. Before that they would be up and down or in my lap.

When we got here (just turned 2) we didnt get their high chairs out, and did booster seats, which I think caused a lot of problems, in the last 6 months or so we got their chairs out like the stokke trip trap ones that turn into a big seat for them, and they are much happier. They can easily reach the table and like their own big boy and big girl chairs.

I will definitley be buying one for the little one, I can see lockie and riley sitting in them for a good few more years.

But honestly I would just go for what every you are happy with, littilies don't have the attention span to sit here for a long time, it will change.

Lord ours never sit still at the table, some times I let it ride some times it drives me crazy, there is worse in life though and lets face it it is a bit boring sitting at a table until you get older and realise just how great food is