He's squished in the high chair and can't quite reach the table from a regular seat. In a perfect world, your toddler would stay happily in his booster, devouring his peas and rice, right? Too bad the squirmy worm has other plans. To keep him still:
Provide a choice...
There are seats with straps and those without; if you've got a reward-driven kid, tell him that if he'll stay put, you'll let him try a booster that doesn't constrain.
...Within reason
"If you have a climber on your hands, then he'll have to be buckled in, just as you would do with the car seat -- no negotiations," says pediatrician Tanya Remer Altmann, M.D., author of the toddler-advice book Mommy Calls.
Give him space
Set up a kiddie table next to the adult one, with its own small chairs. In time, your child will realize it's more fun eating with Mom and Dad.
Remain calm but firm
Tell him there's no dinner unless he stays in his seat. After being removed from the table a few times, he'll come around, says Dr. Altmann. Meantime, be very matter-of-fact. Soon he'll be over it and on to refusing something else!
