When you’re an adult, you can grab any seat at the table and be perfectly content. Babies and toddlers are a different story, though. Finding the right seat for your little one is about more than just preference. Different positions affect how comfortable your kid is and how successfully they can eat or feed themselves. Learning how to eat food and use utensils is hard work. Make it easier with these seating tips for positioning your baby during mealtime.

The 90-90-90 Rule

Do you remember being told to sit up straight as a kid? There’s a reason for it. Sitting up straight looks good, but it also stabilizes you and gives you the best posture for eating. When it comes to your kids’ posture, follow the 90-90-90 rule: the hips, knees, and ankles should be at 90-degree angles. Booster seats and footrests help support this posture so your kid can sit with confidence and stability.

Place the Tray or Table Comfortably

Whether your child’s plate is on the table or on a high chair tray, make sure that their eating surface is at a comfortable level. This is a simple yet crucial seating tip for positioning your baby during mealtime. A surface that’s too low encourages slouching, while a surface that’s too high makes it harder to reach and handle food. Position your child so the tray or table is somewhere between their belly button and the middle of their chest. This will give your little one plenty of room to comfortably learn their way around utensils, dishes, and finger foods.

Full Support Means Better Performance

Your little one puts a lot of effort into learning how to eat and refining their motor skills. If your kid has to work just to sit upright, then they won’t have as much energy or motivation to put toward eating. Make sure your baby has plenty of support in their chair. Always use chairs with a solid back that support a 90-degree angle at your child’s hips. If there’s excess room in the high chair, you can create better support with pillows, rolled-up towels, and other cushioning that will help them stay upright and in place. The more support your child has in their seat, the easier it’ll be to focus on eating.

Developing good eating habits is an incredible milestone for your little one, and Avanchy wants to help in any way we can. Our stainless steel kids’ plates are safe and durable, making them the perfect dishes to help your baby learn. With a suction cup base for stability and sustainable, healthy materials, Avanchy dishware sets you and your little one up for success.