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SeaStar
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| Posted: May 12 2009 at 3:36pm | IP Logged
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OK- any tried and true methods to keep kids from tipping back in their chairs? I'm about to have my 6 yo sitting on the floor.
Yes, he has fallen over backwards..more than once 
Luckily his chair is low to the floor.
Help!
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Melinda, mom to ds ('02) and dd ('04)
SQUILT Music Appreciation
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CrunchyMom
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| Posted: May 12 2009 at 3:38pm | IP Logged
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Maybe have your six year old sit on the floor?
Sorry, I'm no help, but it sounded like a good idea to me. He might think it was fun for about three days...
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Lindsay
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[URL=http://mysymphonygarden.blogspot.com/]Lost in the Cosmos[/UR
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Angi
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| Posted: May 12 2009 at 3:40pm | IP Logged
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Well, since I am a chair tipper, no advice 
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stellamaris
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| Posted: May 12 2009 at 3:46pm | IP Logged
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Good luck on this one...With 6 boys, I can't tell you how many chairs we have gone through! Fortunately, all the boys made it with major damage . Maybe just tape record yourself saying over and over again, "Put your chair down. You're going to fall over!" That way, you won't need to spend 25 years sayingit over and over. There are days when I wish I lived in Japan!
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Caroline
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JennGM
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| Posted: May 12 2009 at 4:06pm | IP Logged
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Look for a chair that doesn't tip as easily? Otherwise, I'm in the same boat. I think guardian angels work overtime over here.
Too bad we can't make money on our repeated reminders.
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Jennifer G. Miller
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JodieLyn
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| Posted: May 12 2009 at 4:15pm | IP Logged
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I don't remind that they could tip over and get hurt.. they think that will never happen and there's no convincing them otherwise..
I tell them to put the chair down before they break it. And depending on their age if they do break it they may be required to pay for it.. if they don't have money that means working it off with jobs above and beyond everyday chores. 
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Jodie, wife to Dave
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SuzanneG
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| Posted: May 12 2009 at 4:21pm | IP Logged
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To me, this is a "habit thing" that doesn't nec. elicit punishment, but natural consequences and reminders, so just off the top of my head, here are a couple ideas......some are incomplete, but may be starting points for a strategy:
A chair with ARMS that you push in at the beginning of the meal and "stays" (theoretically )....if not....it's at least one more step that he has to do before he can tip back. You would hear the pushing back and could push it back in again?
Put him back in a booster. Nat'l consequence....if you can't sit like a big person, you get put back in a booster. Assuming that its' harder to tip back in a booster. If the booster was high enough, his knees would scrape on the top of the table and would help to remind him.
Get him a bench. He'd fall a lot more often but learn quicker.
Or get a long bench that other siblings will sit on too. .......(can't be tipped back).
Put him against a wall and close to it....no room for tipping.
Put something behind him that will stop him from tipping back (like the wall-concept above......
Put a sleigh bells on the back of the chair....as soon as it's moved or tipped back it'll ding, calling everyone's attention to it.
Make him sit within touching an adult or older teen that will be sitting for the whole meal, that would be "notified" of the beginnning of a tip, by the motion next to them. They would kindly push the chair back down and say a repeated phrase...."No tipping" or whatever
Continue with the same phrase over and over....."No tipping" or maybe sometihing catchy that rhymes.
Reward......if you don't tip for SEVEN days (or whatever is do-able) we'll go to Dairy Queen to celebrate!!!! (b/c you are of course celebrating that he won't be killing himself or smashing his head on the ground every night!!! )
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Suzanne in ID
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SuzanneG
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| Posted: May 12 2009 at 4:25pm | IP Logged
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JodieLyn wrote:
I don't remind that they could tip over and get hurt.. they think that will never happen and there's no convincing them otherwise..
I tell them to put the chair down before they break it. And depending on their age if they do break it they may be required to pay for it.. if they don't have money that means working it off with jobs above and beyond everyday chores. |
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 Great Idea!!! Especially for the older kids!!!!
Although in this case, six is *maybe* a little young for that????? The understanding the concept of money? The fact that they aren't doing it out of irresponsibility, but just habit that they don't understand. Depending on the child's maturity?
Thoughts, Jodie????
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Suzanne in ID
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Anne McD
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| Posted: May 12 2009 at 4:30pm | IP Logged
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My son used to do this. Every time he did, I made him say, "I will not tip my chair" 25 times (or whatever will be completley annoying to your son) and now that I think about it, he doesn't do it anymore.
Did I actually win at a mom/son standoff around here????
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Anne
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Mackfam
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| Posted: May 12 2009 at 4:47pm | IP Logged
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Mine used to tip all....the....time! I let the natural consequence of flipping back do my talking for me until one day my son flipped back on my (then) just walking toddler. From then on, I made a new rule:
If you can't use the chair for sitting, your sitting privileges are suspended.
If I catch a child tipping, I tell them to hop up and time themselves - one minute for every year of age - standing in front of their chair. They are to continue with lessons, writing, meals, whatever...but in a standing position. I'm afraid to tell you it worked out loud...you all know what will happen then, right?! I'll just say, it is working so far!
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JodieLyn
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| Posted: May 12 2009 at 6:06pm | IP Logged
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yeah, the six might be a bit young.. I used (and occationally use now when he forgets) this with my 10 yr old and it was probably mostly in the last couple of years. And he was already learning things like breaking it from an accident vs breaking from using an item incorrectly.. and us paying for some work.. but not chores.
I think I probably agree with you on the habit formation.. not so much punishable as annoying enough to make them stop.. like having to go back every time to close the door if they don't do it.. they usually figure out that it's worth their time to close the door before walkign away from it.
Hmm so maybe something extra he has to do not just set the chair back down.. maybe the standing for a short time each and every time before he gets to sit back down?.. maybe practising.. just having him stand up and then try again with sitting in the chair.. Also pay attention to what he's doing with his feet when he's tipping it.. is he pushing off of something or what.. then you can also practise the putting your feet where they belong part.
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Jodie, wife to Dave
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Mimip
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Melinda,
We just did what Suzanne suggested and put our DD back in her brother's booster seat. If she tipped the chair she had to sit that meal and all the meals the next day in the booster. We only had to do it a few times (maybe 4) and then she really hated it because the booster seat in our house is belted in
It worked thankfully because she really can't hit her head anymore
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Mimi
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LLMom
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| Posted: May 12 2009 at 8:08pm | IP Logged
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we make them stand as well when they tip. They are standing a lot; slow learners, I guess.
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KackyK
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| Posted: May 12 2009 at 10:31pm | IP Logged
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We stand here too! Our chair supports are beginning to break now, so they have seen that consequence. Not that you want that to happen before they "get"it!
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KackyK
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Red Cardigan
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| Posted: May 13 2009 at 12:01am | IP Logged
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I used to fuss at my second daughter who was the chair tipper, but eventually she outgrew the habit.
If I had to do it over again--I'd put a rocking chair in her place at the table!
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SeaStar
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| Posted: May 13 2009 at 6:09am | IP Logged
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Thank you for all the suggestions. I do indeed have a rocking chair I can use in place of his regular chair. And I might try the "you break/you buy" idea... I think that might work as well. I have on occasion taken his chair away or made him stand- only sometimes that turns into a battle of making him stand up in the first place. He is stubborn- just like his mom and dad
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Melinda, mom to ds ('02) and dd ('04)
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4Real Forums : Mothering and Family Life
Topic: chair tipping
