User:Mandystrobes/sandbox

"A high chair is a piece of furniture used for feeding older babies and younger toddlers. The seat is raised a fair distance from the ground, so that a person of adult height may spoon-feed the child comfortably from a standing position (hence the name). It often has a wide base to increase stability. There is a tray which is attached to the arms of the high chair, which allows the adult to place the food on it for either the child to pick up and eat or for the food to be spoon-fed to them.

A booster chair is meant to be used with a regular chair to boost the height of a child sufficiently. Some boosters are a simple monolithic piece of plastic. Others are more complex and are designed to fold up and include a detachable tray.

Rarely, a chair can be suspended from the edge of the table avoiding the need for an adult chair or a high chair.

History of the High Chair
The high chair is an everyday item of convenience for family households across the world. The chair is specifically designed with infants and parents ease in mind and is first seen in ancient Greece. In this first model, the chair was lower to the ground so the parent could sit in a seat and be at the same level as the baby. This may be seen as somewhat forgein to modern folk who know the high chair as something adjustable and used mostly when the adult is standing. The first high chair seems to be carved out of some type of stone. The baby sits in the structure that looks like a ceramic bowl with one large hole carved out of the side so the infant can put their legs through. Of course as time went on the high chair evolved and became somewhat of a luxury item, specifically in America. They “were mostly British imports…some upper middle class and affluent Americans and Europeans did own high chairs” but for the most part these chairs for infants, were rare. As the means of production increased in the 1800s, so did the amount of high chairs being made. The more chairs there were the less expensive they became and soon enough they became a staple in family homes. They were carved out of wood at first using a wicker or leather material for the sitting and back supporting area. They used these softer materials to ensure the baby’s comfort. This version of the high chair included a tray table so the child could eat dinner alongside their family without making a mess. It also included a foot rest so the baby’s feet weren’t dangling, possibly causing a hazard. Another amazingly inventive aspect of this high chair is the fact that it is not only a high chair. As seen in the image from the Open-air museum in Germany, the legs are curved and have wheels on the bottom of them. Parents could adjust the chair so the legs would sprawl out and the chair would sink down. That being said, “a consensus on antique furniture collector sites is that antique high chairs should not be used today. They are just not safe.” While they may have been convenient, innovative, and affordable, the injury of your child makes all of those pros disappear.

Safety
“An average of almost 9,500 toddlers a year are treated in emergency rooms for injuries involving high chairs.” This number is also steadily increasing as years go on with most of these injuries related to “falling out of the chair”. In rare cases injuries can result in death. Thankfully, a very small amount of these injury’s needed prolonged hospitalization. To ensure the safety of the child it is important to research. Make sure that the chair being used is in compliance with the safety laws put in place. It is recommended by parents and expert retailers of these products that you don't take safety lightly when it comes to purchasing a high chair. Here are some things to look out for when buying a safe and secure chair for your child.


 * Strong and secure harness that has different points ensuring that the child cannot slide in and out from underneath or overtop.
 * Inability to “rock the chair” determined by the “design angle of the chair’s legs”
 * Ask the retailers selling the product or people reviewing the product online.