For the longest time, I tried cooking one-handedly. That's because the toddler HAD to be in my arms — or else, there was a major meltdown. It was clear he liked to be part of the action.
But seriously, one-handed cooking is not easy (or possible, sometimes), and frankly, it's kind of dangerous. Also? So annoying! How is a girl supposed to enjoy cooking with all this craziness going on, people?
So, I looked into toddler kitchen stands. A lot of people suggested the Little Partners Learning Tower, and it does look great. But, for me, the price point was a bit high. I mean, what if he hated it? Ultimately I went with something a bit less expensive.
The kiddo (19 months at the time I finally got it assembled) loves it. He couldn't wait to get up there the first day. It works at the kitchen island and the kitchen sink for hand-washing. The downside is that there is no back, so you do have to watch little ones closely — though you need to do that anyway, right?
Cooking with him would be a lot harder without this Guidecraft stand. We love this thing.