I Love Baking With My Kids, and This Product Made It So Much Easier

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From the time I was old enough to use the oven, baking has been one of my favorite pastimes. And from the time my daughter was old enough to stand at the counter with me, I’ve wanted to share my love of baking with her. Even before she was born, I dreamed of making Christmas cookies and homemade pierogies with her by my side.

Anyone who has ever baked with a toddler knows that I was looking through rose-colored glasses when I imagined a peaceful scene that involved flour, eggs, and a two-year-old. Nevertheless, she and I have been making memories at the kitchen counter for four years now, and I owe her early start in the kitchen to Guidecraft’s Kitchen Helper. With the Kitchen Helper keeping her in one spot, at least I know the mess she leaves in her wake will be confined to one area. 

The stool was one of the first gifts my mom bought for her, and it’s one we’ll treasure until all of my kids can reach the counter themselves. It supports up to 125 pounds, so as soon as my five-month-old twins are standing, they’ll be joining us at the counter, too.  

Sure, we could just pull a chair up to the counter and call it a day, but the Kitchen Helper is such a special place for my daughter. When I pull it out, she knows she’s going to get to spend some special time with me in the kitchen. Not to mention, it’s much safer, too. 

The Kitchen Helper has a sturdy base, and the standing platform can be moved up or down based on a child’s height. When I had her in it this morning, I actually realized that she has somehow grown in the blink of an eye, and the platform needs to be lowered.

It has a non-slip mat to keep little feet firmly planted, and it has mesh netting so kids don’t fall out. Another reason I like it is that it’s big and sturdy, but it also folds away nicely when we’re done with it. I can have it pulled out and ready to go in less than 30 seconds.

When my daughter was younger and I needed her to stay in one spot while we were cooking or baking, I relied heavily on the Kitchen Helper. While I never took my eyes off her while she was in it, I always knew she was in a safe place. It allowed me to keep unsafe ingredients and kitchen tools away from her. This makes the chaotic process of cooking with kids a little bit less stressful. 

Now that my daughter is four, we remove the netting so she can climb in and out as she pleases, and some of our most beloved memories occur in her Kitchen Helper. Like the time she wanted to make a surprise for Daddy so we whipped up a chocolate cake from scratch (I was feeling ambitious and my sweet tooth was calling). Or the time she took virtual cooking classes during the height of the pandemic. 

A lot of small moments have taken place in the Kitchen Helper, too. Like when she decides she wants to wash dishes or when she spreads butter on her toast on a Tuesday morning. 

I like to think that when my kids look back at their childhood, the kitchen will be the center of some of their best memories. Just as I remember standing at the counter helping my dad filter tomato stems out of his homemade sauce, maybe they’ll remember mashing bananas for homemade banana bread or preparing cutout cookies for the oven. 

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