Hey y’all and welcome to Teach Them Young! Today I want to share a bit with you about the power of a stand, step stool, step… whatever you wanna call it. My toddler calls it a stand, so that’s what we are sticking with for today. 😉

We have three different stands in our house that my two year old, Andee, uses every single day. We have two in our kitchen and one for our upstairs level where our bedrooms and bathrooms are. Three stands in one house might sound redundant, but let me tell more about the different types we use in our house and why.

Skip Hop 2 in 1 Convertible High Chair, Sit-to-Step

This is the first stand we ever got Andee, mainly because it was part of her high chair. We keep it at our kitchen island, which is typically where Andee eats (she likes to eat standing up). She uses it to cook with me too, which is so, so fun! I like this stand because of the 2 in 1 aspect, but also because it has a wide base. She has space to move around a bit without falling off.

GRUBBAN step stool from IKEA

We also have this stand in our kitchen. I tried to replace the Skip Hop stand with this one because it’s smaller… but smaller equalled less safe. You know how I mentioned the wide base of the Skip Hop stand? Yeah, this one doesn’t have that feature. That said, I really love this stand because it is smaller meaning Andee can move it around the kitchen easier to access the sink or certain dishes. It’s made our “hand washing right when you get home” routine much easier and more fun for Andee. She is able to slide the stand up to the sink and wash her hand all on her own. I get that having two stands in one space may be a little over the top, but it’s what works for us at the moment.

Dreambaby 2-Up Step Stool

This is probably Andee’s most favorite stand simply because of its size. We keep this stand in her bathroom so that she can climb onto the toilet or brush her teeth at the sink. But she also uses it to constantly go around and turn the light in each room on and off. This is an activity that keeps her occupied for like thirty minutes plus. She also uses this stand to help James, her little brother, when he is on the change pad. She can easily reach him to help change his outfit or put lotion on him and more. And an extra perk of this stand is that I even use it for workouts sometimes because it is so easy to move around.

There are lots of different types of stands out there other than just these three. These are just the ones that have worked well for us in our home. Regardless of the stand you choose, giving your child the ability to access various areas of your house that they are typically too small to reach is so beneficial in building their confidence and independence. Plus it gives you the opportunity to bond with your child more through practical life experiences. Having a stand for your child helps eliminate some of the activities you might brainstorm for them because it allows you to include your child in YOUR activities like cooking or baking or doing the dishes and more. Who doesn’t love the idea of lessening the mental load?

Anyway, I’d love to hear what you think about the power of a stand in the comments below. And be sure to check out my instagram reel for visuals on how Andee uses a stand. Happy day y’all!