# Learning Tower vs. standing on chair



## caedmyn (Jan 13, 2006)

We received a Learning Tower as a gift about eighteen months ago and never opened it because we were in the middle of a bunch of short-term moves and there hasn't been room to take it along. Now we're settled but DD is 2.5 and plenty old enough to stand on a chair when helping in the kitchen, so I'm debating about whether to sell the Learning Tower or keep it. We're planning on having one more baby after the one that's on the way, and I can't decide whether to just have upcoming toddlers stand on a chair like DD does not, or whether to keep the Learning Tower.

Here's a link to the Learning Tower.
http://www.amazon.com/Little-Partner...5301975&sr=8-1


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## Daffodil (Aug 30, 2003)

With my kids, there was really only a period of a few months at most when they were big enough to be interested in standing on something to watch or help, but unsteady enough that a chair or stepstool seemed slightly unsafe. So the Learning Tower doesn't seem terribly useful to me. But my kids seem especially careful about standing up on things; there may be other kids who would still be likely to fall off a chair at 1 1/2 or 2.


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## sunnygir1 (Oct 8, 2007)

Maybe it's just me, but the Learning Tower doesn't seem particularly safe to me. I'm not sure what the benefit is. Yeah, there is a bar around the top, but dd has always been more likely to slide her foot off the edge than to tip over. I can just see her falling off and hitting her face on the top bar on her way down. I guess it depends on the kid, but a chair or step stool with a vigilant parent is probably just fine.


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## lexbeach (Mar 6, 2002)

With my twins, the Learning Tower was a lifesaver. I mean, it really did change my life. We got it when they were 11 months old. Up until that point, kitchen work was nearly impossible since I could only wear one of them while getting any cooking done. Over the years, the Learning Tower became less essential (once the kids could safely stand on a regular chair), but remained helpful because it allowed both kids to have a prime spot while helping me cook or playing in the sink. With chairs, it always seemed that one spot was "better" and one kid had a better view, or whatever, lol! We've been using the LT with our singleton as well, he's now 19 months old and it's been great for him. I've never tried to put him on a regular chair, so I'm not sure how he'd do. We are about to move into a small house with a tiny kitchen, so I'm selling our LT. It doesn't feel essential with just one toddler the way it did with two toddlers.

If I had the space, I'd definitely be keeping it though!

HTH!

Lex


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## ee_lime (Apr 14, 2007)

We have the learning tower for our 23 month old. It is really nice to have when you want to use it but....it is extremely heavy to move around, and you have to put it away somewhere when you won't be using it otherwise your lo will climb in it and it can be dangerous if they are not being supervised. I was thinking about adding something , either a very sturdy canvas like material or more wood, to the sides because it scares me that if he were to accidentally step off that he would be hurt more than if he were to just fall off of a chair. overall though if you have the space to store it then I would say keep it.


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## snitker79 (Apr 7, 2007)

I don't have a LT, but have thought about it. It's just the price is outrageous. However, I wanted to put my 2c in about this, because today my 26mo dd tipped over the kitchen chair she was standing on. Luckily she was more frightened than hurt.

She loves to stand at the counter helping me with various tasks. She can move the chair around herself and climb up and down herself. She's not a particular climber as some kids might be. She never even attempted to crawl out of her crib. However, she was lightly rocking her body into the back of the chair (metal frame with 2 legs in front and wrapped to a half circle at the base). I was standing at the table and she was at the counter when it happened. It nearly hit the oven/stove in which it could have shattered the glass on the front, with her falling directly into it (the oven was on). She basically just rode it all the way down, falling on the back which is cloth at least. It has me thinking more about some sort of step stool or the learning tower, but our kitchen is small as well.

Just wanted to put in my experience. I still don't know what I'll do, but she'll continue to stand on the chair until we get something different. I'll just be more aware.


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## Kessed (Nov 28, 2007)

My 19mo old has been safely standing on a chair for months. She's never come close to falling or tipping it over.

I would sell it... But that's just me. I can't ever see using it.


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## DaytonsMom (Aug 25, 2007)

Love our learning tower!! Ds has just started standing on the chairs too, but i'm always a lot more nervous when he is on the chair. With the learning tower he def knows where it ends, and there is a little rim around the bottom sides so slipping off hasn't been an issue for us. Just our opinion, but Dayton even eates in it instead of the high chair and plays in the sink!! So it's been great! Ours doesn't seem so heavy we just scoot it or drag it in the kitchen. No problem here.


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## SundayCrepes (Feb 15, 2008)

We love our learning tower and couldn't stand to not have it. My son must use it a dozen times a day. Sometimes to help cook or do dishes, sometimes just to get closer to adult eye level.

We have a small kitchen and it just sits there, against the counter. I have to work around it, but I don't care, it is such a good thing for my son (now 2.5 years.)

My husband originally thought I was nuts buying it. It is sinfully expensive. He now says it was a really good purchase.

My son does use it as monkey bars. I'm okay with that. Kids need to explore what their bodies can do so I let him (as long as there aren't any knives, etc. around for him to get hurt with.)

Another thing he uses it for is to set things on at his level. When he feeds the dogs, he puts there bowls on the LT shelf before putting them on the floor.

To the OP. The above list is the most negative posts I've ever seen about the LT ever, combined. You seem to have gotten everyone who doesn't like it. If you've got more kids coming, I'd definitely keep it. Use it for a few years and sell it. The used ones are so hard to find that they sell instantly.

As far as moving it. I put felt sticky strips on the bottom. We have wood floors and even my son can easily push it around.


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## redpajama (Jan 22, 2007)

I think it depends on how much space you have. My kids received one for Christmas last year from their grandparents, and they really like it, and it's really useful when we're using it (if that makes sense), but we've recently moved into a smaller place and we really don't have room for it. It seems like someone is always stubbing their toe on it. Also, the way our kitchen is set up now, it's at the end of a long bar, so it's actually just serving as a means by which the kids can climb up onto the counters.







: We're not sure what to do with it, because it was a very nice gift and I know my parents-in-law would likely be hurt and a little irritated if we got rid of it, but...it's just not serving us as well as it did 6 months ago.

All that said, if you have the space to store and a good place to use it, I think it's great. My kids like being able to climb up to the counter and help with cooking or whatever.


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## delly (Oct 30, 2007)

I've bounced back and forth on getting a LT over the years... we still haven't done it. I think it would be nice but not essential for us, so since it's not a NEED I can't justify spending the money. My 2 kids (2 and 4.5) are pretty safe standing on chairs as long as they're supervised - which they would be anyway, I'd never let them climb up to get to the counters without a parent around, LT or not. We've done fine without it... I don't know if I regret not getting it or not, but I do feel like I get excited about getting so much stuff for the kids and sometimes the things are worth it and sometimes they're not. Not sure where this one would've fallen - I might've loved it, I might've thought it was ok but hated myself for spending all that money on it. Who knows! I'm kinda glad ther are a couple people out there who, like me, don't think it's the end of the world that we don't have one, though! Reduces the guilt quotient a little...


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## IlluminatedAttic (Aug 25, 2006)

We've had ours for a year and a half and we love it! We've had it in two very small kitchens and we just set it in the most logical place and then treated it like a part of the built-in cabinetry. I would argue that it is much safer than just a chair as even the most calm child can get engrossed in what they are doing, forget that they are standing on the edge of a chair and fall off. I do not understand the comment about slipping the child's foot off the edge because the platform that the child stands on is lower than the side and the lip would prevent them from just sliding off. The fact that the platform is adjustable has been great as we've always been able to position ds at the proper height for the work he is doing. It is heavy, but like a pp we just put the pads on the feet and could easily slide it. People always seem to worry about where to store it, but we never put ours away. DS uses it dozens of times a day whenever we are in the kitchen and because of it's permanency it has encouraged him/us to include him in so much more of our food prep and kitchen chores. He is a monkey and I never worry about him falling because it is so stable. His cousins are such monkeys that they make him look like a kitten and none of them have ever fallen or tipped it. Plus all three have fit in it at the same time - though now that my almost 5yr old niece has hit a growth spurt I'm not sure that will work. Both 3 yr old boys still fit comfortably. Plus we don't worry about one accidently pushing another off with their wiggling. It is an expense but I see it as a piece of well-made furniture, not just a step-stool. It still looks like new condition and I will be able to resell it for most of it's original cost when the time comes.


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## Meems (Jan 8, 2007)

i'd keep it.

i feel like it is safer than a chair. our chairs definitely aren't safe, and DD would not be at counter height. we use it daily.

it is definitely not compact. i took the feet off of it and haven't noticed a difference in stability, but it does help with the stubbed toes!


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## caedmyn (Jan 13, 2006)

Well I think I'm leaning towards keeping it now. I don't know if they're low enough that a 2.5 year old can climb in by themselves, but if not, so much the better as it would keep DD away from the counters when I'm not right there. She doesn't pay much attention so she has stepped off a chair a few times even recently. Plus if two can fit in it, that will be great once the baby is a year or so old--our kitchen is decent sized but definitely not big enough for two kids on two chairs! And if it's sturdy enough that DD can use it for monkey bars, that's great--maybe it will stop her from hanging on the doorknobs and cabinets.


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## AlbertaJes (May 11, 2006)

My DD fell off a chair more than once while we were waiting for our learning tower. She has had the learning tower for almost 7 months and never fallen off once. Definitely an essential at our house.


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## Becken (May 28, 2006)

I love our learning tower. It was a lifesaver for a few months between 15 and 18 months. Right now Dd (21 months) is much better at independent play when I'm in the kitchen. She'll either pull out some mixing bowls and "cook" or run off to her room.

But I tell you, it has been TOTALLY worth it for the peace of mind (not falling off the stepstool, which was becoming a daily occurrence before I got the LT) and the lack of a whining toddler pulling at my pant leg.

It's heavy, but not terribly unwieldy, and if you have smooth floors it will slide without scratching them. You'll probably stub your toes on it for a bit until you get used to its edges, but after that it really just blends into the rest of the kitchen, like the OP says.

Oh, and it's totally big enough for at least two kids on the platform. Three if they're not all facing the same direction. Often I'll climb up on it to reach something in a high cupboard, when my Dd is in it too!


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## delly (Oct 30, 2007)

Ok, after all the stubbing toes remark, now I know I'm not allowed to ever get one of these! DH is constantly stubbing his toes on EVERYTHING and he does it really hard. And he makes a big fuss over it too, lots of gasping and hopping around. (







I know it hurts, but just watch where you're going already!) Looks like we're sticking with chairs around here unless the kids get super un-cautious on the chairs...


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## SundayCrepes (Feb 15, 2008)

We never stub our toes because we took the side feet off.

To op, your child will figure out how to get in it/on it/around it/through it in about 15 seconds. Standing on the top will take a little longer, but it's so stable that you're okay.

I agree with a pp that says our son is involved in a lot more activity than if we had to drag a chair into the kitchen every time he wanted to help.


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## rubyeta (Jan 11, 2007)

we totally LOVE the learning tower. We never stub our toes on it anymore, but it was a problem when we first got it. DD spends so much time in it, i dont know what we would do without it!! (we do have a large kitchen, though)


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## annekevdbroek (Jun 5, 2005)

I hated the Learning Tower we had - it took up way way way too much space. And unlike a chair which would return to the dining room table or a folding stool, there was no way to put it away. It just sat in the kitchen and took up a ton of room. It was very heavy and hard to move and always blocking the cupboard I needed to access. I was so happy when I sold it.


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## mamadelbosque (Feb 6, 2007)

I've looked at them online some, but I don't see the point really. DS is pretty good at standing on chairs, and I like that I can just push them up against the table if I don't want him to climb up on it.. I don't know where on earth I would put it. I think I'd probably sell it... but thats just me


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## atavsanav (8 mo ago)

Bought a learning tower for my son that converts into a table and bought one for my nephew that is foldable to storage space. Best purchases I can recommend to do activities in the kitchen with your kids. I recommend the learning towers from Piccalio

Mini Chef Convertible | Helper Tower

Mini Chef Foldable | Kitchen Helper Tower


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