Thank you for the advice provided on an earlier question on kitchen tables - one more question - we have a smaller kitchen and are considering having a kitchen island custom built to be used with bar stools for seating as well as prep space. I have two young children and am concerned they will have difficutly using the bar stools - may be uncomfortable or unsafe for them. The other option is to have a small round kitchen table with chairs (normal height) and a small, ready made kitchen island/cart for prep work. Any thoughts?
We have an island and a kitchen table. We NEVER use the island to sit at. I think bar stools are uncomfortable. And the kids have trouble getting up and down, and the little one has fallen from the bar stool.
So, I'd vote for the table and small island/cart for extra counter space.
We took out our island! We opted for the table and chairs, and a rolling island. This has worked for us for many years, because we like the ability to move the furniture a little and add more chairs for a larger group or when the kids had friends over for crafts. It just seems very flexible this way.
We had a similar thought and went with the kitchen table and I'm so glad as it's handy for homework and all. The island is too high for kids for too long... Very glad we have a table even though it's small.
My Dd uses the bar stools all the time on our counter. At first I was worried (she was 2.5 when we moved here...) about her climbing on them, but she has never had an issue. I just taught her, VERY strongly, that she is not to climb on them without an adult in the room.
She prefers eating at the counter than the table. Lol.
If you want your kitchen to evolve with your needs, then a movable island cart is the way to go. You can see in the future if you could do with a built in island and then build one.
I would not want my small children climbing on bar stools. My kids now are 6 and 2 and we don't have stools. There's space for three at our island, and my husband wants them, but I said not until the kids are older. It also doesn't feel as much like a family meal to me if you're sitting at an island and not around a table, mainly because no one is really facing each other.
We use barstool (barstool height anyway) chairs at our island - which we use as a kitchen table. Have since before either kiddo was born. Easy peesy.
The highchair we use is one that sits on a regular chair and then straps in. When we need to store it or transport it it's pretty easy as it's the size of a small car seat.
The booster seat we use is a regular one.
Our 2.5 year old can climb up and down from his booster on his own. He could climb onto one of the regular chairs starting about 6 months ago.
No falls (yet). :)
