Guest post by La Jolla Mom: Three favorite kid-friendly kitchen items

In honor of Gold Notes’ third anniversary, I asked uber mommy blogger, Katie Dillon, best known as La Jolla Mom, to share her three favorite kid-friendly kitchen items. I’m thrilled that she said yes, especially as so many of my readers are moms themselves. I hope her insights help you make your kitchen more family-friendly.

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Plans to renovate our kitchen accelerated once I found out I was pregnant. We had a hard deadline to finish it all before my daughter was born, so major decisions were made at a nerve-wracking pace. We enlisted the help of professionals, and are thrilled with the results. However, though I didn't know it at the time, a few choices proved invaluable as a parent.

Brizo Pascal faucet




I originally chose this Brizo Pascal Faucet for sanitary reasons. I envisioned myself cutting up raw meat and not wanting to touch the handle of my faucet, sanitize it, and repeat during the course of preparing a meal. The spout is positioned so that I can easily tap it with my elbow to use water. There is also a completely hands-free feature, which operates the faucet by simply sensing my hands are underneath the spout.

As a new mother, I could hold my baby and turn the faucet on without awkwardly reaching over the sink. It was easier to perform tasks such as washing my hands or wetting towels to mop spit up and other spills. As she became heavier, I appreciated this faucet even more. Now that my daughter is four years old, she can tap the faucet herself to turn it on and off. Even with a step stool, she can't reach the handle. Preschoolers are constantly washing their hands, so not having to turn the water on and off for her multiple times per day is definitely useful.


Sub-Zero Model 695 Refrigerator



As we have a water dispenser on our sink, I almost opted for the Sub-Zero refrigerator without a water and ice dispenser in the door. I'm so glad I didn't, because the water tastes noticeably better than our filtered sink water, (probably because it's cold). We now keep a stack of kid-friendly cups next to the refrigerator for my four-year-old to help herself to water, since she can't reach the levers on our sink without a big step stool.

She used to dislike water and beg for juice instead. Now, she drinks almost exclusively water because she likes operating the water dispenser all by herself. The other aspect of the refrigerator that I appreciated when she was younger is that the doors are heavy and the seal is tight. During the nosy toddler period, she could never open the doors.


Little Partners' Learning Tower



I purchased the Little Partners' Learning Tower when my daughter was just past two years old. It still lives next to our kitchen island, where we do most food preparation, and I believe it will stay there for years to come. I can't recommend the Learning Tower enough, if you have the space for it. It has adjustable heights so kids stay at counter level as they grow. If kids can't see what you're doing on the counter, you may have them tugging at your pant leg and fussing instead.

While standing in the tower, my daughter has snacks, does crafts, and is happy to just hang out while I'm preparing meals. It has given me freedom and is partially responsible for my daughter's genuine interest in cooking.