table for two

One of the things I hemmed and hawed and dragged my feet about was buying a first table and chair for Vicki.  This is sort of an essential piece of Montessori home equipment, to be used for meals, work, and other independent activities.  It's helpful because it allows the child to delineate whatever experience they are having:  eating your yogurt?  Go sit at your table.  Want to do some transferring with tongs?  Take the work to your table.  It provides a beginning and ending point for the activity.

Michael Olaf recommends a very specific first table and chair, ergonomically fitted to the infant.  I never bought these, because I really wanted something that would last a bit longer for Vicki Jo, size-wise.

For her 2nd birthday, Jeff and I got her the table and chairs you see above.  They are KidKraft, which is one of my favorite brands of children's furniture.  Jeff did the assembly - pretty quick compared to some other items.  You can see that it's still a touch big for her.  She can get into the chairs easily, but needs help pushing them up to the table.  I'm okay with this, as it means she will be able to comfortably sit there for at least another year or two.

There was really only one place in our small kitchen that the table and chairs could go.  We put them right in front of the big window.  Now Vicki has a spot of her very own to sit, gaze out at the neighborhood kitties and house building adventures, drink her milk, and not be quite so underfoot in the morning.  We both love it.