Meet Jennie

Hello!

I’m Jennie. I founded Kitchen Counter Kids to provide toddlers and their guardians with a fun, engaging, and unique experience.

Before KCK, I was a kindergarten teacher and I LOVED my job. After having my son, John, I kept extending my leave from work because we just couldn’t figure out why our little boy was in pain all the time. We would soon find out that there was an extensive list of foods he is severely allergic to, including but not limited to: peanuts, dairy, tree nuts, sunflower, soy, wheat, and unfortunately the list goes on. I made the difficult decision to resign so that I could support my little buddy the way he needs me to.

Mealtimes made me very anxious, as I was always wondering things like “is he getting enough calcium in his limited diet? If I use cheese in this pan is it going to give him a reaction from cross contamination? Did that family member wash their hands before helping him pick up his food?” My husband and I have become diligent food label readers, and our rule of thumb is, if it didn’t come out of our kitchen, we’re not serving it to John.

Flash forward and we are now a well-oiled machine. We got John a toddler stool so he could see what was going on while we cooked and I can’t begin to explain how happy he is to be involved. He is the one who inspired me to start Kitchen Counter Kids. We have had to get so creative with food and it’s become an obsession. KCK is a place where I can combine my love of working with kids and teaching literacy with hands on, sensory exploration for our youngest learners. I know exactly where preschool and kindergarten teachers are hoping children will be when they walk through their doors, and I am so excited to help kids take initial steps in getting there. I’ll let you in on a little secret… kids will learn their letters and numbers and curriculum in their future classrooms. But if they start the year with strong fine motor skills, a love of reading, and an understanding of basic routines and transitions? They will be golden!

Thank you for taking the time to learn a little bit about me and why I’m here. I look forward to meeting you and your little chefs in the kitchen!