What John Learned in His "Learning Tower"

We stayed with my cousin Rich and his family a couple of weeks ago. Rich and Lisa have a daughter who is about John's age, named Sophia.

We noticed that Sophia had a little Learning Tower stationed in front of an island in the kitchen. She could stand on it while she ate or watched her mother make dinner. Kristi got online and the reviewers said that it was expensive, but worth it, because it kept little children out of trouble and left parents free to take care of chores around the house. Plus, it was adjustable, so that it would continue to be useful as the child grew.

Kristi bought it immediately.

It arrived shortly after we returned home and, at Kristi's request, I put it together that very night. John has seemed to enjoy it.

Tonight, I became a little concerned, because John climbed out of it for the first time and scrambled onto the kitchen table, picking up the lid of the teapot and the pepper shaker and taking a good like around. (I had already lowered it one rung soon after we got it, because I noticed that John was able to climb out.)

So I lowered it another rung.

"John, it is going to be more difficult to climb out of it now, because I made it lower."

He climbed back in and then right back onto the table. So I lowered it another rung, the lowest one.

"John, it is going to be more difficult to climb out this time, because I lowered it to the lowest rung." I didn't want him to be too disappointed when he realized that he couldn't get out anymore.

So he climbed back in and, this time, got up onto a cross bar and tried to lift himself out, but couldn't. Then he tried again, pulled himself up, and scrambled back onto the table.

How long was this thing supposed to last us?

(My wife correctly pointed out that this is an opportunity to tell John that he is not allowed to climb on the table.)