Keeping your little ones safe is a parent’s first priority. Your kitchen is one of the most comforting rooms in the house but it can also present hazards to children. Just about every item you use to prepare food is unsafe for your young child. Every year, 42,000 children under the age of five are admitted to hospital following an accident in the kitchen, but with a few simple changes and some safety considerations, you can keep your little one safe. First of All and the Most Important one
Never leave children alone in the kitchen. Children should be supervised at all times while in the kitchen. Ovens, knives, hot liquids, hot pots and electrical appliances are all potentially dangerous.
Develop child safe kitchen habits
Now that you have a young child in your house, you will have to adjust your kitchen habits in order to accommodate your little ones safety.
Do not leave anything hanging over the edge of cabinets
Towels, electrical cords, pan handles, anything. These can be pulled on by your child, bringing everything tumbling down on top of your baby.
Watch where you leave hot beverages
Be very mindful of where you leave that hot cup of tea or coffee to cool. A curious child can easily knock it over resulting in serious scalding. Also, never carry your child in one arm and a hot drink in the other, it’s a recipe for disaster.
Return objects to cabinets as soon as you have finished using them
Sharp objects such as knives or breakable objects such as glass or china can cause serious injury if left within easy reach.
Do not leave appliances plugged in
As soon as you are finished worth that toaster or blender, unplug it and put it away.
Be mindful of kitchen items you leave to dry
Do not leave knives, glass, or china to dry by the side of the sink, dry it with a towel and store it safely away. Baby proof your stove top
1. Use back burners whenever possible. Some of the most common accidents occur when a child reaches up and grabs a pot or pan, spilling the hot contents over himself. When it’s necessary to use the front burners, turn all pot handles toward the back so they are not as easy to reach.
2. Place childproof covers on stove and oven knobs or remove knobs entirely from the stove so that burners and oven cannot be turned on easily by a child. Knobs can be stored conveniently in a drawer on a shelf, out of your child’s reach.
3. Be careful of opening the door of a hot oven when a child is standing by. He may try to touch the inside of the door, or may get a face full of very hot air. 4. Bolt the stove to the wall if you have a low oven or broiler door so that the stove will not tip over should a child open the door and stand on it.
Keep your kitchen clean
Your kitchen can quickly get messy when cooking. Even if you are not the most tidy of people, you will want to keep your kitchen clean when you have children in your house. Your child will see everything at ground level. If it sits at ground level there is a good chance it will end up in your child’s mouth. Those dropped crumbs on the tiles, the splatter of spaghetti sauce on the door, its all fair game for a baby. You will have to be very thorough in cleaning up after yourself while your baby’s develops its ability to differentiate between what should and shouldn’t enter the mouth. Be thorough
Chemicals
Over 28,000 children are treated for poisoning accidents every year, and kitchen cleaning products are a common cause. Keep all chemicals locked away, out of sight and out of reach of children. Other items to stash away are plastic bags, boxes with serrated edges (such as aluminum foil) and glass items. If you have the space, keep your rubbish bin inside a locked cupboard too, or fit a suitable lock to the lid.
Baby proof your microwave
The microwave was basically designed to attract your baby’s attention. Buttons that beep when pressed. The inside spins around. It is more fun than many other baby toys I have seen on the market. Jokes aside, you will want to prevent your little one from placing items in the microwave and cooking them. The multipurpose latches that I mentioned just above are perfect for securing the microwave door from your little ones curious hands. You can deter your child from playing with the microwave buttons by mounting the microwave as far back on the bench top as possible.
Refrigerator and Freezers
Use a childproof door latch, Velcro or buckle type, to secure the door shut.
Remove refrigerator magnets. Children can choke on small items, and colorful refrigerator magnets are particularly enticing.
Warn children not to touch ice-cold surfaces with their tongues. Your child’s tongue will stick to the surface.
Remove doors from old appliances you are replacing as soon as the new ones arrive. Refrigerators as well as coolers, freezers, and other larger airtight appliances can entrap a child who many crawl inside and be unable to get out. Also, as soon as your child is old enough to understand, instruct her never to hide in any appliance.
Spills and breakages
Always clear these up immediately to avoid slips and cuts. If you break a glass, be aware that tiny sharp shards can scatter across a wide distance, so shut your child out of the kitchen until you’ve cleaned up thoroughly and make sure she wears shoes or slippers for the next few days.
Reducing the Risk of Falls
Young children can easily fall off tall chairs, particularly if they’re trying to reach something on a table. Little legs can also slip on wet or greasy floors. Keep your child free of falls by keeping these tips in mind:
• Never turn your back on a young child in a tall chair. Instead, place him or her in a high chair or a chair that’s closer to the floor and use the safety belt when applicable.
• Purchase non-slip rugs for a tile or linoleum floor and make sure throw rugs are secured with a rubber mat.
• Don’t allow baby walkers in the kitchen. Babies in walkers are particularly prone to accidents.
• Safely tuck telephone and electrical cords out of the way and keep the floor clean of grease, water, and other liquids.
Compiled by Manizheh Soleymani Fard
Sources:
cookinglight.com
parent.guide
parents.com
madeformums.com
healthline.com