4 EASY Tips to Keep Your Kitchen Safe for Kids
For most people, the kitchen is the heart of a home. It’s where families gather for meals, projects, homework, and conversation. But with young kids in the house, a child-safe kitchen becomes a top priority.
Because the kitchen is such a vital gathering place, you don’t want to keep kids out, but you need to keep them safe. By taking precautions to create a child-safe kitchen, you’ll be able to protect your curious toddlers and kids while keeping them engaged in family life.
How to Child-Proof the Stovetop & Oven
One of the most dangerous kitchen appliances is your range. It can be disastrous if a child reaches for a burner that’s turned on or tries to open the oven when something’s cooking.
A child-safe kitchen requires particular attention to the stovetop and oven. In addition to never leaving your child unattended when you’re cooking, it’s important to take practical safety measures like these:
Install an oven lock to prevent kids from pulling the door down
Add a stove guard to keep children from touching the stovetop
Learn how to child-proof stove knobs (we’ll cover this in the next section)
Try to use the back burners only
Avoid leaving pots with handles on the edge of a stove; it’s too easy for little hands to grab them
As your children grow, you’ll be teaching them how to safely use the stovetop and oven, but while they’re little, you must do everything possible to keep them from getting hurt by this essential kitchen appliance.
How to Child-Proof Stove Knobs
Toddlers and kids are naturally curious, and they learn largely through exploration, observation, and interaction. Touching things is an important way children learn about the world around them.
Unfortunately, stove knobs are round and shiny, drawing so much attention that your child may find them irresistible.
No matter how often you tell them these knobs are off limits, your toddlers and kids will not fully understand how dangerous it is to play with these shiny objects. Even if you have your back turned or leave the room for just a moment, little kids can get into big trouble quickly with stove knobs, putting themselves and your household in danger.
If you’re wondering how to child-proof stove knobs to keep little hands from turning them, here’s an easy and simple solution: replace current knobs with locking stove safety knobs. Make sure to get ones with a locking mechanism to minimize the chance of accidental ignition or gas leaks.
It’s still vital to teach young kids the importance of staying away from things in the house that could hurt them, but with locking stove safety knobs, you’ll be taking an important step to keep them safe if they can’t resist reaching for these knobs.
For added security, you can also look into locking safety stove knob covers. Make sure to get ones made by a reputable company, as not all are truly child-proof.
How to Child-Proof Kitchen Cabinets & Drawers
The stuff inside your kitchen cabinets and drawers is especially tempting for young children. Getting into items can be very dangerous since they don’t yet know what’s edible and what’s poisonous (household cleaners may look like candy or juice to toddlers). Even certain foods can be toxic to young children when eaten in large quantities.
Additional dangers lurk in drawers, including knives and other sharp, pointy objects. Toddlers and little kids may open lower drawers and use them as steps to try to access the counter. Opening cabinets and reaching for items high on a shelf can lead to items falling on your child or glass containers smashing on the floor.
For these and countless other reasons, it’s important to child-proof cabinets and drawers to keep kids safe. Here are some great ways to do that:
Install baby-proof cabinet locks (adhesive and magnetic options are available)
Also install child safety locking mechanisms for drawers
Anchor any standalone cabinets to the wall
Get into the habit of moving hazardous items out of reach, even with locks in place
With young children in the house, locked cabinet doors and drawers are a must, but you should also move certain things out of reach in case a clever baby is still able to get in. For a child-safe kitchen, household cleaners, medicines, alcoholic beverages, and sharp items must all be treated with extra care and placed completely out of reach of children.
How to Baby-Proof Your Dishwasher
One place that parents sometimes overlook is the dishwasher. It’s an unassuming appliance for adults, but for young children, it’s yet another thing to explore. The knobs and levers are too tempting, and little ones can get knocked down if they try to grab onto a partially open dishwasher door for support.
If the dishwasher is open, your baby, toddler, or preschooler may be drawn to the items inside, which could be anything from caustic dishwasher soap to sharp utensils. Even picking up a plate from the dishwasher, dropping it, and shattering it on the floor is bad news.
To avoid mishaps with the dishwasher and create a more child-safe kitchen, take the following measures:
Keep your dishwasher locked!
If your unit has a built-in child safety locking mechanism, use it
If it doesn’t have this mechanism, install a safety locking device
Whenever you’re done loading or unloading, lock your dishwasher
Never leave the door partially open
Load forks, knives, and breakable items in the back where your child can’t reach
Consider using a child gate to keep your little one away when you’re loading or unloading your dishwasher
Learn More About RangeSafe Stove Safety Knobs™
If you would like more information about keeping toddlers and kids safer in the kitchen by replacing standard stove knobs with safety ones, get in touch with RangeSafe today.
There are countless scenarios where installing our locking stove safety knobs can increase safety, including in homes with older seniors, younger children, and pets, as well as in backyard grills, restaurant kitchens, campers, and more. Contact us today for more information about safety knobs, including how to child-proof stove knobs.