If you have children, one of the best activities that you can enjoy as a family is cooking together. However, it’s important to bear in mind that the kitchen can be one of the most hazardous areas of your home. With risks including burns, cuts and slips, it’s no wonder that some parents would prefer to just keep their little ones away from their cooking space. Yet there are plenty of ways in which you can make your kitchen a kid-friendly place that actively encourages your children to spend time with you in there and to learn more about where the food that they eat comes from and how it’s made.
1.Provide Child-Sized Tools
One of the safest ways to help your children to learn to cook is to provide them with child-sized tools and utensils which won’t harm them. Wooden spoons which won’t burn their hands if they stir a hot pan, knives which aren’t so sharp that they will cut their fingers and other child-friendly preparation items will not only make the kitchen safer but will actively encourage your kids to start getting interested in food preparation.
2.Supply A Step
Step stools are an ideal inclusion in your kitchen if you want to make your kitchen safer. That way, children won’t be climbing onto counter tops to try to reach things which are placed too high up, and they won’t have to stretch to access cabinets and drawers out of their reach. Make sure that the step you choose is sturdy and well built so it will hold your child’s weight with ease.
3.Replace Your Drawer Pulls
If you have standard handles on your drawers in your kitchen, it could be time to replace them. If you choose bin pulls instead they make it easier for your kids to actually access the items in the drawers but they can’t be used as a ladder for climbing up your cabinets and drawers.
4.Have A Play Kitchen in Your Real Kitchen!
If you want your children to spend time with you in the kitchen while you work but you don’t want them getting under your feet, you could consider installing a play kitchen especially for them inside the main kitchen. That way, you can cook and prepare food and your kids can role play, copying what they do with their own toys. Make sure that you put the play kitchen far enough away from any hazards that your children won’t accidentally be injured by flames or knives.
5.Have Child Locks On Certain Cabinets
If there are any cabinets in your kitchen which your children can reach but which contain dangerous items like cleaning chemicals, you should fit child locks on the doors. This will ensure that you can access everything you need instantly but your little ones won’t be able to get in.
6.Choose A Child-Friendly Faucet
Some faucets are easier for little hands to operate than others. If your faucets have handles which are difficult to grasp or to turn, your children will find it hard to get water when they need it or, more importantly, to wash their hands before preparing food or eating. The key is to change your faucets for something a little more child-friendly. You can find more information on Kitchenfaucets.reviews about how to select the best faucets for your little ones to operate. One which has paddle style handles is one of the best options since children can simply push or pull the handle to turn the water on or off. Another option is to choose a touch-free faucet which can be activated simply by your child passing their hands in front of the sensor. Either of these make it simpler for your child to be independent in the kitchen while staying safe. You can learn more here today about how to pick the best kid-friendly faucet for your kitchen.
Keeping your kids protected from the many hazards that a kitchen presents is important, but it’s equally vital for your children to exploit the many valuable learning opportunities that this room can provide. Follow these top tips and you’ll find that your kitchen is a safer, more child-friendly place for your little ones to spend time.
I’m a 20-something stay-at-home mother and wife. I have an amazing husband, a beautiful daughter, two loving dogs, and a lazy cat. I wouldn’t change my life for anything! I love to read, listen to music, cook and blog!
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