The kitchen is one of the most commonly used spaces in the home. This is where all the food gets made, a role that arguably makes it the very heart of the home.
However, kitchens are potentially the most dangerous spaces in the home, especially for babies. A typical kitchen will have sharp utensils, hot appliances, sizzling hot oil, and open flames.
This makes them an ever-present source of danger because babies are naturally curious and love to explore without hesitation or fear.
As endearing as it is to experience their curious nature, the process of cooking and kitchens, in general, can result in injuries the moment you turn away to go about your business. Luckily, there are several measures you can take to keep your baby safe while cooking. Here are a few of them.
Keeping your child safe while cooking
1. Install safety locks You can buy cheap plastic locks from most parenting and hardware stores for your refrigerator, cabinets, drawers, and oven.
Once you install these locks, they will be able to prevent curious little ones from opening appliances such as a hot oven or a fridge filled with food as you cook.
Depending on the dimensions of your handles and cabinets, you may also be able to use hooks or latches that can connect the handles so that you don’t have to physically install them. The best part is that there are different styles and options available, so all you have to do is simply select the one that best suits your needs.
2. Consider cooking when the baby is asleep If possible, consider cooking when your child is down for a nap so that you don’t have to worry about keeping an eye on them. Try doing most of the heavy prep work during this time so that you don’t have much to do as dinner time approaches.
This is an especially reliable solution if you have developed a nap-time routine that is almost always followed.
3. Use a high chair or baby gate If you are using the oven, you will want to ensure that your child does not touch it and get burned. Because it is nearly impossible to keep track of your child’s every move, you may find that putting a baby gate across the kitchen entrance serves you well and keeps your baby safely restricted to the connecting room.
Ensure that your child is within your eyesight at all times or that there is someone to supervise them on your behalf. Alternatively, you can also opt to sit your little one in a high chair in the kitchen area so that their access to the dangerous areas are limited.
Simply keep them buckled in with a few finger foods on the tray or some crayons and paper and allow them to be creative. The important thing here is to ensure that they are a safe distance from the countertops.
4. Keep sharp knives in the upper cupboard As babies begin to walk, they usually find it easier to open drawers and reach for whatever is inside. Because of this, you should take precautionary action by relocating sharp objects such as knives to higher cupboards that are out of your tot’s reach.
You will also want to keep any knife blocks you might have on an upper cabinet that is inaccessible to the child.
Woman who had a stroke is cooking
5. Ensure that the kitchen floor is clean Babies spend a significant amount of time on the floor playing and exploring their surroundings.
Keeping in mind that the kitchen floor is a prime breeding ground for potentially harmful bacteria, ensure that you sweep and mop it as often as possible.
If some food crumbs drop to the floor as you are cooking, pick them up immediately to keep your child from trying to eat them. If you have tile or linoleum floors, you will also want to consider having non-slip rugs in your kitchen to prevent slipping and falling.
6. Remove foods and medicine from the lower cabinets If you keep medicine containers in the kitchen, ensure that their lids are secured and store them in the higher cabinets.
This will reduce the risk of them ingesting medicine that could be potentially toxic to their systems. You will also want to do the same with food containers to prevent incidents of choking.
7. Ensure that there are no dangling cables When a toddler or crawling baby comes across a dangling cable, his/her first instinct is usually to pull it as hard as possible. If the cable is connected to a small kitchen appliance such as a blender or toaster, the appliance could end up falling and injuring the baby in the process.
Reduce the chances of something like this happening by ensuring that all cables in the kitchen are safely out of your baby’s reach, or better still, put away all appliances that may be on the counter when not in use. If the outlets in your kitchen can be easily accessed by your tot, place plastic socket covers over them so that your child isn’t able to unplug any appliances that may be in use.
You will also want to secure any appliances that have a switch or button. Toddlers enjoy flipping switches and pushing buttons, so keep away these appliances or turn on the
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