Kids enjoy being in the kitchen with you watching you prepare and serve meals. This makes ensuring your kitchen is as safe as possible very important. Analyze your kitchen from a small child’s perspective and determine if you need to do some childproofing.
Significance
According to the Kids Health website, about 70 percent of children who die from accidents at home are younger than 5. The kitchen is full of potentially dangerous substances, appliances and sharp objects. Items on a stove top or in an oven can catch on fire. Your child can get burned by hot liquids or cut himself on a sharp knife. If you do not follow food safety recommendations, your family could become ill from contaminated food or surfaces.
Rules
Having safety rules in place enables you and your children to be together in the kitchen. You can laugh and talk while preparing food. Allow her to help you in age appropriate ways. A 2 year old should not use a knife, but she can put napkins on the table. Your 5 year old should not operate the stove, but she can peel an orange. As your child matures, your safety instructions allow her to become more independent and self-sufficient.
Benefits
Your whole family benefits when your kitchen is a safe place. You protect your children from harm and food-borne illnesses when you employ proper safety measures. Eventually your child will reach an age when he can prepare his meals and these rules will serve him well. You also can use your kitchen safety lessons as a precursor for teaching him how to stay safe in other rooms of the house, such as the garage.
Strategies
There are many ways to keep your kitchen safe. Use the locking feature on the microwave, reduce the temperature of your water heater to prevent scalding and use latches on drawers and cabinets. Teach your child to use pot holders to handle pots and pans and to keep raw meat separate from vegetables and other food.
Warning
Always supervise young children closely in the kitchen. Establish what appliances your child is allowed to use, taking into consideration age and maturity. Have a working fire extinguisher in a central location.
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