The kitchen is the heart of a home, as we know. But the kitchen is also one of the most dangerous places for your toddler. It's dangerous because it's new and full of pretty interesting stuff. I mean, what's there to not love in a kitchen? It has all kinds of gadgets all over the place that need to be touched and explored for their purpose. It also has treasure boxes full of magical liquids and other interesting things that every baby wants to taste. And apparently, all other people in the world (according to the little one) had already explored it and think it's awesome. You get the idea, the kitchen is a wonderful and terrible place at the same time. To keep kids safe, you have to take some actions.
Don't panic, we've all been in your shoes and here you'll find everything you need to know about childproofing your kitchen.
To keep kids safe make sure you have a clean area at all times
You may have been slacking off on cleaning the kitchen and appliances, but those days are over now. Having a baby means no holes in the hygiene routine. If you think that you can go by with a dirty oven, think again. The oven cleaners from Watford share that kids just love to open and close the oven door and play with the knobs. Even if they're childproof, they still tend to touch them and try to play with them. And when the kids grow up and start to play hide and seek, guess what's their favourite spot for hiding?
That being said, you need to make sure you keep the kitchen spotless. Don't worry, cleaning has more than one benefit to it, so it isn't necessarily a tedious thing to do. Check out these great reasons to clean the kitchen.
Baby proof all kitchen appliances and furniture
These days you can find great baby proofing kits on the market and easily go too far with all the gadgets. My advice is to take this method of childproofing the kitchen with a grain of salt. Your efforts should be concentrated on protecting and educating your child and I don't see how tripping over plastic can help you do that. We will discuss discipline below, but for now here's what you need to consider when baby proofing the furniture and appliances.
How to childproof the cooker – we already talked about the importance of a clean oven and now you need to make sure that it's safe. The best way to childproof it is to buy clear stove knob covers. They will prevent your kid from accidentally turning on the oven. Other than that, you need to build the habit of cooking on the burners that are far away and make sure that all the handles of pans and pots are facing away.
The best way to childproof the kitchen is to distract successfully and teach on the go
Childproofing the kitchen is not only about the precautions you can take. It's also about disciplining your little one. No amount of locks can replace the caring parent watch. The trick here is to start with a distraction. Yes, there are pretty interesting stuff in the kitchen, but you can always find a way to distract your toddler and direct its attention to a different thing. The best way of doing that is to make the kitchen a safe place to play in while you're doing your thing. Bring on some toys and make a playing corner, put some colourful magnets on the fridge. You can even buy a play kitchen when the child grows up a bit. It's all about entertainment. Other than that, you need to constantly make efforts on teaching your little one on what can be touched and what can't. Be an active parent and count more on prevention instead of safety measures when it comes to child safety.
The lifestyle change you'll encounter when trying to keep kids safe
Having a child means that the world stops spinning around you and starts spinning around your precious little one. You've already figured out that you'll have to change the way you do things around the house, but here are some additional safety tips:
Don't panic, we've all been in your shoes and here you'll find everything you need to know about childproofing your kitchen.
To keep kids safe make sure you have a clean area at all times
You may have been slacking off on cleaning the kitchen and appliances, but those days are over now. Having a baby means no holes in the hygiene routine. If you think that you can go by with a dirty oven, think again. The oven cleaners from Watford share that kids just love to open and close the oven door and play with the knobs. Even if they're childproof, they still tend to touch them and try to play with them. And when the kids grow up and start to play hide and seek, guess what's their favourite spot for hiding?
That being said, you need to make sure you keep the kitchen spotless. Don't worry, cleaning has more than one benefit to it, so it isn't necessarily a tedious thing to do. Check out these great reasons to clean the kitchen.
Baby proof all kitchen appliances and furniture
These days you can find great baby proofing kits on the market and easily go too far with all the gadgets. My advice is to take this method of childproofing the kitchen with a grain of salt. Your efforts should be concentrated on protecting and educating your child and I don't see how tripping over plastic can help you do that. We will discuss discipline below, but for now here's what you need to consider when baby proofing the furniture and appliances.
How to childproof the cooker – we already talked about the importance of a clean oven and now you need to make sure that it's safe. The best way to childproof it is to buy clear stove knob covers. They will prevent your kid from accidentally turning on the oven. Other than that, you need to build the habit of cooking on the burners that are far away and make sure that all the handles of pans and pots are facing away.
- Baby proof the dishwasher too – it's a no go zone for kids because of all the breakable and sharp objects in it. To keep kids safe, make sure to put all sharp things (knives, forks and so on) pointing downwards. Special strap locks secure the dishwasher door perfectly, so why don't you buy some.
- Think about the fridge – the same strap locks that you've used for the dishwasher will baby proof your fridge too. Additionally, you should check and clean the floor underneath. Besides the oven, it's one of the most dirtiest spots a kitchen can have and with an easy access for those little hands.
- Childproofing the cabinets and drawers – our favourite place to store all kinds of crap and a favourite place for kids to find new toys. To baby proof them, make sure you've moved all dangerous objects far from reach. Then use magnetic locks to secure the doors and drawers. Magnetic locks work miracles because they are simple and effective and the child will figure out how to open that cabinet.
The best way to childproof the kitchen is to distract successfully and teach on the go
Childproofing the kitchen is not only about the precautions you can take. It's also about disciplining your little one. No amount of locks can replace the caring parent watch. The trick here is to start with a distraction. Yes, there are pretty interesting stuff in the kitchen, but you can always find a way to distract your toddler and direct its attention to a different thing. The best way of doing that is to make the kitchen a safe place to play in while you're doing your thing. Bring on some toys and make a playing corner, put some colourful magnets on the fridge. You can even buy a play kitchen when the child grows up a bit. It's all about entertainment. Other than that, you need to constantly make efforts on teaching your little one on what can be touched and what can't. Be an active parent and count more on prevention instead of safety measures when it comes to child safety.
The lifestyle change you'll encounter when trying to keep kids safe
Having a child means that the world stops spinning around you and starts spinning around your precious little one. You've already figured out that you'll have to change the way you do things around the house, but here are some additional safety tips:
- Always put away the groceries after you went shopping
- Now that I think of it, you should probably put away from sight as much as you can – shopping bags, knives, soap, etc. In fact, if you always wanted to start living a minimalist life, now is your chance. And as soon as you're finished using something, make sure to put it back to wherever you took it from.
- Replace glass for plastic – cups, bowls, jars, everything you can think of. Putting stuff away from reach also helps when childproofing the kitchen.