Can Your Kitchen Hurt Your Children?

Allocating a budget for childproofing your kitchen may seem a significant cost, especially if you consider all the small things there possibly are. But if you incorporate these extra costs while you are doing a routine remodeling it won't seem a burden on your pockets. And you've got to think about it if you are about to become a parent, or if you already have an infant. Let's see what you need to install for this, and also memorize some other useful guidelines that can make life safer for your small ones.

Hot burners are one of the most dangerous parts of a kitchen, even for the adults. Though it's not the norm in western countries, if you are living in Asia or Africa, make sure that you don't have any stoves that are at a very short height and within reach of kids. The second thing is that if you're cooking on the top burners, make sure to prevent children from getting too close since the hot contents could spill and burn them.

Try to use back burners of the stove whenever you can; if you have to use front burners in any case, make sure that you turn the pot handles to the back so that your child can't pull the handles. You can also find quite a few stove knob locks in the market; get some and install them on all knobs so that your child can't open the stoves. This is essentially necessary if you reside in a place that uses gas heat. There have been many, many cases when open gas stoves have suffocated the whole family to death.

Furthermore, make it a habit not to leave knives, forks, or other dangerous stuff in the open. Always keep them inside drawers and lock up the drawers keeping the keys out of your children's reach. If it is the case that you do not own locks to keep your drawers (and knives) secure, you should seriously consider them. Also do the same with dishwashers; keep them locked up and never forget sharp objects inside to be even more secure. Make cabinets and cupboards to keep detergents and other poisonous liquids such that the children can't reach them. Also take care of the garbage bin; people usually leave them within the child's reach and it can contain anything from sharp objects to dirty stuff.

Safety child latches are a good idea as long as your child is too young to learn smart stuff. But some children have been found to learn things pretty quickly when they watch their elder do it. So if your child is that type, then get rid of latches and use safer locks. Most households keep electrical appliances like toasters and electric kettles in the open. If you do this, ensure these cannot, when hot, be accessed by your children. And even when they aren't hot, detach their cords and also secure nearby electrical outlets.

All these and probably many more precautionary steps seem like too much in the beginning, but they are a necessity let me tell you. It isn't that every time you leave a knife in the open your child would hurt himself. But even if there is a 0.01% chance of your child doing so in 10 years, would any sensible parent settle for that?