Toddler Kitchen Safety - Baby Lifetime

Kitchens are full of dangers for toddlers and ensuring toddler kitchen safety should therefore be a priority when toddler proofing your home. Toddlers do not know that they should not put their hands on a hot cooker or taste those cleaning agents you keep under the sink for instance. It is your job to identify the potential dangers and take care of toddler kitchen safety before it is too late. It is never too early to start teaching your child to help around the house including kitchen. Toddlers are not particularly helpful, however, they love to help and feel good about themselves if you let them help you prepare food for example. Unfortunately, most accidents happen right in the kitchen. It is impossible to prevent just about every injury but you can dramatically reduce the risk of potentially serious accidents by following simple toddler kitchen safety measures.

Older children can be taught that some things in the kitchen are off-limits because they pose a risk of serious injury but you cannot expect from toddlers to understand that you do not allow them to handle a knife for example because it can be dangerous. In fact, the more you try to force toddlers to avoid the kitchen dangers the more they will be drawn to them because they simply do not understand that it is for their own good. They should be of course taught from an early age that they should not turn/push the buttons on the stove or oven for instance but you should do you part of the job as well and make sure that there are as little dangerous temptations as possible.

Here are some of the most important kitchen safety measures which will reduce the risk of accidents for your toddler as well as other family members including yourself:

- Keep your hands clean and always wash your hands with soapy water before you start preparing food

- Protect your clothes with an apron and tie back long hair when using the kitchen

- Keep inflammable objects away from the stove and oven and make sure that matches are out of reach to your child

- Use pot holders when handling hot pots and pans

- Use separate towels for drying dishes and for drying your hands

- Always wash the dishes in hot, soapy water to destroy the germs

- Do not allow your child handling a kitchen knife

- Turn pot handles away from the stoves edge to keep it out of reach to your child

- Always hold a knife pointing down when carrying it around

- Wash knives separately to avoid cutting you hand or fingers

- Wear shoes covering your entire foot

Keep a close eye on your toddler in the kitchen but above all, be a good role model because children quickly figure out if you preach one thing and do the other.

Follow the kitchen rules yourself and your child will follow them too.