Child proofing your kitchen

My granddaughter is one year old and now crawls. The other day I got down onto the floor with her and followed her around the house. The one area that seemed to fascinate her the most was my kitchen. And it was there that I started to see all the things she could get into that would pose potential harm if I wasn’t right by her side.

First my cabinets are easy to get into. The drawers are easy to pull open. What is kept inside those cabinets and drawers I realize creates potential harm for any baby who is starting to crawl, or for that matter any toddler now walking. I then knew it would be a wise decision to keep all sharp utensils such as even a potato peeler, a hand grater, and of course cutlery in a place that was out of a child’s reach. Not only that but also small items that would pose a choking hazard: installing guard latches on cabinet doors and drawers will also help thwart a curious toddler’s determination to get inside, and consequently prevent unnecessary risk and injury to that child.

Usually I keep only pots and pans and those ubiquitous plastic containers in my lower cupboards, things that if a child were to get into would not present any potential harm, and may even keep their interest for a while.

Since I own several cats, I usually keep their water and food on the floor. But when my granddaughter comes over, I now remember to put these dishes not only out of sight, but also out of her reach. Dry cat food is not the easiest thing for a child to chew and can pose another choking hazard.

Speaking of water, do not leave water in buckets, particularly five gallons or more as toddlers can and have fallen inside these buckets: some unfortunately have drowned. This is easily prevented by never having anything like this around.

I also keep a child’s high chair in the kitchen, but whenever I put my granddaughter into it, I never leave the room. I always ensure the safety system of straps is put into place, and that the tray is also firmly locked into place. Also, I keep her a safe distance from the table so that she can’t push her foot against it, and possibly end up tipping herself over. I also make sure she is not within reach of any of the hot dishes that are on the table. I only give her a plastic cup, spoon, and dish to use, because if it’s breakable and she should drop it over the side of her tray and it does break into small sharp pieces, some of which go undetected during cleanup, these would then pose a future threat when she is crawling about on her hands and knees.

Luckily the control knobs for my stove are on top, and my granddaughter isn’t tall enough to reach them . . . yet. But older toddlers are able to reach these knobs, or especially those that are located at the side of a stove. This presents potential injury, plus even a fire hazard. These stove knobs can be easily removed, as I easily remove mine for occasional cleaning. These can then be stored elsewhere. Or instead you purchase stove knob covers.

Either of these precautions will certainly alleviate danger to a child, preventing that child from being able to turn on the stove.

When my boys were young I never let them in the kitchen when I was cooking, especially when I would have several pots going on top of the burners. This I think should be a steadfast rule made by all parents, that small children STAY out of the kitchen during mealtime preparation. I usually kept mine in a playpen in another room but where I could still keep an eye on them as I prepared our meals. If they fuss, then so be it. Safety always came first. Plus you can always make it up to them later with a well-served meal.

On occasion I’ve had to feed my granddaughter, and would heat up her food in the microwave, using a small plastic bowl. But ALWAYS I would stir what ever it was I was warming to ensure there were no HOT spots that often resulted with the use of a microwave.

All of my electrical cords are tucked away, or shortened to alleviate any little hands from pulling at them, or conceivably wrapping a cord around their neck. I always unplug my small appliances, especially the toaster as I notice that cord does tend to get warm after use. But even the can opener I ensure is not plugged in when not in use. Purchasing electrical outlet covers for all exposed outlets will ensure that little fingers don’t plug in things besides an electrical plug, such as bobby pins, or anything that is metal.

Children are curious, and an open dishwasher door is inviting to a small child. One reason I always keep the door to my dishwasher shut. I make sure when I’m loading it to put knives and forks with the sharp ends sticking downward, just in case I do open it and she happens to be nearby. I add the detergent just before I run the machine.

Luckily my washer and dryer are located in the basement. But I know if they were located in the kitchen area, I would not allow my children, and now my granddaughter to play near them, especially while in use.

If everyone would get down to a child’s level, crawl around on the floor with them, view things from that child’s perspective, discover what that child may be capable of getting into from that position, it can help alleviate potential injury to that child, and potential tragedy for that family.