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More than a third of child injuries occur at home and it’s one of the top three reasons why kids end up in the emergency room. Children are naturally curious and it’s a full-time job to keep your eye on them throughout the day. The kitchen is one of the most dangerous places in the house as it poses many risks, especially to inquisitive children who are exploring their surroundings. There are plenty of tried and tested bits of kit to childproof your kitchen, along with new and innovative inventions to keep tiny fingers safe and out of trouble. The use of these devices is important to reduce risk of harm to your child, but educating them early on is advisable so they learn how to keep themselves safe.
Securing Cupboard Doors
Cleaning products were the second highest cause of poisoning in children. Childproofing cupboards where these products are kept, along with any other dangerous items, is a necessity. Most gadgets attach to the outside as well as the inside of the door, which can be unsightly. They also work by letting the door open a little to fit your hand in and unhook the safety feature, but this means little fingers can get trapped in the door. Magnetic locks are a good alternative as they are hidden and completely childproof. They come with a magnetic key that you place over the corner where the magnet is on the inside and this releases them.
Kitchen Kiddie Area
Quite often you need juggle cooking with looking after your little one. Having them toddling up and down the kitchen can easily result in one of you falling over the other, which could be disastrous if you have a pan with hot oil or water or you’re holding a knife. Babies can sit in bouncers where they can watch you and you can keep an eye on them while you’re busy. As they outgrow this they can switch to a highchair and keep themselves entertained with toys. Once they start to crawl and walk, a playpen that fits in the kitchen or in an adjoining room where you can still see each other means they can move about and play. As they get older they’ll be interested in helping with the baking and cooking, which usually involves them being at countertop height. Make sure power outlets that aren’t being used have covers and keep anything that could be dangerous out of reach, like knives and kitchen scissors.
Ovens And Hobs
Everyday emergency rooms treat 300 children for burn-related injuries and two of these will result in death. When you’re cooking on the hob turn pan handles inwards so there’s less chance of them getting knocked and falling on the floor. Make sure children learn the risks of getting burnt if they get too close to the hob or oven and ensure they’re not nearby when opening a hot oven as steam can come out very quickly. You can get knob covers to prevent children turning hobs and ovens on along with many other safety devices and it’s best to install these if your child is trying to play with these once they can reach them.
Childproofing your home is easy and inexpensive to do. It will go a long way in protecting your child from all the potential dangers they face and will give you peace of mind too. Educating children about risks in the kitchen as they get older can also help prevent accidents and injuries, while encouraging them to get involved in cooking and try new foods.
For more about childproofing and all things baby, check out https://carebabylove.com.