The kitchen is not only a place where you cook up great food; it’s the heart of your home. This is where you make memories. The idyllic scene of a mom teaching her children how to bake cookies for the holidays or a family member teaching a secret family recipe to other people in the family. These are all amazing memories that can happen in a kitchen. Unfortunately, the kitchen is also full of hazards. When you have children at home, it is so important that you take every precaution that you need to as far as keeping your children safe in the kitchen.
An important thing that needs to be addressed first is the hidden dangers in the kitchen, particularly as far as illness and contamination go. Before your children get started helping you in the kitchen, you need to first send them to wash their hands. The littlest hands often carry the biggest of germs, so make sure they get a thorough clean on their hands before they touch any food. You should be sure that hands are washed before and after touching meats and eggs. These items also contain bacteria that can cause illness. After you finish working with these items, you should also clean the cutting board and countertops before you move onto another ingredient as this can cause cross contamination.
Illnesses are a big safety concern for parents, but there is also the stove and knives that can be major hazards for them. Whenever using something like knives or small appliances that have sharp blades, these are tasks that are best left for adults until your child gets a lot older. For older children, as long as you are supervising their every move when cutting items in the kitchen. This is the time for you to teach proper knife skills and safety in the kitchen.
Using the stove and oven are other potential hazards in the kitchen. Anyone can get burned in the kitchen, especially when they are not paying attention to what they are doing. There are steps that you can do to help prevent burns. Always make sure that the pot handles are facing the back of the stove as much as possible, which will help to avoid children accidentally knocking pans off of the stove. Whenever handling hot pans or cookie sheets, always wear a pot holder to prevent burns. There is also the option of sending your children to cooking classes that are made for kids their age, which will help teach kitchen safety skills for its students.
Even when you are not cooking in the kitchen alongside your children, there are still things that you need to do in order to keep your children safe. You need to place any chemicals in a high place where your kids can’t reach it. If that isn’t possible, you need to get cabinet locks so that children cannot get into where these hazardous chemicals are. Keep drawers with knives locked and invest in locks for your gas stoves so children can’t turn them on.
By following this advice, you are making your kitchen a lot safer for your family.
