Childproofing Your Kitchen

Many potential dangers in one room

One of the most often used rooms in the house contains various potential hazards to your children (Image: Flickr.com)

A home is your castle and the most important factor for many families is feeling safe within.

This is especially true when dealing with young children. The thought of your baby suffering an injury at home is enough to giving any parent sleepless nights. Are you taking the necessary precautions when it comes to your home?

Protecting your children from dangers

Childproofing your home can be a long-winded process but is one born out of necessity. The potential dangers of not doing it are simply too big to ignore. While we don’t like to think too much about what could go wrong, preventing it from happening will take a huge weight off your shoulders.

Kids somehow have a natural instinct to attract danger. We don’t know why; they just do. Every room of the home carries potential safety pitfalls but the kitchen carries a heightened sense of danger and is one area that definitely requires childproofing.

Various dangers in the kitchen

The problem with the kitchen is that the various dangers aren’t limited to just one area. This room is home to fire hazards, sharp objects, consumable health risks and just about any other form of harmful product imaginable.

Worse still, it houses the fridge. This inevitably means your kids will be running in and out of the kitchen throughout the day. With so many counter tops and cupboards, covering those sharp edges with softer materials can be a key step to avoiding cracked heads and other nasty wounds. Nobody fancies a trip down A&E when it could have been prevented by a few simple precautions.

Cooking stove is one of the most hazardous areas in the kitchen, where most of domestic fires occur. Teach your children to avoid dangers in it.

Fire hazard

Staying with the idea of food, cooking can be a major threat if not done properly. Statistics show that over two thirds of domestic fires occur whilst cooking. There are a number of ways to prevent them but the main one is to never leave the room unattended. This is especially true when dealing with your children as there are far too many hazardous components involved.

The majority of safety issues in the kitchen can be solved by simple common sense. Keeping dangerous items out of sight will go a long way to preventing danger. Storing glassware, knives, and other hazardous items in high cabinets (or latched drawers) is always a smart move. Likewise, medication and other consumables should be kept hidden away and preferably purchased with locked caps designed to keep young children out.

Cleaning equipment

Another area that probably doesn’t get the attention it should is cleaning equipment. Bleaches and other toxic materials could cause serious damage if consumed and you should ensure they are kept out of reach. Switching to floor care that is eco friendly will lower the health risks whilst helping the environment too. As well as these items, you should make sure all dishcloths and sponges are clean as these can become playground for harmful bacteria.

As with any room, childproofing the kitchen doesn’t mean being scared of danger. It just means being aware. Familiarise yourself with those potential problems and you should have no trouble ensuring that your whole family remains safe.

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