Your little one is growing by leaps and bounds, and it’s expected that they want to learn everything about the world around them!
To allow them to do so safely, you, as a parent, need to be proactive with all baby things. This, of course, means that you need to make sure that you babyproof your house, particularly your kitchen, which presents many dangers for your curious tot.
Here are 5 amazing kitchen ideas to make your kitchen baby proof, so you can bask in the knowledge that you’re doing all you can to keep your baby safe!
Secure your Kitchen Cabinets
Knives, graters, kitchen tools – oh my! All these could potentially harm your baby and have you rush to the ER. To avoid that, you can babyproof your kitchen cabinets by purchasing special safety cabinet locks, which prevent your baby from simply pulling and opening them.
There are several types of safety cabinet locks on the market, including magnetic, latch, pull cord, and velcro locks, while, alternatively, you could opt to install tension rods, too.
Pay Extra Attention to your Kitchen Appliances
The numbers are staggering: according to the CDC, over 300 children aged 0-19 months are treated in ERs across the US for burn-related injuries, and about two die of them, every day.
Taking the above into consideration, you can understand why never leaving your stove unattended is imperative. In addition to being vigilant, you can install an oven lock and a stove guard, and remove all stove knobs to prevent your baby from turning on the stove in your absence.
When it comes to babyproofing your refrigerator, make sure to secure it to the wall; lock its water dispenser; install a lock on its door, and place heavy items on the top shelves, to avoid injuries.
Your Kitchen Table? You Need to Babyproof That, Too!
Take a good look at your kitchen table: does it have sharp edges? Is its surface easy to scratch? Perhaps your table chairs can be easily pulled and toppled over?
If your table does, indeed, have protrusions, it would be wise to outfit its edges with corner guards, which provide extra cushioning in the event that your baby has an accident and hits his or her head against them.
Furthermore, if your rambunctious tot loves to scratch your tabletop with a fork or baby-appropriate knife, it’s wise to invest in anti-slip covers that will help reduce the damage to your pricey table.
Finally, chair locks can also help secure the chairs to each other or the table itself, and help stop your child from playing around with them.
Electrical Outlet and Kitchen Lighting Safety
Little ones are known to try to put their little hands in electrical outlets, which is something that can potentially lead to them getting electrocuted. Another favorite toddler pastime can be playing with switches, too, which is something that can get very frustrating, very fast!
Thankfully, you can purchase outlet covers which guard against your child poking their fingers and other objects inside the outlet holes, and you can further install light switch guards that will put a stop to that upsetting light flickering!
Kitchen Rugs and Curtains: Hidden Dangers
You may not know this, but rugs and curtains can potentially be dangerous for little ones.
If your baby accidentally trips over your kitchen rug, she may fall and injure herself. As for kitchen curtains, well, anything from being hit by a dangling curtain rod, and all the way to the curtains being set alight by your hot stove can potentially put your baby in harm’s way.
Be sure to get an anti-slip kitchen rug, and invest in curtains made of non-flammable materials. It’s always best to install your curtains beyond your child’s reach, because, as you know, your little one can still climb on a stool or chair and find herself in trouble!
Conclusion
Life with your baby is amazing and full of surprises – and you certainly don’t want any bad ones coming your way!
We hope that this article helped you find out more ways to babyproof your kitchen, and make life at home feel the way it should be: safe.
