How to Babyproof Your Kitchen
The kitchen is a central spot in the home for meal prep and gathering, but the sharp objects, magnets, heat, cleaners and water put your baby or young child at risk for serious injury. Babyproofing a kitchen requires you to secure dangerous objects and keep your tot from getting near dangers, such as the stove. Your childproofing efforts should address your baby's immediate threats with consideration to the future when she can reach even more dangers. Securing the kitchen now keeps your tot safe for the next few years.
Things You'll Need
- Child safety gate
- Cabinet locks
- Oven anti-tip bracket
- Appliance locks
- Anti-scald device
- Playpen
- Baby fence
Instructions
Install a child safety gate at the doorway of the kitchen to control your child's access to the room. Keep the gate closed at all times so your tot doesn't walk or crawl into the kitchen unsupervised. Install locks on all lower cabinet doors and drawers. The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission recommends sturdy childproofing locks that will withstand your tot's attempts to break in while being easy to open for adults. Focus on drawers and cabinets with sharp objects, such as forks and knives, poisonous materials, kitchen cleaners and lighters. Securing all cabinets within her reach is a safe option even if the contents don't seem particularly threatening. Anchor a freestanding stove and oven unit to the wall using anti-tip brackets provided by the manufacturer. If your child is able to pull and climb on the stove, the entire unit could tip over on her. The brackets prevent tipping to keep your tot safe if she gets adventurous. Add childproofing appliance locks to the oven door and refrigerator door. These gadgets prevent your baby from pulling open either appliance. Move small appliances, containers and other objects to the back edge of the counter top. Push appliance cords back from the counter edge. A baby old enough to pull to standing may be able to reach objects on the front edge of the counter and pull them on top of herself. Remove the tablecloth or runner from your kitchen table. Your baby may grab the cloth to pull herself up. As she pulls on the material, any items, such as tableware or centerpieces, could fall on her head. Turn your water heater down to a maximum of 120 degrees Fahrenheit to prevent scalding from the kitchen sink. The CPSC recommends using anti-scald devices on all faucets in the home to further prevent injury. Your baby may not be able to reach the kitchen faucet yet, but soon she will be able to climb and reach higher objects. Install the device now to prepare for the future. Cook when your baby is in a different room under the supervision of another adult if possible. This keeps her away from the heat completely. If you need to have your baby in the kitchen, secure her in a playpen, or put up a freestanding baby fence around the stove so she isn't near the heat. Use the rear burners when possible. Rotate the pans so the handles point toward the back to prevent a curious tot from grabbing and dumping a hot pan on herself.
