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How to Childproof Your Kitchen and Dining Room

There are thousands of accidents involving kids every year and most are found to have been preventable. Here are a few tips so you can make sure you have taken every possible precaution to protect your children in the home.

Put Yourself in Your Childs Shoes

Not literally, that would be uncomfortable! But by simply recognizing that the world we live in is tailored to adults we can see that many common items and environments can be hazardous to children. With some practice, these can become easier to spot, and then action can be taken to reduce or eliminate the risk. For example, a toddler can drown in even a few inches of water. This means that the toilet presents a danger to a curious tot. With a lock on the toilet lid securing it shut, that danger has been removed.

Kitchen and Dining Area

A kitchen is a busy place and it is full of sharp or hot objects. Since there are often very hot liquids being carried from the stove or oven to the sink, fridge, or counters, training the children to remember that this area is off-limits to them while cooking is essential to avoiding accidents. If kids are especially young, they will need to be gated away from the area or strapped into a highchair.

Develop the habit of using back burners and turning handles away from the edge of the stove so they cannot be grabbed by a stray child.

Cleaning supplies are often brightly colored and look quite inviting to kids. Keep these safely out of sight in a cabinet installed with a child lock.

Keep countertop appliances unplugged so they are not turned on by accident and store them away when not in use. Especially sharp or dangerous ones should be kept in a cabinet with a lock. Making sure cords are not draped over the counter's edge eliminates the potential for a toddler to pull it down onto his or her head.

Another item a child will likely grab onto is the tablecloth. You can remove this hazard and still protect your table by using placemats instead.

Join us again for the next article in this series to gather some tips for childproofing other areas of your home.

By Prime Custom Builders 5-24-2021