Baby Proofing Tips

BabyProof Your Kitchen

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            Baby proofing the kitchen of your house can be difficult because there are numerous things in the kitchen that can be harmful to your baby.  If you approach the task with a good idea of what you’re looking for, and eliminate each danger one at a time, you can make it a much safer place for a baby. 

            The stove can pose a threat for obvious reasons.  A gas stove is especially dangerous since it’s often difficult to tell whether it’s on or off.  A good way to babyproof the stove is to install child proof knobs or knob covers. You should also use the back burners when ever possible to reduce the risk of your child getting at the pans or hot objects on the stove.  This should also provide another layer of protection against grease splatter or boiling over reaching your baby.

            The main danger posed by the refrigerator is the magnets that some people like to use to put photos up.  The problem with these magnets is that they fall off easily and since they’re small and easy to overlook, they can easily become a choking hazard to an unsuspecting baby.  The best solution to these magnets is to get rid of them.  Another alternative is to use the large flat magnets that businesses often give away.

            Many people keep their cleaning supplies in the kitchen.  This is a good idea as long as they are in a cabinet that locks and is out of the baby’s reach.  Another possible solution to this threat is keeping the cleaning supplies in a room where the baby rarely goes such as the garage or laundry room. 

            When you babyproof your kitchen you should be aware of the appliances that heat up such as cooking supplies, coffee pots, toasters, or anything else.  Make sure that they are never in the same place as your baby.  Babies are often enticed with dangling cords, things that light up and buttons to push, which is why appliances seem like wonderful objects to explore.  However, babies do not realize that appliances are not toys or objects to explore; therefore, all kitchen appliances need to be kept out of the baby’s reach. 

In addition to appliances, a kitchen usually contains several utensils, knives and silverware.  Some of these typical kitchen tools can be dangerous to your baby, which is why you need to make sure that your baby doesn’t get a hold of these items.  Be sure to shut (and lock, if in baby’s reach) drawers and cabinets, keep sharp objects such as knives far out of reach from the baby, and fix any broken hinges or other things in the kitchen that could possible hurt your baby. 

            Installing and using safety gates to keep your baby out of your kitchen is a great way to prevent possible mishaps.  There are several things in the kitchen that your baby can get into and it’s very difficult to babyproof everything.  Therefore, sometimes it’s better to prohibit the baby from wandering into the kitchen in the first place.