Tips for a Kid-friendly Kitchen

Your kitchen is probably one of the central hubs of your home, and you don’t want to have to stop your kids from going in there. It is also an area of the house that can become hazardous if you don’t put the right precautions in place. In this article, we’re looking at how you can make a kid-friendly kitchen when in the process of cabinet installs or by retrofitting child proof kitchen drawers and baby-proof cabinets to make sure you don’t have to worry about your kids getting into anything they shouldn’t.

What to Put In Upper Cabinets For Kids Safety

You should always put certain things in the upper cabinets. Even if you have installed child proof kitchen cabinets with cabinet locks, they’re not always 100% and your child might work out how to get around the lock. Curiosity might get the better of them. This is rare, but to be on the safe side you should put anything toxic or potentially harmful in an area kids cannot reach.

Bleach and cleaning products such as dishwasher tablets should be a top priority to put in a place kids would never be able to reach. No kid-friendly kitchen should have anything that a child could accidentally ingest within reach. Also, cutlery such as knives and anything sharp that could do child damage should be well out of reach.

Avoid Sharp Edges and Corners on Furniture

If you are looking to create an environment where your kids can walk around and you don’t have to worry about them banging their heads, try to make child-proof kitchen drawers, tables and cabinets with edges that won’t hurt too much if a child does bang their head.

Sharp edges are not something to mess around with. When you are getting cabinets installed, you can potentially even buy a certain design to ensure that the corners are not sharp for kids.

Use Skid-Proof Materials For Floors

You don’t want a kitchen that is like an ice rink for your kids. Adults tend to have developed better balance and awareness, so even a surface we wouldn’t slip on could be a hazard for little ones. Try to make sure that your surface isn’t one that can be a slip hazard. You may also want to consider putting a rug down to stop children from slipping around. You can also think about your child’s footwear and give them some slippers to wear in the house, but it is best to actually treat the surface of the floor first and foremost.

Unplug Electronic Devices Not In Use

This is a simple one, but it is easily forgotten. Kids can be very curious and if there’s something plugged in, they might want to experiment with it. Your toaster or microwave might become their new favorite plaything when you’re not looking. This is not something you should take any chances with. All electronics can cause some level of hazard, so unplug them for the best safety possible.

Repair Loose Cabinet Doors

Over time, cabinets can come loose or get damaged. This can cause a hazard for kids, and even make it easier for them to damage things. For the best baby-proof cabinets, you should get a cabinet repair company to ensure all of your cabinets are in the best condition they can be. Having child proof kitchen cabinets only works if the cabinets themselves are not broken.

Cabinet Safety For Kids

Cabinets might be an area that needs extra consideration. Cabinet safety is essential. Even if you move the items that are very dangerous out of your cabinets, you can still end up with issues. Kids will love making a mess or breaking things in your cabinets given half a chance.

Cabinet locks are a good way to keep kids out. These are something adults can bypass but most kids struggle with, so they add an extra layer of safety. There are multiple designs of catches and locks to stop kids getting in.

Also, think about the materials the cabinets are made out of. Kids’ curiosity means they might get up close to them and get any lacquer or inorganic materials on their hands, which they may then ingest.

Make Rules

Communication really is key in the world of parenting. As your kids get old enough to understand safety, make sure you set up rules. There should be clear boundaries as to what they can and can’t do in the kitchen.

Explain the areas that can be a hazard and make sure children know to stay away from the stove, not to play with anything in the kitchen and to avoid all of the hazards in a kitchen. Children should understand why these things are hazards, not just be told to stay away from them. Otherwise, they will still be curious.