by Pauline Clementson

Created on: July 16, 2009   Last Updated: July 20, 2009

How to make the kitchen safe for children:

Most of us don't get the chance to set up a kitchen purpose-built for the safety of young children so we have to deal with a ready-built one. There are so many things to take into consideration that the task of safety-proofing your kitchen can be rather daunting.

First things first, take the age of your youngest child, then get down on the floor to their eye level.

Look for things such as electrical sockets. These need to be covered by a safety plug that needs a special key to remove it. That way little fingers cannot remove them to poke all manner of objects into the holes. Check the oven and see if the warming draw can be pulled out easily. This can be a wonderful place to play and hide toys that could catch fire. How many of us really check to see what is in there before we turn it on?

In a busy household it is very easy to forget. Check the lower cupboard doors. See that each one has a childproof latch. If you cannot secure the one with your chemicals in, place them into a higher one so a child cannot gain access. Make sure that any draws that a wee one can get into need to contain nothing that could be harmful to your child. Secure them if you can to prevent crushed fingers or secure a strip of foam rubber to the inside top of the draw opening to lessen the damage to little fingers.

Most of the modern-day ovens have doors that don't get hot enough to burn but check that yours is one of these. If not, you will need a screen that secures around the door so that children cannot touch the door. I know this can be very inconvenient in a busy household but so can trips to the hospital with a burnt child. All electrical appliances that you sit on any of your benches should have one of the many available products that keep their cords from accidentally falling into a child's reach. It pays to keep these appliances well away from the edges of the bench too.

The kitchen rubbish bin is a favourite place for young ones to investigate too. If you cannot secure it out of reach in a cupboard then you will need one that is secured with latches that are too strong for a child to open. Any heating appliance in the kitchen needs to be well out of reach of little fingers as well as any long instrument that can be used to reach it. Children are very innovative. Putting your child into a highchair does not guarantee

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