How to Baby Proof Your New Kitchen

Did I ever tell you guys that I have eleven nieces and nephews? Whenever anyone asks if I’m planning on having kiddos I always tell them I’m off the hook lol. Whenever I have family gatherings I always spend a certain amount of time scrambling and baby proofing where I can. Especially the kitchen!

(The following is a contributed article with some ideas on how to help baby proof your new kitchen!)

Moving to a new home comes with equally as many threats as opportunities. While you might be eager to make the acquaintance of your new neighbors and know more about your surroundings, the fact that your home might no longer be a haven for your kids can be shocking.

It can be even sadder to learn that 3.4 million American kids experience accidental home injuries every year, according to Asecurelife.com.

From knives to hot stoves, the kitchen happens to be one room that poses the biggest threat to your kid’s safety. Since it might only take a few seconds of you being inattentive for your kids to get hurt, you might not always be there to protect them from harm.

However, if you were to baby proof your kitchen, you would have to worry less about their safety in your new home.

Here are some details on how to best baby proof your new kitchen:

Dealing With Cabinets

People will typically use cabinets to store detergents and kitchen supplies, all of which have the potential to wreak havoc in the lives of their kids.

In case your new home cabinets do not have quality locks, it is essential to replace them before storing anything in them to avoid your curious kids from going treasure hunting inside them. In some rare cases, however, your kids might still figure out how to outsmart the locking system that you have in place.

For you to ensure the optimal safety of your kids, it is best that you store dangerous items such as detergents and knives on high shelves which are away from your kid’s reach.

You can then store harmless items such as empty buckets in lower-situated cabinets.

Finding an experienced removalist in Sydney can help you arrange your new kitchen in a safer way. They can also use their experience to identify hazardous materials that you might have otherwise overlooked.

Dealing With Stoves

With kids having a high affinity for anything dangerous, fire happens to be one of their best friends. Unfortunately, failing to baby proof your stoves can easily result in them getting burned, not to mention the risk of burning your new home to the ground.

While the stoves might be on high surfaces, it might be possible for them to climb kitchen chairs in their quest to satisfy their adventurous minds.

While it might be tough to turn on the stove, they might also figure out how to at least turn the knobs to let some gas out. Ensure that there is no way for your kid to climb all the way to your burners, even through a faraway countertop.

Additionally, install stove knob covers to make it a little bit tougher for your toddlers to use the stove. If you are only utilizing two burners at the same time, it is wiser to use the ones on the back end to prevent any unforeseen accidents.

Use Corner Protectors

It is normal for countertops and table corners to hit your toes while walking close to them, but the pain that you feel is by no means comparable to the pain that your kid will experience.

Luckily, installing corner guards can help prevent such accidents, especially considering that your kids might bump their heads on these corners.

If you are worried about the guards spoiling the appeal of your kitchen, you can work with colorless guards. Additionally, non-adhesive guards will be great to prevent any damage to your furniture.

Keep Your Kid Contained

It is easier to keep your baby away from the dangers in your kitchen than to keep these dangers away.

If you must have your toddler in the kitchen with you, at least carry with you a play yard, high chairs or even a baby gate while moving.

Bringing along some extra toys will help keep the kids engaged in the kitchen.

Conclusion

Keeping watch of your babies is the best way to keep them away from harm’s way.

When you are away from them, ensuring that your kitchen is baby-proofed will make your new home safe enough for them to play around. Look at all the factors that can pose a danger to your kids to make their stay at home peaceful.

(This is a contributed post, for more information about my compensation please read my disclosure policy)