Making Your Kitchen Safer For Kids

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February 7, 2017

There’s nothing like spending time with your kids cooking in the kitchen.

This is great bonding time and helps teach your kids a skill they can use for life.

At the same time, the reality is that the kitchen can be dangerous for kids.  They can get in all sorts of hot water (no pun intended).

Therefore it’s vitally important to make your kitchen as child-friendly as possible.  They need to be made aware of all the potential dangers, as well as the various safety rules they need to follow.

KITCHEN DANGERS

The dangerous components to the kitchen are endless.

There are kitchen knives and other sharp objects that can cause minor cuts.  It’s not even out of the question for a finger to get severed.

Kids can also get burned from stoves, liquids or hot foods.  They can fall while carrying hot items, leading to large burns.

Another source of issues results from slips and falls on wet or even sticky floors.

And one other widely overlooked danger comes from kids improperly handling spoiled or improperly handled food; leading to major illnesses.

So it begs the question — “How do I minimize these risks?”

MINIMIZING RISK

Parents must commit to kitchen safety.  It must be a high priority.

Kids must have 100% supervision at all times.  For instance, knives should never be in reach of an unsupervised child. Never.

All handles of pots and pans should be turned inward so children can’t easily bump into them when moving around the kitchen.  Not only can this cause burns — it can also cause hazardous spills and damage to the kitchen, including fires.  And speaking of burns — always make sure you and your children handle hot objects only when wearing potholders.

And of course, never leave children alone in the kitchen when something is cooking.  I know this sounds simplistic, and obvious, but parents make this mistake a lot.

THE RULES

Kids should never run or play in the kitchen.

They should also make sure to let adults know when they’re about to handle or carry food.  They should also learn to always let people around them know when they have food in their hands.  Something as simple as saying, “Behind you,” can prevent a major accident.

Children under five should never handle knives.  Children older than five can start cutting with butter knives.  They should also never touch any operating machinery in the kitchen like mixers, electric knives and stove tops.

Most important — adults must always obey good kitchen rules for their children to follow.  Kids tend to mimic the behavior of their parents and guardians.

FOOD SAFETY

The kitchen is loaded with the potential for illnesses and diseases from poisons, toxins and food-borne microbes.

Children must learn to wash their hands thoroughly for a minimum of 60 seconds with water and soap before touching or preparing food.

You must also clean up spills on the floor and counters between the various stages of food preparation.  Also to prevent any cross-contamination, never let raw and cooked food mix — and never put cooked food on plates or other surfaces that once had raw food.

Make sure to wash fruits and vegetables with a vegetable scrubber before using them.  Use hot, soapy water to wash all items and surfaces that have been in contact with food.  Cook raw meats to the proper temperature of 145 degrees Fahrenheit for lamb, beef and pork —- 165 degrees for chicken and turkey, and 160 degrees for ground meats.  Also make sure that the temperature in your refrigerator is kept no higher than 40 degrees Fahrenheit, and never leave food out of the refrigerator or freezer for more than an hour.

Hopefully you found some great ways to keep your kids safe in the kitchen as well as picked up a few good rules to follow for food safety.

Feel free to stop into Builder Supply Outlet or the Edge Showroom with any home improvement questions you may have regarding your kitchen or bathroom — or anything else.  Or call us anytime at 1-708-343-3900.  You can also make an appointment to meet with one of our designers at no charge by clicking here.