Child Safety in the Kitchen
May 20th, 2010Kimberly Wilson asked:
When a child is hurt and crying, the pain is felt within the core of its mother’s being. Literally. Her stomach tightens. She is short of breath. She is paralyzed with guilt for not being there to keep her baby safe in that split second. If inflicting the same wound to herself would take away her baby’s pain, she would do it a hundred times over in a heartbeat. Her baby is a treasure to be kept safe from harm’s way. Every precaution is taken to keep her baby safe from harm, from food to choosing a proper nanny to child-proofing the kitchen. Kitchens are the most dangerous area of the home. It has knives, cleaning chemicals and hot ovens. Moms are often busy cooking and moving around quickly so little ones often go unnoticed. They either get shuffled and bumped around or, even worse, start exploring cabinets and drawers. Here is one way to keep your baby safe in the kitchen.
Kitchens are not all designed the same way. Typically, they have 1 or 2 entryways, while others have a more open layout that reaches to the dining area. This method of training works well with all kitchens. There is only a slight difference with the more open layout. Begin by placing masking tape or colored ribbon on the floor of all entryways from wall to wall. Bring your child to the line. With the side of your palm, trace the line and say, “No passing.” Repeat this a few times, giving good eye contact and making sure your child looks at what you are doing. You can also use your hand to create an invisible door by raising it up and down as if a door were there. When your child crosses the line say firmly, “No passing.” Repeat the hand motions along the line and in the air. If you use timeouts on your 2-year-old, you can give her a timeout. Wait a few seconds and praise her if she does not pass the line. It took her a lot of self-control not to pass the line. You will need to follow these steps until she gets the message. If your child does not follow the rules after a few tries, do not get discouraged. Just be consistent and be patient. Even a 6 month old can understand and obey what you want her to do. If your kitchen has an open layout, you can put tape on the no passing zones, 2 feet in front of the oven, refrigerator, and dishwasher or just a big box around the cooking area.
When your child has successfully not passed the tape line for a period of time, you still need the tape in place and still keep a close eye on her. Children like to test out the boundaries from time to time to make sure they are still there and also that they have not been missing out on any “fun”. It is highly recommended that you still child proof your kitchen to keep her safe, especially the cabinets that have chemicals and dangerous objects in them.
PVC Plumbing Fittings
When a child is hurt and crying, the pain is felt within the core of its mother’s being. Literally. Her stomach tightens. She is short of breath. She is paralyzed with guilt for not being there to keep her baby safe in that split second. If inflicting the same wound to herself would take away her baby’s pain, she would do it a hundred times over in a heartbeat. Her baby is a treasure to be kept safe from harm’s way. Every precaution is taken to keep her baby safe from harm, from food to choosing a proper nanny to child-proofing the kitchen. Kitchens are the most dangerous area of the home. It has knives, cleaning chemicals and hot ovens. Moms are often busy cooking and moving around quickly so little ones often go unnoticed. They either get shuffled and bumped around or, even worse, start exploring cabinets and drawers. Here is one way to keep your baby safe in the kitchen.
Kitchens are not all designed the same way. Typically, they have 1 or 2 entryways, while others have a more open layout that reaches to the dining area. This method of training works well with all kitchens. There is only a slight difference with the more open layout. Begin by placing masking tape or colored ribbon on the floor of all entryways from wall to wall. Bring your child to the line. With the side of your palm, trace the line and say, “No passing.” Repeat this a few times, giving good eye contact and making sure your child looks at what you are doing. You can also use your hand to create an invisible door by raising it up and down as if a door were there. When your child crosses the line say firmly, “No passing.” Repeat the hand motions along the line and in the air. If you use timeouts on your 2-year-old, you can give her a timeout. Wait a few seconds and praise her if she does not pass the line. It took her a lot of self-control not to pass the line. You will need to follow these steps until she gets the message. If your child does not follow the rules after a few tries, do not get discouraged. Just be consistent and be patient. Even a 6 month old can understand and obey what you want her to do. If your kitchen has an open layout, you can put tape on the no passing zones, 2 feet in front of the oven, refrigerator, and dishwasher or just a big box around the cooking area.
When your child has successfully not passed the tape line for a period of time, you still need the tape in place and still keep a close eye on her. Children like to test out the boundaries from time to time to make sure they are still there and also that they have not been missing out on any “fun”. It is highly recommended that you still child proof your kitchen to keep her safe, especially the cabinets that have chemicals and dangerous objects in them.
PVC Plumbing Fittings
