Although having children is a joyous experience one of the many worries that come along with it is childproofing your home to ensure that it is a safe space for every member of the family. The kitchen is often the most dangerous area for children with plenty of things that could cause an injury. If like most of us, you have spent a lot of time and money perfecting your kitchen design then you won’t want to waste all of that hard work by having to change everything in order to make the space safer. Thankfully, there are plenty of things you can do to make your kitchen child-friendly without having to alter the overall aesthetics of the room.
Child-Proof Your Cupboards
One of the most important aspects of creating a child-friendly kitchen is to child-proof your cupboards. Although there are a wide number of ways you can do this, most of them aren’t the most aesthetically pleasing so if you’re conscious about the look of your kitchen you might have to look a little harder to find the right choice for you. Magnetic cabinet locks are a handy option because they are great at child-proofing cabinets while looking more stylish than the rest of the solutions on the market.
Invest in Child-Friendly Dinnerware
Finding kid-friendly plates often means shelling out for a brightly coloured plastic affair until the child reaches an age where they can be trusted with “proper” dinnerware. Instead of this added expense, invest in a chip and break resistant set like Corelle dinnerware, so you don’t have to worry about your plates or any safety issues. Thanks to the innovative material they are made of, Corelle plates and dishes are oven, dishwasher, and microwave safe, while also being durable enough to resist any accidental damage tiny hands might cause.
Move Breakables Out of Reach
Children often like to grab things they shouldn’t, especially once they begin to walk and explore their surroundings. To protect them, and your valuable cookware and kitchenware, move any fragile or easily breakable items out of reach. Thankfully, all you need to do is reshuffle your current layout and there are no extras you need buy in order to achieve this.
Create a Safe Zone
While children are still young, it’s easy to keep them occupied in a car seat and then a high chair but once they start moving around they’ll become restless more easily. At this point, you’ll need to look at creating a safe zone in your kitchen where your child can play away from appliances and any dangers, allowing you to cook in peace while still keeping an eye on them. You can do this by setting up a playpen in your kitchen if space allows, or by setting up activities in an area away from where you will be cooking.
Inform and Educate
For older children, it’s worth educating them about potential dangers in the kitchen and informing them of what the rules are if they are going to be in there while you are cooking. By taking the time to explain to children the dangers you can eliminate the natural curiosity triggered by simply telling them not to do or touch something.