Kitchen Safety

Kitchen Safety For Children The kitchen is an especially dangerous place for babies; it’s full of safety hazards for tiny people who want to touch, taste, and explore everything they come in contact with. One thing that some parents still do which is very unsafe is to warm a baby bottle of milk in a microwave oven. This can be dangerous because microwaves don’t heat foods consistently throughout. As you’ve surely experienced, microwaved food can be cold in one place, and steaming in another. So to avoid scalding your baby’s mouth and throat, don’t ever microwave their milk. And anytime you give them a warm drink of any kind, make sure you test it for heat before letting them drink it. Another safety hazard in the kitchen, or anywhere else for that matter, is holding the baby while you’re eating or drinking something hot, such as coffee. A wriggling baby and hot food or drink in the same lap is an invitation to a burn. The same is true of cigarettes – if you smoke, don’t ever do so while holding a baby. In fact, child development experts say you should never light a match or lighter in front of small children, as they want to copy their parents in everything. Home safety experts also recommend that parents who smoke always do it outdoors. If you do use matches or lighters, make sure they’re never left lying around, but are always secured where children can’t get to them. Of course, you should never try to operate a stove or oven, or do any other cooking while holding a child. It’s best, if at all possible, to keep your infant out of the kitchen while you’re cooking. This isn’t always possible, so make sure that when the oven is on, you’ve got a screen or something else in front of it to prevent them from touching it. This also is true of wood stoves, fireplaces, and radiators. Anything that’s hot and within reach of a child should be blocked so that they don’t have access to it. Another safety consideration is tablecloths. If the child is able to reach them, they