Your kitchen is one of the most dangerous places in your home. With its hard surfaces, equipment, and sharp corners, the kitchen is especially unsafe for children. If you have a family that includes little ones, remodeling your kitchen with the kids in mind can help you avoid injuries in the future. Here are some tips for creating a safe environment for your children:
Choose anti-slip flooring:
Kids like to run. No matter how well behaved your children are, when they get excited about something, they run. To top things off, when tiles or hardwood floors get wet, as happens often in a kitchen, they become even more slippery. Did you know, however, that there are actually anti-slip flooring options available? Tile companies make kitchen remodeling options that have slight textures, and while they still feel smooth on bare feet, they have a bit of grip to prevent falls. That way, when your kids are running to be the first in line for a fresh-from-the-oven cookie, they’ll be less likely to fall.
Include some high shelving out of the reach of small hands:
Every kitchen has items that need to stay as far away from children as possible, like knives. Instead of keeping these on the counter, build in some high shelves to keep these items safely away from the kids. Later, when your children are old enough, you can move these items to a more convenient location and store seasonal items on the shelves instead. Make sure you don’t keep things like candy or cookie jars on these shelves, as children will be tempted to try to climb on things to get them.
Stay away from easily stained materials:
Not every material is easily wiped. In a kitchen, you should stay away from these kinds of porous materials since they are hard to clean, but if for no other reason, make sure that your floors, benches, and other surfaces are stain-proof because kids will drop their cups and food often. With children, you’ll have to deal with spills every day! Stone is definitely a product that is susceptible to staining, but other materials can also stain. If you find a surface that stains easily but you love and can’t do without, look into sealants that can protect these surfaces.
Raise your oven or choose one with a lock:
Ovens can be extremely dangerous for children. At the very least, you should choose an oven that locks, so that kids can’t crawl inside or even open the door. Make sure that the oven you choose has a cool door that doesn’t get hot when the oven is turned on. If possible, consider lifting the oven. If you can build it into the wall, your kitchen remodeling will look fabulous and be safer for kids. Fingers can’t get stuck, the oven can’t be tipped, and heat is not an issue.
Ensure that appliances can’t be tipped:
As I hinted in the tip above, appliances tipping over can be very dangerous. Every year, hundreds of children are killed or injured when appliances tip and fall on them. Ovens are especially dangerous, but refrigerators and other top-heavy items could put your children at risk as well. Attach appliances to the wall when possible, and look for tip-resistant products. To go along with this, make sure that smaller appliances such as toasters and coffee pots are far enough away from counter edges so that they can’t be pulled down. Also, remember to keep cords away from young hogs that can’t resist yanking on them.
built-in locking mechanisms
Most parents use some kind of lock system to make sure that children, especially toddlers, can’t open their drawers and cabinets. When you’re renovating, why not build this system right into the lower part of your kitchen? Make sure the space under your sink is especially safe, and if possible, keep your dangerous cleaning products in the garage or on high shelves, away from children and your food.
No matter how safely you build your kitchen, there will still be dangers for children. Nothing can replace teaching your kids to be safe in the kitchen remodeling . When you’re talking to your contractor and interior decorator, though, talk about your family’s needs. They can help you make your kitchen as soft and safe as possible to help protect your children today and your grandchildren in the future.
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