Some of our favorite holiday memories center around food and the time we spend together in the kitchen preparing our feast. This year, don’t let your holiday dreams turn into kitchen nightmares because of a preventable cooking mishap with your kids. Here are a few tips for making merry (not misery) in the kitchen.
Remind your child to always wash their hands before working in the kitchen. - Ask one of your non-cooking friends or relatives to watch the children in the kitchen.
- Make your child feel special by assigning him/her kid-friendly food prep jobs in a specific area of the room, preferably away from appliances like ovens or the stove.
- If possible, use the back burners of your stove for cooking, and turn pot handles away from the edge of the stove.
- If dishes are cooking in the oven, protect little hands with a child-proof oven lock. They only cost about $5.00 and can prevent nasty burns.
- Make sure knives and other sharp appliances are secure and kept away from small children.
- Do not allow small children to use the microwave unless they are old enough and even then make sure they can safely remove food without burning themselves.
“Preventing kitchen accidents should be a high priority for parents,” says Siobhan Davis, WakeMed Injury Prevention representative and coalition coordinator for Safe Kids Wake County. Protect your family and your home by taking smart cooking precautions. And while you’re at it, invest in a good fire extinguisher, and remember to change the batteries twice a year in your smoke detectors.
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