Kitchen/Cooking Safety w/ LO

MomtobeNJ · September 2013

What is your "plan" for kitchen safety? If you're home alone with LO and you're cooking, do you let him/her hang out in the kitchen and play? Keep them out with a gate, but still in view?

Up until now, she's stayed pretty well occupied with toys or my plastic mixing bowls, measuring cups, wooden spoons, etc. But lately she is walking right up to the stove to see what I'm doing, trying to lean on the oven door (which can get hot) and reaching up for the knobs. This weekend I need to buy those knob covers, but I also need to work on teaching her to stay back, away from the stove. I also keep my pans on the rear burners so there's no chance of her reaching them.

Obviously it's easier to keep her out while I cook, but DH works nights and it's just the two of us 4 nights a week. If I'm making a big meal or something more complicated, chances are DH is home to help keep her occupied in another room.

KellersPrag · September 2013

I'm by myself every day and we have no baby gates or way of keeping her out. I try to keep her to the side of the oven in the kitchen if she will not stay in the living room. If I am cooking with hot oil that is "spitting," I only give her one chance - after she comes back to me, I stick her in a back carry in one of my carriers.

Unknown · September 2013

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watercolor5 · September 2013

When it's during the day and just the two of us, (breakfast/lunch/snacks,) I keep her out of the kitchen but still in view with the baby gate. DH is usually home at dinnertime, so he watches her when I'm making dinner.

I actually feel a little guilty that she doesn't get much kitchen exposure- seems like kids learn a lot from watching us prepare meals and do household chores, and I'd love to let her play with tupperware or have her own drawer, but at least it keeps her safe. I'll have to get her a play kitchen so she can get into it that way.

Pokedot · September 2013

Our kitchen doesn't allow for him to be gated off. On a side note I want a new kitchen like yesterday. Anyways back to the questions. I usually occupy him with food haha like puffs or raw ingredients like veggies when I can. I'll also let him play in the kitchen with me and break out the pans, spoons etc. We recently childproofed the cabinets and I tried to buy the stove nob covers but they don't fit. My solution for those is to just take them off when I'm not using them. It's kind of all trial and error lately. Sometimes toys work, other times food. It also depends on how long the prep for the meal is.

danabsd · September 2013

I need a new plan as well. I used to just let her play in the Tupperware cabinet but now she's over that and has figured out that other cabinets open as well. Last night she kept trying to open the oven, when I moved her back from it sat her down and said no she threw this huge drama queen fit.

I tried putting her in the dining area with toys but she quickly gets over that and ends up eating dog food.

Welcome to motherhood?

Hyaline · September 2013

I just let her get underfoot while I cook, haha. DD can't actually reach the stove or knobs yet (our stove is pretty high), and the oven door gets warm but not hot. I just have to keep her back when I open the oven. She does very well playing by herself in the kitchen--I keep a couple of cabinets that have stuff she can get into un-child-proofed, which helps. I also keep a few toys she especially likes in a basket on the counter, and give her a handful of Cheerios sometimes.

INmommy871278 · September 2013

DS hangs out in the living room. We don't have baby gates, but the living furniture is set up in a way that he can't get anything he's not supposed to and we slide the coffee table over to block the door. DS usually will stand at the coffee table watching me, the stove and door way line up perfectly. If DH is home he hangs out in the living room playing with DS.

MomtobeNJ · September 2013

Did you see my IG pic last night? We wash our hands in the dog's water dish at least once a day, and then mommy remembers to pick it up.

redneckmomma25 · September 2013

We have a wall oven so she can't reach it. We have a range in an island. She can't reach that either. I try and make sure she is not near when I am draining hot water or the like.

MomtobeNJ · September 2013

@redneckmomma25 - I am jealous of your babyproofed kitchen set up.

icedcoffeeluv · September 2013

I do pretty much what you do.

Cook on the back burners, let her raid the cabinets etc. My oven doesn't get that hot but I still try to keep them away from it.

These days they insist on being attached to my legs though so I usually have one crawling between my legs in front and one crawling up my butt. I have started making crockpot and casserole type meals that I can prepare after they go to bed for the next day.

redneckmomma25 · September 2013

MomtobeNJ said:
@redneckmomma25 - I am jealous of your babyproofed kitchen set up.

It's about the only easily baby proofed part of the house. And today she learned to open the cabinet even with them being locked. I can't see her when she is in the living room playing and I am in the kitchen.

MomtobeNJ · September 2013

The crockpot is my savior on weeknights. DD is super clingy after daycare and DH works nights, so it's hard to do anything more complicated than heating up or serving onto plates.

hmp1 · September 2013

The only thing I worry about is when I need to open the oven. If he is not interested in anything else while I need to open the oven, I will put him in his high chair for a minute with a few Cheerios. But usually, he is content playing with his play kitchen.

I started cooking with James before he was 2 and will do the same with Leo. We got James a kitchen helper for Christmas and it has been great. Before that I used a chair but was always nervous he would step off and fall. I don't think Leo is ready to use the kitchen helper yet, but I don't think he is far off.

MomtobeNJ · September 2013

thechimichanga said:

the only thing I worry about is when I am using the oven/stovetop. She is almost tall enough to reach where the flame is, so I try to use the back burners.

If there is something in the oven, she is not allowed in the kitchen when I need to open it. Even if it means I put her in the other room and sprint to the oven and open it real quick, do what i have to do and shut it quickly.

This is exactly what I do - LOL! Glad I'm not the only lunatic sprinter.

jocymama · September 2013

We have a gate to keep her in the dining room while I am cooking if I really need to. If I am not opening the oven or doing something that may splatter her I usually let her crawl around the kitchen. If I were cooking say bacon I would probably put her in her high chair somewhere she can see me with some cheerios or a piece of cheese.

hmp1 · September 2013

jocymama said:

We have a gate to keep her in the dining room while I am cooking if I really need to. If I am not opening the oven or doing something that may splatter her I usually let her crawl around the kitchen. If I were cooking say bacon I would probably put her in her high chair somewhere she can see me with some cheerios or a piece of cheese.

Oven bacon! Seriously, it's great.

hmp1 · September 2013

mnkate said:

MomtobeNJ said:

thechimichanga said:

the only thing I worry about is when I am using the oven/stovetop. She is almost tall enough to reach where the flame is, so I try to use the back burners.

If there is something in the oven, she is not allowed in the kitchen when I need to open it. Even if it means I put her in the other room and sprint to the oven and open it real quick, do what i have to do and shut it quickly.

This is exactly what I do - LOL! Glad I'm not the only lunatic sprinter.

I do the same thing.

@hmp1 where did you get the kitchen helper? I keep meaning to ask you. And do you keep their play kitchen in the actual kitchen? We're giving Augie my old kitchen set, but I never thought to put it IN the kitchen.

One Step Ahead.

It is in the family room but right on the edge of the breakfast room/family room so we can still see and talk to each other.

dackelynn · September 2013

I've got a stove guard that kind of looks like this -
but it's not see-through and it came with the stove. It's fantastic to not have to worry about her getting burned.

Flamingemu · September 2013

I taught L 'hot'. It started with food and teaching her to wait and blow on it before putting it in her mouth, but works with the stove as well. SHe is usually in the kitchen when I am cooking. If I need to open the oven doors I say hot, no touch. She will start blowing at the oven.

If she is not listening, she goes in the high chair with some water or cheerios to occupy her.

jocymama · September 2013

hmp1 said:

jocymama said:

We have a gate to keep her in the dining room while I am cooking if I really need to. If I am not opening the oven or doing something that may splatter her I usually let her crawl around the kitchen. If I were cooking say bacon I would probably put her in her high chair somewhere she can see me with some cheerios or a piece of cheese.

Oven bacon! Seriously, it's great.

@hmp1 what do you do? I am sure this seems like a silly question but seriously I am a terrible cook. Do I just throw it on a pan? If so at what temp and for how long? Thanks!

Pokedot · September 2013

hmp1 said:

The only thing I worry about is when I need to open the oven. If he is not interested in anything else while I need to open the oven, I will put him in his high chair for a minute with a few Cheerios. But usually, he is content playing with his play kitchen.

I started cooking with James before he was 2 and will do the same with Leo. We got James a kitchen helper for Christmas and it has been great. Before that I used a chair but was always nervous he would step off and fall. I don't think Leo is ready to use the kitchen helper yet, but I don't think he is far off.

Disclaimer: I haven't finished the thread but what is a kitchen helper? I'm intrigued because DS loves to "help" cook and I want him involved as much as possible when he gets a bit older.

Pokedot · September 2013

jocymama said:

hmp1 said:

jocymama said:

We have a gate to keep her in the dining room while I am cooking if I really need to. If I am not opening the oven or doing something that may splatter her I usually let her crawl around the kitchen. If I were cooking say bacon I would probably put her in her high chair somewhere she can see me with some cheerios or a piece of cheese.
Oven bacon! Seriously, it's great.
@hmp1 what do you do? I am sure this seems like a silly question but seriously I am a terrible cook. Do I just throw it on a pan? If so at what temp and for how long? Thanks!

I can answer this! It is AWESOME bacon. Take a cookie sheet, line with tinfoil. Place bacon on top and put in a cold oven. Turn the oven on to 375 for about 20 minutes. Some ovens cook faster or slower so just periodically check! This works super well and we don't cook bacon any other way now!

hmp1 · September 2013

This is a google image, but it is the same one I have. It has 4 sides so he can't fall or step off.

There is a DIY one too, if you guys are crafty. It doesn't look very easy for the child to get into it though. James has always been able to climb in and out of it himself which I find helpful.

https://ana-white.com/2010/12/helping-tower.html

hmp1 · September 2013

jocymama said:

hmp1 said:

jocymama said:

We have a gate to keep her in the dining room while I am cooking if I really need to. If I am not opening the oven or doing something that may splatter her I usually let her crawl around the kitchen. If I were cooking say bacon I would probably put her in her high chair somewhere she can see me with some cheerios or a piece of cheese.

Oven bacon! Seriously, it's great.

@hmp1 what do you do? I am sure this seems like a silly question but seriously I am a terrible cook. Do I just throw it on a pan? If so at what temp and for how long? Thanks!

Line a baking pan with foil. Put bacon side by side but not touching. 350 degrees for 13-15 minutes depending on how crispy you like it.

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