When moving to a new home with a baby or toddler, it's important that you baby-proof the entire space. Let's start with the kitchen.
The Kitchen
- Add locks to cabinets and drawers. Cabinet doors and drawers are extremely inviting for toddlers, so make sure there are secure locks on storage spaces that are within reach and those that might be accessible from kitchen chairs or counters, in particular if you have an older toddler who can tug chairs into the right position for climbing on. As an extra precaution, keep cleaning solutions and other substances far out of reach.
- Keep knife blocks in locked cabinets. Even though the knife block might be as far back on the counter as possible, it's best to lock it safely inside a cabinet just in case toddlers are able to climb onto the counter.
- Make sure the dishwasher door-lock works. If you moved into a house with an old dishwasher, make sure you check to ensure that the dishwasher door not only stays closed, but locks as well. An open dishwasher exposes children to glass and cutlery, soap and rinsing products. Always keep the dishwasher door closed and locked.
- Make sure the oven door locks. Oven doors can also be a temptation for little fingers. Make sure your oven has a proper lock and that it's used whether the oven is on or not. Even if an oven isn't in use, a child may be tempted to stand on an open door which may easily tip over the appliance.
- Keep a fire extinguisher in the kitchen. Make sure you have a fire extinguisher close at hand while safely out of a young child's hands.
- Keep emergency numbers close to the phone. When moving to a new place, one of the first priorities should be to create an emergency number listing and keep it next to the phone. Make sure you include a poison control number and that all family members know how to call for an ambulance, fire or police.
- Be careful how you unpack. Keep sharp items and glassware out of reach while ensuring that small appliances are either stored in a locked cupboard or cords are out of reach.
- Place a lock on the refrigerator door. Even if you think there aren't any dangers in the fridge, many of the items that need to be stored in a cool place are kept in glass bottles, jars and containers.
- Keep refrigerator magnets out of reach. Magnets can be tempting to bite, chew or swallow so make sure you either keep them far out of reach or store them away for when your child is older.
- Keep plastic bags in a safe place. We used to keep our plastic bags in a drawer next to the fridge. But when our two year-old niece decided she liked the sound of crinkling plastic, we quickly found a new place to store the bags.
