Preparing dinner and looking after your child at the same time is no easy task. It only takes a moment of inattention for curious little hands to wander into a hot oven or start fiddling with the oven handles. When choosing household appliances, it is therefore worth paying attention to solutions that minimise the kitchen hazards lurking in wait for little explorers.
Intriguing buttons and knobs
Toddlers love buttons, keys, knobs and dials. It's less of a problem if they get their hands on a TV remote control or mobile phone, but it's worse if they start checking out kitchen appliances. For this reason, microwave ovens, for example, have an electronic locking function to prevent children from accidentally activating them. In order to make it possible to prepare food safely and to curb the curiosity of small mischievous children, retractable knobs are increasingly common on modern gas cookers.
Another useful solution, which increases the safety of everyone in the household, is the anti-drain protection used on gas hobs - a system that automatically cuts off the gas supply to the burner when the flame goes out. In order to create a safe space for children, the home should be adapted to eliminate sources of potential danger.
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If your household appliances do not have child safety devices, you can purchase special accessories. On the market, you can buy protective covers for cooker knobs, hob guards, protection against opening drawers (where sharp objects are often found) or fridges.
Such solutions may help to curb the curiosity of toddlers, but they do not relieve parents of the need to supervise their children responsibly. Toddlers who are starting to crawl and then walk are particularly prone to accidents. Their ingenuity in overcoming obstacles and their lack of awareness of dangers mean that they must not be let out of sight and left unattended.
