My Top 3 Tips for Keeping Kids Safe & Happy in the Kitchen

Teaching my daughter to cook, like I was taught by my mother and grandmothers, is important to me. So, is her safety. If you have kids in the kitchen and want to keep them safe, read on for this interior designer and mom's top 3 tips.

Tip #1 - Plan storage that children can reach. One day, I realized that my daughter was more than capable of getting a cup off the shelf and putting water into it - IF she could reach the shelf. So, I stocked one lower cabinet with a kid-friendly selection of plates, cups and bowls, and she's been serving herself ever since. 

Drawer-mounted plate racks, like the one below, are the best way to move dishes down to a kid's level. Order a rack like this with your new cabinets, or add it to an existing deep drawer.  The one below is by Crystal Cabinet Works, our go-to cabinet manufacturer.

Tip #2 - Provide a safe step up. Kitchen cabinets are just another set of monkey bars for some kids. You remember how the thinking goes, "If I hook my toes around this drawer pull, rest my opposite knee on the countertop and hold onto the door with my left hand, I know I can reach the Pop Tarts with my right."

Seriously though, falls are the leading cause of injury to kids under 15 according to the CDC. So, figure out where you're going to put a step stool. It'll be safer for children and for you.  A broom closet will work, or you can even hide one under the toe kick of a cabinet. Here's a picture of the Stepfix by Hafele.

Tip #3 - Be careful around corners. Children run when they should walk. There's no avoiding it. So, think about what a child is going to be faced with when they run around a blind corner.

Is it an open wall oven with a hot door that is right at their eye level?  Or, will it be you standing at the kitchen sink cutting vegetables with a knife?  Or, you again, only this time turning with a hot pot in your hands?

In general, avoid putting potentially dangerous appliances or work areas where children, or adults for that matter, might blunder into them.

Do you have other tips on keeping kids safe in the kitchen? Share them here. I'd love to hear from you.

Looking for more kitchen design tips? Download our FREE guide.

Jackie Lopey is a Certified Interior Designer and the CEO of Venue. Read about Jackie's journey from a DIY home remodeler to Certified Interior Designer & CEO.