Submitted by: Kelly Perry

Many children watch their parents cook and assume they too can cook when mom and dad are not looking. This a real problem in many households and typically the reason for many kitchen fires, which of course can spread quickly throughout the home. Children see how the stove is turned on and there are oils around and children are curious by nature. If the child has not been instructed that cooking incorrectly can in fact lead to fires, you are setting your home up for a possible preventable fire.

While it is true, not all children have an interest in cooking, but some like to watch their parents baking or preparing large meals for guests and want to participate. Parents must teach curious cooking children the dangers of unsupervised cooking. Instill in the child that just because they can reach the burners on the stove, does not mean they can cook anything without your supervision. Teach them in a way they understand, rather than just telling them, “Listen, the stove is off limits to you!” because this simply makes them more curious and are likely to do it behind your back, which of course can lead to deadly consequences.

You should child-proof your kitchen and this is not just for toddlers that might get into cabinets where there are chemicals, but this goes for those that are especially interested in cooking. Therefore, make sure you pots, pans, and all oils are out of reach of the child because if they cannot get to these items, they cannot attempt to cook. Let’s face it, parents supervise their children, but it is impossible to be with the child 24 hours a day. By child-proofing your kitchen, you give yourself peace of mind knowing that the child is not able to get to the cooking utilities or oils. You might want to invest in a locked pantry that only contains your cooking tools and oils.

Accidents can and do happen so while you want to child-proof your kitchen, if your child out smarts you, and they can, you need to teach them how to use a fire extinguisher which needs to be in every kitchen. Just like a child that knows how to call 911, a child that knows how to put out a simple fire on the stove with a fire extinguisher can save the lives of the family and lessen the overall damage that a massive fire can produce.

Parents that want to teach their children how to cook is a wonderful tool in order to teach the child to not cook without the parent’s supervision. Teaching your child to cook can be a very bonding experience, but you must always keep in mind that they area child and they need supervision when it comes to using the stove with oils. The more you instill in a child about the dangers of fires, the more ready they are in the event one ever broke out in your home.

About the Author: Kelly is a writer for FireProtectionOnline, the leading source for

fire extinguishers

, the

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and other fire safety goods.

Source:

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