How to Teach Your Kids to Stay Safe in the Kitchen - The Basic Art of Italian Cooking

As your kids get older, you want them to be more self-sufficient. Helping them be more independent in the kitchen is one of the best places to start. But making sure that your kids understand how to be safe in the kitchen is essential before you let them have free reign cooking.

Fire Safety

One of the most important things to teach your kids about when it comes to cooking is fire safety. Most home fires start in the kitchen so it’s especially important that your children know how to prevent and deal with potential fires.

Help them understand the serious risk of ever leaving the stove or oven unsupervised. Also make sure they understand what can and can’t go into the microwave as it can be easy to think that the microwave is a foolproof appliance. Then walk your children through the proper protocol to handle specific types of kitchen fires like grease fires.

Food Safety

Another important aspect of cooking that your kids need to know about is food safety. Make sure your children understand the importance of fully cooking meats as well as of not leaving different types of food out on the counter for too long. Help them understand how the risk of food poisoning increases when food is left out to accrue bacteria.

It’s also important to teach them that bacteria can double on a surface every 20 minutes. Making sure your kids know some of these facts about bacteria growth on food and in the kitchen will help them remember to refrigerate and cook food properly.

Cleanliness Safety

You also need to make sure that your children understand the importance of keeping a clean kitchen. Start by assuring they know how to properly prepare foods like chicken that could result in spreading salmonella on kitchen surfaces if not properly handled.

You should also help children recognize the importance of sweeping and cleaning the floor. Without doing this periodically, it’s possible for a floor to become slippery and a hazard to those walking around. Additionally, when floors are smattered with crumbs, you may attract insects and rodents.

Helping your children navigate cooking can be a complex process. With so many different types of recipes, techniques, and necessary skills, it can be difficult to know where to start. Starting by helping children understand kitchen safety protocols can ensure they will be able to handle any unexpected problems.

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