Once your baby starts crawling, the house becomes like a playground. Your little angel wants to explore places, where most certainly you wouldn't want your baby wandering. Kitchen is one such area, which you want to keep out of your baby's reach. According to the US statistics, around 40% of accidents occur in households. And 80% of deaths are reported under 4 years due to accidents at home. These accidents occur due to fire, burns, suffocation and choking. But how do you guarantee the safety of your baby while working in your kitchen? The solution is baby proofing your kitchen so as to avoid any accidents. There are few pointers which parents should remember while baby proofing their kitchens. The first priority is to keep all the dangerous things out of baby's reach. The area under the sink or electrical sockets are the most hazardous places which a baby should not be exposed to. Even chemicals in the kitchen should be stored in a closed cabinet. And last but not the least, think like a baby does, which area is their most favorite one. Before you follow these tips, do keep all the emergency numbers near your phone and on your kitchen counter. Here are some tips and hopefully they will relieve your tension.

• When you are in the kitchen, you must have noticed that the little hands can easily reach the oven drawer because of its low height. So first you need to install locks on the drawer.
• The next step is securing the oven door above the drawer. The oven door can be easily opened by your kid as it is light weight. So installing good quality locks is a better idea.
• Cover all the sharp corners with corner cushions or plastic cover guard. The corner cushions made of elastic material is most preferred by parents as the baby doesn't get hurt while moving around the furniture.
• Always avoid cooking food when your baby is in the kitchen.
• Try and install safety gates in the area surrounding your kitchen and lock the gate while cooking.
• In drawers, install stop locks which don't open easily. These locks do not let the drawer open as long as the latch is not pressed down.
• The kitchen cabinet doors should be locked securely so as to avoid exposing your child to dangers lurking behind these doors. Start using non-toxic cleaners on floors and on appliances as these are safe for your baby.
• Store all the sharp objects like knives, scissors and forks inside a drawer or at the rear end of the kitchen counter.
• Cover all the electrical sockets in the kitchen with cover guard so as to prevent your baby from getting shock.
• Keep all your expensive crockery in the wall mounted cabinets and while using it, be sure your kid is nowhere near the area. Even if you are storing glass utensils in the cabinets below your kitchen slab, be sure to use locks which will be difficult for the baby to open.
• Keeping a working fire extinguisher at home is always a wise option as it helps in preventing fire accidents.
• Even plastic bags, trash bags or shopping bags should be kept in the drawer locked so as to avoid the risk of getting suffocated.
• Do not use any magnets on the fridge because if they fall, it might be dangerous for the baby as it may cause choking accident.
• Use cord shorteners for electrical cords so as to avoid your child from pulling it.
• Install locks on trash cans too as your little one can easily open it. If locks can't be installed, then keep the trash can in a cupboard which will ensure your child doesn't get messy from the trash.
• Keep the ladders and step stools locked away in a cupboard or a closet. Also, on the breakfast table, do not use any tablecloth as your child can certainly pull it.
• Even on the dishwasher, install safety locks so as to avoid your child from pulling the door and do cover the sharp edges of the dishwasher with a cover guard.

After going through all these tips, I am sure you might get finicky about every little detail. But as an old adage goes, "Safety First is Safety Always". It's always better to be safe than to be sorry. Baby proofing your kitchen is important in every aspect. This approach will help you to analyze the risks and will serve as a reminder to make your home not a prison, but a place where your baby can enjoy his/her strolls without getting hurt. After all, babies are going to grow and they are going to explore places where parents strongly object. It's our responsibility as adults and caregivers to protect our child from every mishap.