To gate or not to gate.... that is the kitchen

[jubilee]

I mentioned to my mom that I wanted baby gates to block off the kitchen when Logan is crawling, but she was adament that I don't do that. She doesn't believe in gates at all. The kitchen is a dangerous place- full of knives, oven, cleaners, etc. so I want to make it a baby-free zone though. Mom says I must only put everything up, lock the cupboards, and let the baby roam the kitchen. What do you all do- is the kitchen baby-free or not? Is there something you can deprive a baby of by not letting them in the kitchen?

[luvbeinmama]

I have gates at my kitchen entrances. That said, with DS, I did pretty much regularly kept the kitchen baby-free, but slowly opened it up to him. With DD, our gates are always open unless I am using the oven or there is some other reason that the kids shouldn't be in there. Also, I use them when we have other kids over. I think your mom has a point, but I also think there are times when gates are a real blessing! So I would get them and install them, and perhaps get the ones where you just leave the hardware on the wall but you can take the gate off & put it away if you're not using it for a bit. That way you really have the best of both worlds. You do have to keep things up this way, too, but then you have the option of shutting it off if you need to or want to. HTH! :)

edited to add: I do not recommend pressure gates for this purpose, even if you are not using them all the time. I've talked to paramedics who go on calls for hurt children involving pressure mounted gates quite often. Plus, I know MY children climb on my gates and while I do keep telling them to get off and that it's a no-no, they still do it. I ESPECIALLY wouldn't want that happening with pressure mounted gates. JMHO on this subject.

[egoldber]

I agree with your mom. The kitchen is one of Sarah's favorite places to play. In have all the dangerous stuff locked up in a couple cabinets, and the rest of the kitchen and the cabinets are hers to explore. She has a terrific time playing with the Tupperware, pots and pans, etc.

HTH,

[Momof3Labs]

Colin loves being in our kitchen - he loves to be around us, and has fun exploring in there. We put all the chemicals up on an overhead shelf, and the knives are out of his reach. When we use the oven, we distract him in another room, but this hasn't been a problem. Colin has a couple of his own cabinets, primarily with Tupperware stuff, that he plays in. IMO, the kitchen is only dangerous if you allow it to be. Cleaners and knives are dangerous to kids of all ages, not just toddlers, so even if you don't move them now, you eventually will have to.

[flagger]

I am with your mom too. I am going to get the chemicals out from under the sink, but we have let her have free run in the kitchen so far. She loved playing with all the cookie tins we had out for putting our cookies and sweets in. We just have to pick up the five quart doggy water bowl when she is loose on the floor.

[lisams]

DD loves being in the kitchen when we're getting meals ready. The only problem we ever have is that she loves to raid the fridge when we open the door. Something about the bright yellow-bottle shaped mustard that she always goes for :)! We baby proofed the cabinets and left the safe ones for her like the tupperware and mixing bowls. The front of the oven gets warm to the touch, but we have already taught her that it is "hot-owie" and she has done a wonderful job of staying away from it. I think it's good that everything isn't baby proofed - it teaches her that there are boundaries for safety reasons. When we are using the stove top we use the back burners and make sure DD knows that it is "hot-owie" and of course don't take our eyes off of her. She's so cute, she starts shaking her head "no" when she gets too close to the oven :) Maybe you could give it a try and see how it goes.

Lisa

[newbelly2002]

That's a lot of what we have done. We gated the kitchen when Dante was first mobile because it's very narrow, the oven is low, and the knives are on a rolling cart that slides underneath the stove. I didn't want him crawling around in there.

As he got older, began to walk, and *started* to understand some of the action-reaction rules, we have allowed him supervised access. When we are there he plays with the cabinets (there are only two), and the refrigerator and the dog dish (until the day we turned around to catch him STANDING in it, socks and all with a pleased as punch grin on his face). He touches the oven constantly and quickly to say "ow-a," and knows that steam also signifies something hot.

We had a breakthrough today as I was pouring hot chicken from a pan to a pot and Dante started to walk toward me, I told him "no, this is hot. Please stand back there." And, wonder of wonders, he did. He saw the steam and said "ow-a" but kept his distance. Woo-ee, success!!

Paula
Mama to Dante, 8/1/02

[JulieL]

I say go for the gates. Although DS is allowed to play in the kitchen while we are in there I don't let him loose alone (say I have to go to the bathroom etc...) But when I cook out he goes. I just couldn't handle an accident and having him being burned for life. That is just my take. But if you have pets swarming around your ankles think about that being your child while you are cooking bacon, so many oppsies could happen, why chance it!

[newbelly2002]

I understand what you're saying, but I think there's also some merit to teaching your child that certain things are dangerous and they need to beware. A good friend of mine once told the story about how friends of his turned their hot water heater waaay down so that the children wouldn't burn themselves. Even at full blast, the hot water was only very warm. This worked fine until one of the children went to a friend's house. He turned the water tap all the way to hot--because that was the only thing he knew--and seared his hands badly enough to scar.

Now, I'm not saying that you should be cooking french fries and having a muchkin crawling at your feet amid the spitting grease. But as children get older and start to make associations, I think teaching them about danger is crucial to having them become aware kids, and eventually adults. As much as we would love as parents to always be there, someday we won't.

Paula
Mama to Dante, 8/1/02

[JElaineB]

We have the kitchen gated off and do not let DS in there. Too many bad things in there. Cat water and food, stove (not secured to the wall yet), bakers rack, cabinets that are REALLY old and we can't figure out how to put child-proof locks on them, some peeling paint, cat litter boxes (not in the kitchen but in an adjoining area that is enclosed by the kitchen gates). That said I do wish our kitchen was up to snuff to let DS in there. He goes in his grandma's kitchen and has a great time, opening and shutting "his" cabinets and the fridge. He cries if I am in the kitchen too long even though he can see me. We are planning on redoing our kitchen hopefully next year, so then I will make sure it is set up so we can let DS into it.

Jennifer
mom to Jacob 9/27/02

[kristine_elen]

First I would say that you're the mom now and can do what you want. That said, things are much easier now that I've babyproofed the kitchen (for the most part) and let Jack play in there -- when I'm there, too. I feel bad doing stuff in there and just sticking him in the high chair the entire time. We don't have pets so don't have food/water on the floor to contend with.

[NEVE and TRISTAN]

I haven't read everyones responses...but wanted to say we do not block off our kitchen, but I don't know how we could really. We are in our kitchen so much that I bet Tristan is in the kitchen as much as he is anywhere in our home. I have yet to have no real big concerns except the doggy bowl, which is huge but very heavy.

I have one baby gate that we use at the top of the stairs and that is it (so far) :)...
Neve
AKA "mama2be"-forgot password
and Baby Boy Tristan born @UNC
Feb 25, 2003
Brother to 3 pups "gees" and 2 kitties

[NEVE and TRISTAN]

Great example, I will remember that one!!!
I hope...and stress the word "hope" because I know I don't know anything yet...that I will beable to teach such things, and also not have to baby proof too much. I went to an ex co-workers house the other day for lunch, she has a 2 year old ( not yet 2 1/2) and her home was "decked out", her daughter didn't mess with her knick nacks and she felt it was because she taught her at a young age. Theri tree was beautiful and filled with ornaments. I so hope I can get away with that.
Neve
AKA "mama2be"-forgot password
and Baby Boy Tristan born @UNC
Feb 25, 2003
Brother to 3 pups "gees" and 2 kitties

[parkersmama]

Another vote for not gating. We have never used gates in our house (we don't have stairs, BTW). But, we definitely baby-proof the kitchen. We have cabinet locks but have still tried to teach our boys that they shouldn't mess with certain things (knives, stove, dishwasher, medicines, etc) and they don't. I do *not* let anyone around the oven or stove when I am cooking (even the dog!). Not only could they touch something hot or hazardous, I worry about tripping on them and spilling things. I guess when it comes to what they're allowed to do in the kitchen, I just try to use common sense (heck, that's most of what my parenting is! LOL!). We try to teach safety early on and so far, it seems to have stuck! Knock on wood. ;)

[AngelaS]

Our kitchen is not gated and never has been. Call me a really bad mom, but as toddlers, both of my girls have loved to sit on the counter (horrors!). LOL I've never let either one fall off, as they sit in a little corner spot while I cook or cut veggies or do dishes or whatever. I'm very alert to what they're doing (playing with measuring spoons or whatever was handy) while I'm doing what needs done.

I'm another who doesn't go overboard baby proofing. If you close lids and doors and move the chemicals from under the sink, our house is pretty safe. We have two drawer locks in the whole house---one on the knife drawer and one on the bathroom drawer that holds dh's razors and toothpaste.

[sntm]

I know you all know this, but just a reminder to be really careful about dog/cat water bowls. Babies have actually drowned in them (and not as a rare occurence.)


shannon
not-even-pregnant-yet-overachiever
trying-to-conceive :)
PREGNANT! EDD 6/9/03
mama to Jack 6/6/03

[Sarah1]

Hi Julie,

We do not have our kitchen gated (we probably couldn't even if we tried, since the kitchen is part of our "great room" and it is a really open layout).

When DD started crawling I reorganized the kitchen cabinets. Like Beth said, I left several cabinets with "safe" stuff for DD to play with. Audrey loves opening and closing the drawers and cabinets. She can also spend a solid 20 minutes playing with the dishwasher (she LOOOOOOOOOOVES the dishwasher). It can be annoying, though, if you are trying to cook something!

Do whatever feels right to you, though, no matter what anybody says! It's YOUR house :)

[McQ]

We actually had a really bad kitchen scare in our family. When my cousin's son was 14 months he got a hold of the cord to the deep fat fryer and pulled it over on him. He was VERY fortunate that he only had severe burns on his hand and down his left leg but the scaring is still pretty bad (he's now 4 1/2). He spent some time in the burn unit and has had many skin graphs and had to wear compression socks for a couple years.

We'll babyproof our kitchen by moving the cleaners, having the knives & stuff out of reach and teaching that the stove is hot. Right now I let Declan play on the floor while I'm cooking. Who knew that rubbermaid could be so fascinating.

Allison
~ mommy to Declan 3.24.03

[agomalley]

Sarah,
Oh my gosh...Ryan LOOOOOOVES the dishwasher too! He literally could stand there for hours and play with all the stuff. :)

We're in our kitchen so much that I couldn't gate it off. Like some of the others have said, we put latches on some of the cabinets and moved the chemicals and knives out of reach.
Anabelle and Ryan 4/9/03

[jubilee]

I thank you all for weighing-in on the baby gate issue! Safety is certainly my concern, but you all seem to have made the kitchen a safe and FUN place to play. I want Logan to be able to be a part of my world, and frankly a good percentage of my world is in the kitchen. I will make a good effort at baby-proofing and keep a watchful eye. Fortunatly, we don't have doggy water bowls to deal with. Of course I can always get gates later if I have other concerns. If I have to get gates they will likely be expensive, since we have large doorways for the kitchen.

[HoneymoonBaby]

Am I a really bad mommy-to-be for thinking that I just plain don't WANT my baby to play in the kitchen? I plan to use gates on the kitchen, and also to keep the baby out of the formal living room, which is not kid-friendly at all. I think that there are appropriate places for kids, and inappropriate places for kids, and the kitchen just seems like an inappropriate place to me.

I don't want my kid opening and closing cabinets while I'm cooking. I don't want him or her banging on pots and pans (my good Calphalon -- perish the thought!) or playing in the cat's dish. There's NOTHING in the kitchen that is meant for a baby to play with. If I need to do something in there and DH isn't home to keep an eye on the baby, then baby can sit in a playpen or a high chair with real baby toys while mommy fixes food or whatever.

Am I terrible for not wanting to share every part of my home with baby-to-be? I really feel mommy and daddy need adult-only space for entertaining friends and spending time alone. We've got plenty of other rooms in the house where baby will be welcome. I agree with the idea of not babyproofing too extensively and teaching children just not to touch certain things . . . but I feel I can do enough of that in the rest of the house without letting baby into the kitchen or the living room where all the valuable/ouchy stuff is.

[momma_boo]

Julie,

I just wanted to comment on your subject line. I don't know if you did it on purpose or not... were you spoofing Shakespeare with your subject line? As I was reading it, something about it seemed familiar, then I thought, "To be or not to be... That is the question." It couldn't be a coincidence, so I just wanted to give you a thumbs-up for witty word play!

[Momof3Labs]

I only wish that Colin could sit in a highchair or playpen and play while I am getting something done, but I couldn't stand listening to the screaming! Toddlers aren't into sitting and watching you do something - they want to be doing it too, and not on the other side of the gate (more screaming).

Honestly, wait and see - once your baby is here and you get to know his/her personality, you can figure out what works for you (and that will change as they get older, too). But believe me that it sounds easy to say "no babies in the kitchen" now - but that will be much harder to do once you have a toddler!!

[jubilee]

LOL! Yes, you caught me. I am corny like that!