Introducing Toddler Kitchen Safety: My Toddler Uses Knives

One of Evie’s favorite places to be is in the kitchen. When she was younger, she loved to watch Daddy and I cooking or baking. Now that she is a little bit older, she loves to be my kitchen helper. A few broken eggs and some spilled milk later, she is actually pretty coordinated in the kitchen. Just like anything else, cooking or baking takes practice. When I wasn’t utterly terrified that one of us would lose a finger, I understood this. Before stepping into the kitchen, it’s very important to teach a toddler kitchen safety rules so that we explore food and cooking without getting hurt.

Important Aspects to Toddler Kitchen Safety

HOT!

When Evie was learning to walk, this was one of the very first things we taught her. When the oven or stove was on and she came barreling into the kitchen, Daddy or I would remind her that something was HOT! At this point we moved her back away from the stove and one of us would wait with her while the other opened the oven or moved pans off the stove.

Now that Evie is older, she is closer to the stove while cooking. HOT! Is still something we remind her of before turning the on. We also explain how both the stove and the pan are hot, and we cannot touch it. We reinforce this every time we cook in the kitchen.

When we use the stove, our hair is pulled back, our sleeves are rolled up. If she is stirring something on the stove, she isn’t standing in her chair, I’m holding her, so her arms are extended away from the stove.

SHARP!

This is a relatively new concept that Evie was introduced when we started cooking together. Evie would see me cutting food with a knife and she would want to try it as well. Mom’s knives are a firm NO! I explain to her that knives are sharp and only Mom and Dad can use those particular knives, so we don’t get a boo boo. If there is prep work that involves cutting, do it before your child steps into the kitchen.

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That being said, Evie has her own set of toddler kitchen tools. These tools are not recommended for children under the age of 2. These are not toys; these are functioning tools. I initially had a small heart attack at the idea of her using a knife. Now we have rules for using these kitchen tools and I highly encourage you teach your little rules as well.

1. I NEVER let Evie call these tools ‘toys’.
2. These tools are NEVER left where Evie can reach them on her own. Mom or Dad needs to be present when using these tools.
3. If we are not cutting food together, the knives are kept down on the cutting board with the sharp side point away.
4. When using her child-safe knives, I always show her how to hold the knife first. At this point, she doesn’t have enough practice to slowly cut and control the knife, so my hands are guiding hers.
5. If your child is waving or otherwise playing with the knife. Take it away. Calmly remind her that it is not a toy and give her another task to use.

Raw Food

This is another area that Evie and I are currently working on. She LOVES to crack eggs. Did you internally cringe like I did the first time she touched an egg? Yes. I let her crack the eggs. She’s getting much better. The first time she smacked it too hard on the counter. The second she squeezed it until it exploded in her hand. The third wasn’t much different from the first two tries but after the 15^th egg, she started to get it.

Quick tip, crack eggs into a separate bowl so you can fish the eggshells out before adding them to your other ingredients.

However, after every attempt, we ended up with eggs on our hands. Immediately after we are done adding eggs to our ingredients, we go wash our hands. Teaching your child to properly wash their hands before cooking, during cooking after touching raw food, and after cooking is the best way to ensure that they are not accidently putting raw food into their mouths.

If we are using chicken or pork in our recipe, I prep the meat before she wakes up or during naptime. I’m not ready to cross that bridge yet.

When you are using raw ingredients, or making batters with raw eggs, one tip I use took keep Evie from sneaking a bite is to have a small snack bowl next to her. While Mom is adding raw ingredients she can munch on her snack. This also helps when she is trying to steal a lick from the brownie mixing spoon. Establishing those boundaries of what she can taste (fruits and veggies) and what she can’t take (raw batters or raw meats) is essential to toddler kitchen safety.

Listening is CRITICAL for Toddler Kitchen Safety

Personally, I gage Evie’s mood. If she is listening really well that day and following instructions, it is a good day to do some baking or cooking. If she is overly tired, having a difficult time following instruction, that day may not be the day to be in the kitchen.

Following instructions in nonnegotiable in the kitchen. If she will not listen, she cannot be in the kitchen.

Toddler kitchen safety isn’t a topic to take lightly. Just like any other skill, it takes time and proper guidance to ensure that a child is building safe kitchen habits.

Having Evie in the kitchen with me is both nerve wracking and also rewarding. I LOVE to see my daughter bloom into the little chef she wants to be. I adore spending this quality time with her baking. It is a great bonding experience for the whole family! Do you spend time in the kitchen with your child? Share your experiences below!