School’s Almost Back: 7 Kitchen Safety Rules to Teach Your Littlest Helpers

18 hours ago
4 min read

Back-to-school season is right around the corner. For families with older kids heading back to class, that can also mean a little more one-on-one time at home with the littlest members of the family

And when you have a tiny shadow following you around the house, the kitchen has a way of becoming very interesting.

Cooking together is a great way to spend that extra time. Kids get to measure, mix, taste, make a mess that somehow reaches places nowhere near the mixing bowl, and learn skills they will actually use for the rest of their lives.

But before you hand over the wooden spoon, it is worth teaching the most important ingredient first: safety.

At Northwoods Insurance Solutions, we spend a lot of time talking about protecting the people and things that matter most. Insurance is part of that protection, but preventing accidents in the first place matters too. These seven simple kitchen safety rules are a great place to start with your little chef.

1. Always Ask an Adult Before Cooking

This may seem obvious at first, but as your kids get more comfortable and independent in the kitchen they may forget to ask at times. I often hear my little chef rummaging around in the kitchen because he wants to surprise the family with one of his dishes. But as sweet as that sounds, I have to remind him that an adult has to be present to make sure that he stays safe even if he is doing all the work.

As kids become more comfortable in the kitchen, independence tends to arrive quickly.

One day they are helping you stir pancake batter. The next, they have decided the family deserves a surprise breakfast and you hear mysterious cabinet noises from the other room.

h children that they should always ask an adult before they begin cooking, even when they already know how to make something.

An adult being nearby means someone can step in if something is hot, sharp, heavy, slippery, or simply not going according to the tiny chef’s very ambitious plan.

Little hands often carry big germs. Clean hands are so important to food safety and should be the first step before touching any food or appliance. Just remind your little one what they have been touching and ask them if they want it in their food. This always gets an “eeewwww” in my home.

2. Wash Those Little Hands

Little hands manage to touch approximately everything.

Toys. Pets. Floors. Door handles. Faces. Things you would rather not investigate too closely.

Before touching food, dishes, utensils, or appliances, handwashing should always come first.

A simple way to make the lesson stick is to ask your child what they have touched recently and then ask, “Would you want that in your food?”

The answer is usually some variation of “Ewww.”

Lesson successfully delivered.

3. Clean As You Go

Cleaning spills and messes as you go will prevent slips and falls. Plus it makes it easier to have a clean kitchen at the end. Like we always say at The Step Stool Chef “Remember Your ABCs: Always Be Cleaning”

Cooking with kids is rarely a tidy operation, and that is part of the fun.

But spills on floors and counters can quickly become slipping hazards. Teach kids to stop and clean up messes when they happen rather than waiting until the end.

Cleaning as they go also teaches responsibility and makes the final cleanup considerably less dramatic.

A good kitchen rule to remember is simple: Always Be Cleaning.

Trying to handle hot plates, pots, or appliances can cause burns or you to drop food on the floor. Try getting a colorful towel or potholder that is just for them so they will be excited to use it.

4. Use a Potholder or Towel for Hot Items

Kids can easily underestimate how hot a pan, baking sheet, dish, or appliance may be.

Teach them that hot items should never be picked up with bare hands.

Keep potholders or kitchen towels somewhere children can easily reach, and consider giving your little helper one of their own. Something colorful or fun can turn an ordinary safety tool into official chef equipment.

The goal is to make grabbing the potholder automatic before grabbing the pan.

5. Practice Good Knife Safety

I taught my kids how to use a knife at a pretty early age. First, we started with plastic to-go knives at the toddler age then at the preschool and kindergarten years we upgraded to more kid-friendly plastic knives. Now my 8-year-old has graduated to kitchen and chef knives. I believe that teaching your kids the proper way to use a knife is safer than teaching them to avoid it all together.

Knives are one of those kitchen tools children eventually need to understand, which means teaching them safely is often more useful than simply telling them to stay away forever.

Start with age-appropriate tools. Younger children can practice with plastic or kid-friendly knives before progressing to sharper kitchen tools as their skills, maturity, and coordination improve.

Teach them to use a stable cutting board, keep their fingers tucked away from the blade, cut slowly, and always have an adult nearby.

The goal is not to make kids afraid of kitchen tools. It is to teach them to respect them.

My kids like to lick EVERYTHING… plates, spoons, their fingers (even the countertops… don’t judge me). To make sure they don’t consume raw ingredients that can make them sick, let your kids know that they have to ask before they can lick.

6. Ask Before You Lick

If you cook with kids, you already know that apparently everything becomes lickable.

The spoon. The whisk. Fingers. Bowls. Maybe the countertop if nobody intervenes quickly enough.

The problem is that some recipes contain raw ingredients that should not be eaten before cooking.

Make “ask before you lick” a kitchen rule. Before tasting batter, dough, sauces, or anything else they are helping prepare, children should check with an adult first.

It is a wonderfully simple rule that can prevent a very unpleasant lesson later.

7. Listen Before You Act

This really should be rule number 1, 2, AND 3. Cooking with your kids is a great way to build listening skills and practice following directions. My kids get so excited to get started that we often talk about “Listening Before You Act”. This is a great way to make sure they don’t harm themselves in moments of excitement because they touched something that may be hot, sharp, or slippery.

This might be the most important rule of all.

Kids get excited when they cook. Excited kids also have a remarkable ability to begin step four while you are still explaining step two.

Teach them to listen before they act.

Before touching a pan, picking up a utensil, turning on an appliance, cutting an ingredient, or moving something hot, they should stop and listen to the instructions first.

Cooking together gives children a natural opportunity to practice following directions, asking questions, slowing down, and recognizing when they need help.

Those skills go far beyond the kitchen.

A Little Prevention Goes a Long Way

Teaching kids kitchen safety does not mean taking the fun out of cooking. It gives them the confidence and skills to enjoy it more safely.

And somewhere between the spilled flour, oddly shaped cookies, and debates over who gets to lick the spoon, you are also creating something bigger than dinner.

You are teaching independence, responsibility, and habits they can carry into adulthood.

At Northwoods Insurance Solutions, we believe protecting your family happens in big ways and small ones. Sometimes it means reviewing your home, auto, health, or life insurance. Sometimes it means reminding a six-year-old that the oven mitt exists for a reason.

Enjoy the extra time with your littlest helpers this back-to-school season, and make something good together.

When you are ready to make sure the rest of your family’s protection is keeping up with life, message Crystal or visit northwoodsinsurance207.com.