Helpful Tips
The following tips are recommended for keeping children safe as they learn to help out in the kitchen:

• Be sure you've taken essential safety steps, such as having a fire extinguisher handy and posting emergency numbers near the phone, before introducing a child to cooking.
• Make sure your children wear close-fitting clothing when cooking.
• Never hold a child while cooking.
• Never leave cooking food unattended. It is the number one cause of house fires.
• Never leave a child unattended in the kitchen. Close supervision is essential, whether children are helping an adult cook or simply watching.
• Pay particular attention to items sitting on tablecloths or place mats, so that young children cannot pull hot food or liquid down and scald themselves.
• Put hot foods and liquids away from the edges of counters and tables.
• Put pans on back burners and turn all pot handles toward the back of the stove.
• Supervise your child when he or she is near or using a microwave, and never let a young child remove heated items from the microwave.
• Unplug appliance cords when not in use and keep them tied up out of children's reach.
• Use caution when heating food and liquids in the microwave.