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You are in the shoes of a 17-month old looking for rooms to explore in the home. You want to explore every inch of your new home, the kitchen caught your eye because you see mom and dad in there. You see them opening drawers, cabinets, refrigerator, microwave, oven, dishwasher, trashcan, turning on the faucet, and using a counter top to prepare food. You are wondering what can possibly be in all the cabinets and drawers that you can get your little hands on to. Exploring the rooms in your home is your daily task, wait, what do I see my parents doing to that special room, the kitchen. My mom just caught me with my hands in a drawer or trying to touch the hot, hot oven, she is making the kitchen safe.

Ways to make the kitchen safe depends on the setup of your kitchen in your home, here are some ideas to try:

- Internal locks on cabinets without handles where you press down on the lock as you open the cabinet. These are efficient as they stay in place at all times.
- Cabinet locks with handles have to be removed and placed back on opening the cabinet
- Magnetic lock with key for all kinds of cabinets
These types of locks could be used for drawers as well.
- Oven door lock
- Refrigerator door lock
- Safety gate at kitchen door entrance
- Trash can with lid or placed under the sink.
- Be brave and be on top of your toddler while in the kitchen and save on those locks for other areas in the home.

The kitchen may be a dangerous area of the home for toddlers and families, it can be the best learning experience for your toddler and children.