How can I make my cooking island range safe with children in the home?

Artsandnotes4me: How can I make my cooking island range safe with children in the home?
I just bought a house with the cooking range in the island in the middle of the kitchen. How can I make this safe with little children in the house. To keep the hot cooking utensils from sliding off or from being pulled off by a four year old.

Answers and Views:

Answer by KAREN A
there are safety gaurds that you can put up around the edges of the stove and it will keep little hands from reaching it and stuff from sliding off. you can get these at wal-mart, babies are us and home depot. good luck.

Answer by doolittlerd77
Good question, because I have an island also. My suggestion is of course always monitor it as closely as possible. I would also hold the child up and show them a pot of boiling water or whatever you have cooking and not get too close, but close enough they can feel the heat and explain the dangers around touching or pulling on a pot.

I have always tried to cook on the eye that is the hardest for my little girl to reach. You can also put barriers around the island to make it harder for the child to get close to. Something that they cannot climb up on and would be difficult for them to move away.

But, in the end I like to let my little girl get up in a chair (with me CLOSELY monitoring her) and let her “help” me cook. She thinks it is grand and the years go by way to fast for me not to spend that time with her. Good luck.