If you don't use cupboard locks or have a stair gate on your kitchen/bathroom

[nappyaddict]

Can I ask where you keep the following items? I would ordinarily keep the cleaning products and medicines under the sink and the other items in the cutlery drawer which is just under the work surface.

Vegetable peeler
Steak knives
Scissors
Knife sharpener
Carving fork
Cleaning products
Medicines

I don't have a lot of things on that list! But surely just in a high up cabinet? Just swap your cupboard contents around a bit?

Cleaning products under the sink. Knives etc in cutlery drawer. Medicines in high level cupboard. No stairgate or cupboard locks. Two live children.

But if you are concerned then get stairgates and cupboard locks.

Peelers, knives, scissors, etc. in drawers, cleaning products below sink, medicines in high-up cupboard.

My children never once attempted to open any low-down cupboards, but they were also never once left unattended in the kitchen.

There was an occasion when my 18-month-old son was left in the kitchen in his highchair while I popped to the loo and I came back to find him wielding the breadknife I had left on the work surface, but we won't mention that!

I have one cupboard for cleaning products with a lock on. All the other things are at counter height or above. Dd could in theory get to them with a chair now but I rely on the fact that I would hear that. She is quite risk averse so I doubt she would try.

Knives, peelers, scissors etc. in drawers.

Cleaning products under the sink.

Medicines in a high cupboard.

We don't have window locks, cupboard locks, stair gates or anything else. I do a good line in 'NO!' though

We kept cleaning products under the sink as normal, cutlery in a drawer just under the work surface and medicines in a high cupboard they could not get to... all in the kitchen.

Our rule was no kids in the kitchen unless being watched anyway - the dogs bowl was in there too, so that was what they tended to go for first.

We also had a garden pond - so no kids in the garden without being watched was another "rule"... and grandparents were of the "nick-nacks" and china on display type - so no kids there without being watched too...

But it did mean I developed a great "eyes in the back of my head" reputation with the kids, and am still great at distraction therapy - 11 and 13 year old daughters - need to use the self-same distraction techniques on them in Boots and New Look.....

Cleaning products- still under the sink. I buy very few products- and those I do have aren't dangerous.

Very sharp knives live in a knife block on the back of the kitchen counter out of reach.

Medicines again I don't have much past basic brufen and child paracetamol. Those are in a high cupboard, more because it's a handy place rather than any preventative thought!

I just cleared out lower cupboards and gave them to the kids. Either their toysy stuff or stuff that they could play with and reclaimed them when they were out of that stage. I did leave under the sink as it was but I tend to keep anything toxic up a height anyway.

Our bathroom had a cupboard high on the wall with a mirror on the front, so medicines went in there.

Everything else went in a top cupboard in the kitchen. Easy enough for adults to get hold of, but not for toddlers.

All chemicals in very high-up cupboards (ones I can't reach easily)

All sharps (knives, carving forks, cake probes etc.) in one of those knife blocks that you can push anything into, at the back of the countertop so out of reach.

All medicines in a box in a very high-up cupboard which has a bolt on it.

My children never once attempted to open any low-down cupboards, but they were also never once left unattended in the kitchen. Really, Contraryish (appropriate name). I cannot imagine how that is possible! Was the kitchen out of bounds at all times other than eating? Locked? When the kids were in the kitchen with you, did you never have to pop out for anything (loo, answer door, sort out another child in a different room). Really? My mind is boggling at this.

We had cupboard latches when they were small, and a magnetic knife rack on the wall. Medicines in high up cupboard. Have got rid now youngest is 4.

Medicines in a high cupboard.
Sharp stuff in the top drawer.
Cleaning stuff in the cupboard under the sink. They have got stuff out of here when they were younger but only when I have been with them and they can't open any bottles so I feel it is reasonably safe. They are more interested in the pan drawer.

nomdemere, I can't honestly remember, as it was a while back, but generally can't ever remember it being an issue. They certainly weren't left wandering around the kitchen alone.

Somebody at the door, I'd probably grab them and take them with me to answer it. Popping to the loo I'd probably get followed, etc.! They never had any form of entertainment in the kitchen, so would often be somewhere else if I was in the kitchen anyway.

Either that or I'm a bit of a slattern and spend as little time as possible in the kitchen anyway!

I only had one toddler at a time so would have been easier than with two or three under4ish. I also had a travel cot in the living room so if i went to the loo or door the baby went in travel cot. Usually though i took them to the door with me. When i was cooking they would be in high chair with something to occupy them. Paper and crayons or play dough or something to nibble on.

I never had child locks so all the kitchen items you listed (apart from steak knives which we don't have) were kept in regular drawers. In theory the DC could have run amock with these items but they never did.

Cleaning stuff was kept in the utility room which again had no lock but which the DC didn't bother with.

Medicines were kept in a high cupboard in the bathroom.

We've never had stairgates either but DC have survived and learnt to climb the stairs earlier than a lot of their friends. And they've made it to 12 & 9 years old without injury.

Everything up high. My kids could get the child locks open. They still enjoy emptying the kitchen cupboards

Contraryish - I suppose it depends on how your house is set up. The kitchen is the main room in our house - DC are often doing things round the kitchen table (colouring, sticking, generally making a mess, or just sitting chatting to whoever's around). Can't imagine kids not being in and out of it constantly. But every house is different, so interesting to se your post.

medicines = high up but easily accessible for adults
cleaning stuff = same
sharp knifes/peelers = at the very back of the drawer
really sharp knifes = in knife block in the corner of the work surface
scissors = pointy kitchen ones at the back of the drawer, less dangerous ones in the art/krafts box on the kitchen table

and supervision of course

Cleaning products go under the sink but I do keep dishwasher tablets hidden. The kids don't bother. Same for stuff in cutlery drawers.

I did move glass items to the upper cupboards though.

I will add, I have two and they aren't unattended in the kitchen for long.

Cleaning chemicals are in a high cupboard. I still keep cloths, bucket, rubber gloves etc under the sink.

Medicines also in a high cupboard but that's where they've always been TBH.

Sharp knives in block at back of worktop (in a corner so hard to get to). Everything else in it's usual place.

My two are meddlers though and will investigate everything. The only cupboard i've managed to train them not to touch is the one low down in the dining room with crockery in.

I keep all of the above in their normal places, but I keep my toddlers in their playpen when indoors and I'm busy. I cant use the cupboard things because my kitchen is old and has Bakelite/ asbestos etc and I don't have any high cupboards

Medicine in a high cupboard.

Everything else just in normal draws/cupboard under sink etc. They learned early not to touch, but they aren't in the kitchen unsupervised very often anyway.

DS2 is a climber so I doubt I could have put things high enough.

Cleaning products - I did have a few at the back of the cupboard under the sink. Lots of boring, safe stuff in front (bucket, sponges, bin) and the dc's never went in that cupboard till they were old enough to put their rubbish in the bin. Bathroom cleaning stuff went on a high shelf so they couldn't reach.
Sharp things were in a drawer and I did put a lock on that one because I encouraged the dc's to fetch their own things as soon as they could reach.
Medicine in a high cupboard above the fridge.

I only had one incident with one dc putting something in the toilet, never any issues in the kitchen despite only have one wall cupboard (so everything was in their reach). I put all the plastic kitchen items at the front of one double cupboard so they could help themselves to anything in there.

Everything's stayed in its normal place so far - my only adaptation being that I don't leave the dishwasher open, or even load/fill it if DS2 is in the room after DS1 at the same age found half open, managed to snaffle a carving knife, and wandered into the living room brandishing it (the only word - he came in and showed us with a victorious flourish!)

DS2 is more nosy/inclined to shove things in his mouth, so I might have to move some bits if he shows interest, but as a rule he much prefers emptying the pan cupboard/unwravelling the dustbin sacks and even then he only hangs out in the kitchen if I'm in there (too boring otherwise).

DS1 (3) just isn't interested - never has been - once he's been shown something and determined he doesn't care about it he leaves it alone.