Hi everyone. I’d like to share what I rigged up for baby proofing the stove. It’s simply an extra large baby gate that is large enough to go around the stove. You can fasten it to the wall if you want but we didn’t feel the need to. Any other tips for keeping a 1.5 year old away for the stove?
Most kids will only have to be told/shown "hot" once and they just seem to understand to stay away...still not a bad idea to have a fence around to limit the possibility of a slip/trip/fall into the stove (once walking)
I think safety precautions are a fine thing..... but we didn't "kid proof" our house....we "house proofed" our kids! Children are pretty smart naturally, and are born with quite a bit of common sense. I think it's all the garbage that goes into people as they are growing up that ruins them and makes them so stupid.
This is what I did for our grandkids when they were down for a visit. I had the little ones sit on my lap in front of the stove and I opened the door so they could see the fire and I put their hand towards the open door so they could feel the heat. None of them got burned but they all knew enough to stay away from the stove when a fire was going. One year old kids learn very fast and don't forget.
We did the same for our little one, we ran the wood stove for 17 years before, toddlers fall, it's a fact. Only thing I can think of to caution on is she liked to throw her little blanket, it landed on an electric heater a foot behind a baby gate and it was scorched by the time we identified the smell, another time it landed on the wood stove (I was there and saw it) so not such a big deal. No doubt if you are taking these precautions you're watching all the time and all will be fine!
I remember a friend whose 4 year old boy tripped and fell right onto the ash lip on a stove he welded up. Broke ALL of his front teeth out at the gum line. Top and bottom teeth. I felt so bad for him then. Now he is thirty and in the pictures I've seen of him, his adult teeth weren't affected. Another time I watched another friends house cat rub against the glass of his stove after coming in from 30 below weather. It smelled like early branding season. Left quite a mess on the glass too.
Excellent! Looks like what I did several years back for my toddler…I removed it a few years ago after he grew but the area in front of and around the stove, especially the hearth, is still a “no play area”. He understands why and never gave me any pushback. He came to understand the concept of “hot” very quickly, but my concern was more for trips/falls into the stove as he was in the toddler phase. Fear of fire is instinctual. Poking a stick in and letting him feel the heat as it caught fire and explaining that would be his skin if he touched fire got through to him very fast. One time after the gate was removed he did touch a stuffed animal to the the window glass and it melted the fur. I think maybe he was “experimenting”. He got his confirmation and respects the stove when it’s hot ever since.
Yes! I already have him watch me split and stack, now he finally gets to see what all that wood is for! Gotta start them young
I’ve heard some parents will put a video game console in the room next to the room with the stove. They swear they’ve never seen the kids in the stove room
I parked my grandson in a little chair right in front of a cold stove and proceeded to build a fire. He was very interested. As the stove got hotter HE moved the chair back several times. He taught himself not to mess with the stove. They are smarter than we give ‘em credit for!
I like the “dad voice” concept. Kids aren’t smart, but if you instill a healthy fear/respect at an early age then they get it. We live in a relatively urban area, and we did this with my kids re: crossing the road. I’d suddenly yell if they didn’t look both ways, and it didn’t take long for them to get it. Yelling is underrated IMO.
I did and continue to do the same thing with the gate. It also keeps flammable toys and stuff away from it. I’m very cautious with my little boys. I don’t buy the house proofing your kids argument. I’m the dad that keeps the kids out of dangerous areas and bolts all the furniture to the walls. Not to be bleak, but I’ve held babies that didn’t survive household accidents. I don’t roll the dice.
