Does your child have their own kitchen cabinet?

Question

My son loves to play in the kitchen while I am cooking, but I won't let him play in any of the cabinets. Well, yesterday someone told me that you should let your child have a special cabinet they can play in while you cook because it makes them feel included in what you are doing. But, I don't want to be reinforcing bad behavior by letting him think it's ok to play in the cabinets. So, what do you do at your house? Do you keep the kids out of the cabinets all together or do you lock all of them but one and let your baby play in that one?

Answer 1

Well well well......I think its not safe..we do not lock the cabbinets but my son once in a while goes in them and plays with the pots and pans..lol

I think children (todlers) really love to discover things. Perhaps you should at least  give 'em some tupperware and spatulas or wooden spoons Its all safe stuff. So he/she can play with on the floor. I would love to buy my son a fake little kitchen set but is so expensive. Good luck and let them be kids but safe. God bless ur little ones!

From a mommy to a mommy.

Answer 2

i let my son play in one .all the rest are locked up . we even put a couple pots and pans in it and he also hase one drawer he can get into which we a spatula and a couple spoons in . my son is like yours loves to be in the kitchen "cooking " when we are .  

Answer 3

My niece has a drawer at Grandma's house (filled with Tupperware containers and wooden spoons) that she is allowed to play in, and she is really good about only using that drawer and cleaning up after herself.

If you are worried he will start getting into other cabinets or just don't have the space to give him his own place, try giving him some plastic or metal bowls or pots and pans and plastic or wooden utensils on the floor to play with. That way he can still mimic what you are doing and be a part of what's going on in the kitchen, but you can also keep the cabinets and drawers firmly off-limits.  

Answer 4

My daughter plays in the pots and pans cabinet and it doesn't bother me.  Anything potentially harmful is up way out of reach in my other cabinets.  I've never had a problem with her getting into the other floor cabinets, she likes the one cabinet.

Answer 5

well, seeing as how we only have a total of 3 cupboards in our kitchen, no.  They are all locked and if the kids try to mess with them they get in trouble because I don't want them to get hurt.

I think that it's kind of a bad idea like you do because it does set a bad example that "hey, play in the cupboards", you know what I mean?  I keep them all locked - sorry but better to be safe than sorry.  If you want them to feel included, give 'em some tupperware and spatulas and wooden spoons (all safe) to play with on the floor.

Answer 6

Why would anyone give their child a play cabinet in the kitchen?

Thats what the play-room/area is for.

They can play there while you cook, assist even by you passing them the veggies & then they put them in the bowl if they are old enough.

If not, then just let them watch.

They cant be so spoiled, and need to learn they cant be involved in everything. Although kids dont remember it, fundementals start at a very young age.

I dont lock them, my girls used to be more determined to open something that was out of bounds, i just scolded them when they went into things that were not theirs, especially when i was cooking and could spill something hot on them if hey got under my feet.

Olivia.

Answer 7

My wife and I have given my son one drawer and one cabinet to play in and he loves it.It really does help you get cooking done without interruption.He plays with plastic spatulas,spoons and water pitchers.It is fun watching him play with kitchen utensils,so don't worry you will enjoy watching him interact with these things.

Answer 8

My kids had their cabinet but we have a large enough kitchen it was away from the stove. Obviously if it is close to the stove I would not allow it. My sister did this and her daughter was always so happy to get her own dishes. She let her have one but it was not to play in it was just for her plastic dishes. When my kids were young they had a cabinet they could play in. We moved to a bigger house when they were 2.5 and 8 months and they had so much more room they never even asked for one LOL But they do have their own little silverware drawer with  their cute silverware. When they get into the other ones you simply say "no, go to your cabinet" eventually they stop getting into the other ones.

But I am pretty laid back I use to let them play in the pantry and get out the canned goods and sealed packages and play store as long as they cleaned it up afterward, they loved that one.

Answer 9

Its probably okay. I would be a bit leery of reinforcing this behavior as well, simply because every kid eventually figures out how the child-proof locks work. Their brains are like little sponges and problem solving is at the top if the list!

There are things you can do to make it clear that there is only the one cabinet that they are allowed to play in and that the rest are off limits other than the locks. I would outline the cabinet in Painter's Tape. It is brightly colored and made not to damage the finish when it comes off. It should help highlight the difference for your little one.

Answer 10

I don't know about a real cabinet. It seems like that would be saying that it's okay to play in the kitchen cabinets, and might be a bit of a mixed signal. Not to mention, at least in my house, all of the cabinets are in use.

My next door neighbor used to have a little fake kitchen set in the living room though. It wasn't a plastic thing, it was a little wooden china cabinet or something like that. It had a cabinet above and below and a little surface space in the middle.

The top cabinet was filled with plastic dishes and cookware and such (the kind meant for kids to play with) and the bottom had empty cereal boxes (the little individual serving ones) and little boxes and containers like that.

She also had a plastic grocery basket filled with plastic food. It was a pretty cool setup, and would play house with it, and pretend to cook and things like that.

Maybe something like that would be a nice alternative? It doesn't encourage bad behavior, because it's a play set, and it will let you son feel like he's cooking just like you.