[Sca-cooks] A question about knives

[marilyn traber 011221]

> Given that if I'm smart enough to find it, a 5-year old can get 
> there before I will...
> 
> Where and How do you guys store your knives to prevent children from 
> messing around with them?
> 
> (I still have a few months ahead of me as Victor is not even able to 
> access the kitchen yet, but that will surely change soon!!!)
> 
> Petru

Double threat- make it clear that they aren't to be messed with, and as soon 
as they're old enough to be taught to use them poroperly, teach them 
properly, just as you would a firearm.

In fact, there are a lot of dangers out in the wide world, and even in 
your "safe" home- electricity, flammable gases, from propane to natural gas, 
to petrol/gasoline, matches, firearms, knives, matches, cleaning fluids- all 
kinds of stuff.

Lock up everything you can, but don't make it a mystery that a curious kid 
will go through changes to solve- instead, explain that dangerous things are 
in this cabinet, and that they aren't to go in there without you. If they're 
curious, explain it to them- that this tastes nasty and will make them sick, 
that is sharp and will hurt them, or whatever.

One of our family stories, about me when I was a baby, maybe three, goes like 
this. I had been visiting my grandparents for a week, and my mother came to 
pick me up, but spent the night before she took me home. Next morning, she 
came into the kitchen, to get something to drink, perhaps some orange juice, 
and as she was reaching for the container, I told her "No", that was the BAD 
container, get her juice from _this_ container. What had happened is that my 
grandparents had mixed up a pitcher of screwdrivers for a small cocktail 
party they had had, and had told me that this was the bad juice, if I wanted 
it, I needed to drink the "good" juice.

Kids will surprise you- they really do learn and understand how things should 
be.

Saint Phlip,
CoD

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