# How to protect from hot oven door?



## lkmiscnet (Jan 12, 2009)

We have a 1940s style stove in our historic home, so the over door is low and gets super hot when used. We can't put a different stove in the space because of how it's built.

I don't know how to ensure my LO doesn't accidentally get his hands burned on it in the future when I use it. He's pulling up to stand at this point. Any great suggestions?


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## Hannah'sMommy (Oct 12, 2009)

Is there a way you can prevent him from even getting in the kitchen when the stove is on? Our stove door doesn't get too hot like yours, but I was scared about our DD getting too close when the door was open (it's low too). So, we put up a baby gate between the living room and kitchen. I just close the gate when I need to keep her out, otherwise it's open. It gives a lot more peace of mind!


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## Marsupialmom (Sep 28, 2003)

It usually only takes once. Really you might want to "set" him up to touch it uncomfortable HOT but not burning hot. Warning "no touch, hot" or "not, no touch"

My brother thought HOT meant no for the longest time. He did this on a wood stove







not seriously burnt but uncomfortable.


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## Jaesun's Dad (Feb 19, 2010)

When my little guy gets old enough to start roaming through the kitchen I'm going to gate it off as suggested. I'm the cook in our house, and I'm a guy, men in the kitchen have a thing for hot oil, sharp knives and heavy fry pans so not just the stove but for all concerns I intend to keep him out until he's old enough to help peeling potatoes.


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## lkmiscnet (Jan 12, 2009)

I can gate it off, but was worried about that one time when I might forget to do so, and wanted a back up plan just in case that happens. It will take some getting used to remembering to do it.


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## chely7425 (Aug 8, 2007)

Depending on the way the entrance to the kitchen is you could mount a gate to the wall... much harder to forget that way!! We did that at the bottom of our stairs, just mounted the gate to the wall because we sometimes forgot to put it up when the kids were in that area of the house.


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## Tjej (Jan 22, 2009)

Our stove doesn't get as hot as yours, and my kids learned by me showing them how hot it was (holding their hand near it but not touching - so they could feel the hot). My DD didn't push it and understood HOT and didn't hurt her hands/stayed away. My DS did push it and insist on touching it (when I'd warned him and told him HOT, Don't touch!, sometimes a couple of times in a row, but he never hurt his hands (it isn't THAT hot).

So I really think it depends on what kind of personality you are dealing with, how diligent you will need to be - but since your son is just pulling up on stuff now you will grow in diligence and shorten your reaction speed as he challeges you at the next level! You may well NEVER EVER forget to shut that gate, if your child is the kind that NEEDS the gate there!

Tjej


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## DahliaRW (Apr 16, 2005)

There are automatic closing gates, so if you're really worried I'd look into one of those. Less room for error.


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## SashaBreeze (Apr 18, 2009)

I am pretty relaxed in most areas, I hate seeing kids not allowed to touch things wonder around in their own home BUT the kitchen is one area I am fanatic about. Please take measures to keep him out unless he is right with you.

Not to use a scare tactic but the reason I am perhaps over diligent in this area is because of a personal story, which is why I felt so compelled to reply to your post. My nephew at 11 months was severely burned while in the kitchen.

This is one thing to be hyper diligent on, because it could literally change your little ones life forever. Also the burn doctors told us at the hospital when he was finally able to come home to still watch him so so carefully in the kitchen because it was his experience that a child that young will continue the behavior over and over when given a few months or weeks between experience.


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## JessieBird (Nov 21, 2008)

I'm going to be a pest and say that you have to find a way to replace it even if it means ripping out some surrounding cabinets. Unless you hardly ever use it, I think it would not be practical at all to try to gate your child off of the kitchen for extended periods every day. Not only will the stove door be hot while you are cooking but for quite a long time after turning it off - those suckers hold their heat.

When I was about two, I burned the surface of my hands right off on exactly this sort of stove. I thankfully don't remember it at all but my mom is traumatized to this day. It can happen in a second. There are all sorts of dangers that we can teach our children to avoid but IMO this one is not worth the risk. I'd also be worried about visiting children who think that oven doors don't get hot at all (like mine).

Another idea would be to buy an over-sized convection toaster oven and use it instead of the old oven as often as possible. I received one as a wedding gift and it is big enough to cook an entire pizza or 2 loaves of bread. It is much faster than my brand new full sized oven and FAR more energy efficient too, especially compared to a 1940s oven. You'd probably get your money back in electricity savings in no time. And then you only have to be vigilant when you need to use the big oven to cook a Christmas turkey or something really big.


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## Tjej (Jan 22, 2009)

I had another thought - would a fireplace screen around the stove work?

Tjej


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## Super~Single~Mama (Sep 23, 2008)

I wouldn't let him in the kitchen. gate it off, and when the oven is on, maybe make it a habit to put him somewhere during the time that you are actually in the kitchen. I have a rule in my house, that is absolutely hard and fast no exceptions, that when the oven door is open, DS is in his pack n play (or being held by someone - but I'm a single mama, so the pack n play is usually how I handle it). So I would try to do something similar if I were you - so the gate is up while you are playing with him and something is in the oven, but if you have to check on whatever is cooking, he goes in the pack n play (or crib, or whatever it is that he can't get out of), you go in the kitchen and shut the gate, and then you open the oven. That way there isn't any way he can get to it - my son is 17mo and I wouldn't be surprised if he could open gates.


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## lkmiscnet (Jan 12, 2009)

I would have never thought about the oven door hazard, but for a friend who had a 12 mo old daughter that burned her hands on an oven door while in Europe in an apt they were renting for vacation. Very scary...

I'm going to put a note on the oven as a reminder to gate off the kitchen whenever I use the oven. And, I typically don't start dinner until DH is home anyway, so he can watch our LO. Luckily, I don't use the oven that much, but it only takes once.


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