Kitchens are where the fireworks, ninja wars happen!! The fire, the sharp knives,.... a big no-no for babies, specially babies who can crawl, they start to reach every corner, they are curious about everything Mom regularly pulls out of the cabinet...they love the shiny knives, noisy pots and pans, they like playing here...but to cook peacefully, we have to make sure we baby proof our kitchen....

Your hot-water heater should be set below 49 degrees Celsius/ 120 degrees F so you won't scald your baby at bathtime( these days Babies are given a bath in the kitchen sink).

You'll need a fire extinguisher in the kitchen.

You'll also want smoke detectors and carbon-monoxide detectors(available in the market) on each floor of your home.

Be sure to place safety gates at the head and foot of your stairs, and cover electrical outlets with plastic caps if they are within the babies reach.

Make sure paint and other hazardous substances are stored in airtight containers on high shelves in a cool, dry area.

If you have cleaning supplies and detergents in low cabinets, move them to the very top ones instead.

Bottom cabinets (even if you use safety locks) should hold things that are safe for baby to find -- pots and pans, plastic containers, and paper products, for instance.

The same goes for drawers -- move plastic and paper bags (suffocation hazards) and anything sharp to high drawers, and put safe things lower.

If you use medicines/ vitamin or mineral supplements, keep them in a hard-to -reach drawer or cabinet with a safety lock -- they look like sweet candy and can poison a curious kid.

Child-resistant locks aren't foolproof; they just take a persistent toddler a little longer to open.

You may want to place choking hazards, such as magnets, up high too.

Last, unplug small appliances (toasters, coffeemakers, mixers) when not in use, but don't let the cords dangle.

Stove-knob covers, to prevent baby from turning on the burners, if available in the market, else make sure you place the stove beyond the baby's reach on the counter top.

Use nonskid kitchen mats if any.

Lets talk about Baby proofing the other rooms of the house next time we meet here.

- Prathyusha Talluri