Cook Stove / Wood Stove Toddler Safety

[Imagining]

We're about to move into a home with a center chimney, wood cook stove on one side and Jotul on other side.  Any advice on how to handle wood stoves with toddlers in the mix?  My 18 month old is a monkey and climbs on anything, including often trying to climb our regular stove.  Do you use some kind of gate to keep children at safe distance?  Or perhaps your children learned quickly to not touch?  Thanks for any thoughts!

[Adaline'sMama]

Our rule is no touching the stove. Even in the summer when its not on, she isnt allowed to touch it. Last year, she would sit by me when I started fires in it, and she learned pretty quickly how hot it got. Her second word was "hot". She was learning how to walk, and a bit clumsy, so we did have to do a fair amount of standing in front of it when she was toddling, but this year I am not really worried about it. If she puts her hand near it, she will know its hot.

[Imagining]

That is helpful - thank you!  

[CrunchyJess]

I don't know about woodstoves, but I never had much trouble keeping my kids away from the fireplace.  Just reiterate that it is "Hot!", even when its not on, never allow them to touch it or stand too near it.  We always just said "No, hot hot!"  and did the sign for hot twice.  Anyway we would be around a fireplace, campfire or cookstove or even a regular over and were close enough to feel the warmth, we would point, sign and say "hot hot!" in a bit of an urgent voice, not frightening but with umph so they knew we were serious.  They got it at a very young age.  DS only burned himself once, he reached up on the stove and touched a hot pan with his finger tip while my cousin was babysitting him.  

[rayyy]

My 2 kids grew up with our wood cook stove going all the time and they just knew not to get to close.And now my grand kids are growing up around a coal stove.They arn't allowed to get up on the hearth for any reason and they respect that rule.

[sprinkle pocket]

Its the same for us as pps. The kids are there when we light the fire. We do the sign for hot. My husband welds and forges metal so they both learned early the stages of checking if somethings hot...first hold hand near it if you can't already feel heat coming from it, then closer, then a super quick touch...then a little kindof quick touch, etc. I think the kids that don't see fire very often have a harder time learning. It takes some attention and repetition and staying present but they get it.

[hildare]

yeah, same for us-- we were much more worried about the hard stone hearth, which has points and the edge right at a good head banging level.  dd never offered to touch it, as she knew it was "hot." (we put sheepskins on the hearth, which looks nice)-- i think that gas stoves are much more dangerous b/c the flames look different and they don't give off the radiant heat a wood stove does.  you can sense the heat just getting close.