How to Teach Kids About Microwave Safety
Just because a child is not old enough to use your microwave doesn't mean he won't try to use it when you are not looking. Disaster could ensue. So it is best if you teach your kids about microwaves so they know serious harm can occur if they treat the microwave as a toy. You will also want to demonstrate to older children how to use the microwave properly.
Other People Are Reading
Instructions
-
-
1
The first thing you want to show your child is how to open and shut the microwave. Tell them to always stand back a bit when they open the microwave in case any steam comes out.
-
2
Show your children what materials are safe to microwave with and which ones aren't. Give them one of your plastic storage containers and tell them that this type of container would melt in the microwave. Then show them one of your dinner plates that can go in the microwave.
-
-
3
Teach children not to put any metal in a microwave. Hold up some forks and knives. Let the children know they should remove these types of utensils from their plates before they heat up their food. Otherwise the metal could cause sparks that can start a fire or destroy the microwave.
-
4
Tell your children that they must be careful when they remove their food from the microwave. They should use a towel or some pot holders to remove their food because the plates can get hot enough to cause a burn.
-
5
Cook a piece of food and show your children how the middle is usually colder than the outside. If possible, the child should be instructed to mix the food so he doesn't end up burning his tongue on one of the hot spots.
-
6
Explain to your children that they should not boil eggs in the microwave. The eggs will explode and make a mess. The same thing can happen with a tea bag. The child can heat up some water for tea, and then insert the tea bag later.
-
7
Show your older children how to work the controls on the microwave. Let them know the purpose of the defrost buttons and how long they might need to heat up their leftovers from the night before. Show them how to read food packages to find the right cooking time for what they want to eat.
-
1
Tips & Warnings
Tell your children that aluminum foil is also a metal and should not be used to heat up food. Supervise your children when they use the microwave.
It is best if you also teach your children what to do in case of a fire. If something in the microwave catches on fire or the microwave itself catches on fire, you will want them to know how to get help or use a fire extinguisher.
Resources
- Photo Credit Kriss Szkurlatowski
