Keeping Toddlers AWAY from the stove

[GreyMum]

We purchased an Enviro Boston insert, and we're expecting it to be installed any day now. We have a 10 month old, who is crawling and is very much on the move!! I'm curious what others have done to keep their little ones away from their stoves or inserts. I've seen these gates: hearthgate, but wondered if there's anything else available or perhaps DIY suggestions. Pictures would be appreciated.

Thanks for your help.

EDIT: Oops, I meant to post this in the Inglenook, but maybe it's ok here, or maybe it could be moved?

 

[jdinspector]

We used a similar gate around our stove when my kids were little (now 16, 15, 15 (twins)). However, the best training was for us to point out that the stove was hot. We were merciless. In fact, one of my kid's first word was "hot". We never had a problem. Be diligent and you'll be fine.

 

[NH_Wood]

I used a similar gate around the free-standing stove. the 6 and 9 year old kids know not to go near the stove, but the 2 year old is quite curious. As the other poster suggested, I also also say 'HOT!' when he goes near the stove and make a boo-boo face. He does it now and seem more cautious of the stove. It is a worry though. Cheers!

 

[SolarBrian]

Deleted. You already found hearthgate G70...

 

[pen]

Have 2 boys, both their first words were HOT! Both of them were brought near the stove to feel the heat and were given a stern and shocking (right to tears) HOT DO NOT TOUCH from me. At that point in their lives, they'd never heard a scolding like that (haven't since as a matter of fact). For a time after they would point at the stove and share with me their knowledge of the stove being hot by repeating it over and over. Neither come within 10 feet of the stove to this day and don't even play around it when it is cold.

With one kid at a time, keeping them away from the stove barring an accident wasn't a problem. With 2 kids around playing, the chance of an accident goes up regardless of how well they were taught. My kids are 3+ and 1+. We still don't have a gate and the wife and I keep debating whether to get one or not. Where our stove is located, the boys have no reason to play near it, and since they have been around it since day one, and have been taught better, have no reason to experiment since it is as familiar as the coffee table. However, an accident is the issue.

If you do get a gate, the concern that I have is I've seen some homes where the stove becomes "the forbidden fruit" and the kids wind up making another danger by trying to throw toys into this area, poke the stove w/ things, etc. First time that gate is left open you'll have a kid like this right in there finding out what hot means on his own. Depending on the stove's location, it is possible to keep things safe w/out a gate, but having one helps prevent what cannot be planned for (tripping over a toy on the floor).

Regardless, education about the stove and you bringing them near it when it is appropriate is a must. At the end of the day, do what makes you most comfortable but don't let it replace a healthy respect through education.

pen

 

[Blue Vomit]

In my short time here I have seen this come up several times. I think Pen hit the nail on the head with his explanation.

This is how I see it. No matter how well behaved, well educated, and well taught a kid is, kids will be kids. Accidents happen. If I can spend $100 or $150 on a hearthgate and decrease the chances of my kid getting hurt, and we all know how bad burns hurt, I'll do it every time.
My kids know HOT HOT HOT around the stove. They also know not to go near the hearthgate. Its just added protection, along with education, for the most preciuos things in my life.
Will an accident ever happen with good education, probably not. Will I spend $100 for added protection for the little ones just in case, every time.

 

[kruger]

+1

Have 2 boys, both their first words were HOT! Both of them were brought near the stove to feel the heat and were given a stern and shocking (right to tears) HOT DO NOT TOUCH from me. At that point in their lives, they'd never heard a scolding like that (haven't since as a matter of fact). For a time after they would point at the stove and share with me their knowledge of the stove being hot by repeating it over and over. Neither come within 10 feet of the stove to this day and don't even play around it when it is cold.

With one kid at a time, keeping them away from the stove barring an accident wasn't a problem. With 2 kids around playing, the chance of an accident goes up regardless of how well they were taught. My kids are 3+ and 1+. We still don't have a gate and the wife and I keep debating whether to get one or not. Where our stove is located, the boys have no reason to play near it, and since they have been around it since day one, and have been taught better, have no reason to experiment since it is as familiar as the coffee table. However, an accident is the issue.

If you do get a gate, the concern that I have is I've seen some homes where the stove becomes "the forbidden fruit" and the kids wind up making another danger by trying to throw toys into this area, poke the stove w/ things, etc. First time that gate is left open you'll have a kid like this right in there finding out what hot means on his own. Depending on the stove's location, it is possible to keep things safe w/out a gate, but having one helps prevent what cannot be planned for (tripping over a toy on the floor).

Regardless, education about the stove and you bringing them near it when it is appropriate is a must. At the end of the day, do what makes you most comfortable but don't let it replace a healthy respect through education.

pen

 

[Patapsco Mike]

http://www.amazon.com/Stanford-Dist...eryard-Playgate/dp/B00004RA66/ref=pd_sim_ba_3

I set up one of these around my stove when my kids were toddlers. It's pretty sturdy, it's low enough for me to step over, and it didn't require any installation at all. It worked great for me, and it still comes in handy when we have guests with toddlers.

My kids were taught not to go near the stove as if we didn't have a gate, but I used one anyway because my kids are hyperactive and they are always banging into everything. We also have a lot of friends with kids who come over. I can't train them all. Had one of my boys or a kids friend been burned by my stove because I didn't put a gate up, I'd have never forgiven myself. Burns hurt, and the scars are often permanent. In my house, and for me, it was not worth the risk.

 

[mayhem]

I have a Hearthgate, its all folded up and in the basement, we take it out once a year maybe when we have really young kids visit in the colder months, mainly because my wife absolutely insists on it and refuses to listen to my well thought out, concise and persuasive arguments about why it has basically zero real benefit. She knows me too well apparently and understands when to ignore me and put her foot down. Not being a moron I obey and the gate goes up for a few hours and I have to deal with the inconvenience of having it there.

Put a gate up and kids have no reason to learn that the stove is off limits and can hurt them. Let them feel the heat and tell the HOT! OW! regularly and they WILL learn not to go near the thing. Kids learn by experience and wrapping thenon-lethal dangerous items in your house in protective layers is the wrong way to do things in my opinion.

 

[cygnus]

+2

Have 2 boys, both their first words were HOT! Both of them were brought near the stove to feel the heat and were given a stern and shocking (right to tears) HOT DO NOT TOUCH from me. At that point in their lives, they'd never heard a scolding like that (haven't since as a matter of fact). For a time after they would point at the stove and share with me their knowledge of the stove being hot by repeating it over and over. Neither come within 10 feet of the stove to this day and don't even play around it when it is cold.

With one kid at a time, keeping them away from the stove barring an accident wasn't a problem. With 2 kids around playing, the chance of an accident goes up regardless of how well they were taught. My kids are 3+ and 1+. We still don't have a gate and the wife and I keep debating whether to get one or not. Where our stove is located, the boys have no reason to play near it, and since they have been around it since day one, and have been taught better, have no reason to experiment since it is as familiar as the coffee table. However, an accident is the issue.

If you do get a gate, the concern that I have is I've seen some homes where the stove becomes "the forbidden fruit" and the kids wind up making another danger by trying to throw toys into this area, poke the stove w/ things, etc. First time that gate is left open you'll have a kid like this right in there finding out what hot means on his own. Depending on the stove's location, it is possible to keep things safe w/out a gate, but having one helps prevent what cannot be planned for (tripping over a toy on the floor).

Regardless, education about the stove and you bringing them near it when it is appropriate is a must. At the end of the day, do what makes you most comfortable but don't let it replace a healthy respect through education.

pen

10 months old may be a bit young for this strategy but it worked well with my 2.5 yr old. In the beginning, I would frequently ask (hot or not), "Do you touch the stove?" He understood and maintains a safe distance with himself and his toys. It hasn't dampened his enthusiasm for laying on the floor watching the fire with me either.

 

[hemlock]

We've got the gate up around our wood stove. Every child is different. Our 3 year old is a great listener, and won't go near the stove because we've explained how hot it is, and that it could hurt. Our youngest, however (8 months), I can already see is going to be a bit more "independant". Overall, think the gate is a good idea. I'm all for kids sometimes learning the "hard way", but not to the point of the severe burns that a wood stove can provide.

 

[stoveguy2esw]

when i was 3 , i had a burn accident even though i was familiar with fire. it happened when i took a tin can out of a firepit after the fire had gone out,the can was still screaming hot and the whole palm of my hand was blistered by it.

Hearthgate is INSURANCE and IMHO well worth the price knowing that a child wouldnt have to endure what i did as a child. i recommend them CONSTANTLY to customers who have small children.

 

[Wade A.]

A personal choice you'll have to make for yourself, I'd say. Every child and parent is different and tolerance for risk covers a very broad spectrum. Balance it against the need to educate your child about this world of sharp edges. You do a child no service by keeping him/her from pain. What's more, you can't.

Me-my-own-personal-self, I never saw the need to insulate my two children from the possibility that they might burn a finger. The injury is superficial, the lesson indelible. I never had a problem while my stove was lit. (OTOH, my 2 y.o. did once decide one spring day to "help" me by "cleaning" the ashes out of the stove....ummm, yeah, thanks.)

I think we give children far less credit for self-preservation than we should. How many times do each of us remember some adult telling us when we were young to be sure and not do something that was obviously suicidal? I sure do. The human animal has no problem comprehending danger to itself on a very elemental level.


I'm far more concerned about teenagers around hot stoves. Their ability to evaluate risk is notoriously suspect. Is there a "teenager gate" out there?

Now, that said, there are some situations more dangerous than others. My mother, for instance, decided one day to squeeze between the back of my grandmother's wood cookstove and the wall, which brought her shoulder into contact with the copper water tank. No lasting damage, but she never tried that again!

 

[joecool85]

I used two "fireplace gates" from Home Depot, then connected them to the wall on one end with L-hooks and to each other (at a 90 degree angle) with a lynch pin. Pics here: https://www.hearth.com/econtent/index.php/forums/viewthread/82918/

$40 each for the gates, $10 or less in hardware. So $90 total.

 

[bluedogz]

We use these: http://www.petedge.com/product/Home...e-Pen-with-Door/pc/194/c/227/sc/440/57468.uts

Cheaper and more durable- if it can stand up to puppies it can handle kiddies.

 

[joecool85]

We use these: http://www.petedge.com/product/Home...e-Pen-with-Door/pc/194/c/227/sc/440/57468.uts

Cheaper and more durable- if it can stand up to puppies it can handle kiddies.

That's a great deal, if the aesthetics of it don't bother you or your wife, I'd go for it. I know my wife wouldn't have liked it though.

 

[Dakotas Dad]

We use a screen, mostly to keep golden retriever tails from combusting, but our friends visited last year with a 16 month old, and the screen gave her just enough of a "delay" and stand off, that she figured out quite quickly she didn't want to get closer.. She really did seem to figure it out and understand that it was hot, without much more than us telling her "hot" once or twice.

 

[GreyMum]

Thank you for the great and thoughtful feedback everyone! I think we will go with the hearthgate, after all. I am a fairly risk-averse first time mama. So, I think we will do the gate and the stern warnings. I don't think she really understands yet. The gate will give me peace of mind in those few moments that she manages to get out of my sight!

joecool85 - I really like what you built! We would likely follow suit if we had a free-standing stove, but we'll have an insert and a hearth to gate around, so we'd need a few more gates to make it work.

Thanks again everyone!

P.S. I hope we made the right decision with the Enviro Boston! I notice there aren't a lot of threads on this insert, perhaps it is newer, if I recall correctly?

 

[kettensäge]

My little brother was 12 when he burnt his hand pretty badly on the Fisher we grew up with. Had an armfull of wood and one started to slip as he was bending to open the stove door. The log fell toward his foot and his instinct was to put his hand on the stove to maintain balance while getting his foot out of the way of the falling log. :gulp:

 

[raygard]

We purchased an Enviro Boston insert, and we're expecting it to be installed any day now. We have a 10 month old, who is crawling and is very much on the move!! I'm curious what others have done to keep their little ones away from their stoves or inserts. I've seen these gates: hearthgate, but wondered if there's anything else available or perhaps DIY suggestions. Pictures would be appreciated.

Thanks for your help.

EDIT: Oops, I meant to post this in the Inglenook, but maybe it's ok here, or maybe it could be moved?

I gone through two kids who have had to experience the wood stove (both at the crawling age) and have had to "teach" them not to touch it. It sounds bad but when the stove was really hot I would put their hand within about 6" or so of the stove for a second or two for them to feel the heat. They never went back, have never been burnt, never wanted to touch it.

 

[fireview2788]

Taser.


fv

 

[seeyal8r]

I hadn't heard of a hearth gate until reading this post. I have a 15 month old son. I grew up in a house with a fire place and loaded guns in every corner and I survived because my parents were relentless in teaching me that the fireplace was dangerous and the guns were loaded and dangerous (guns probably werent loaded but I learned to treat all guns, even unloaded ones, like they are loaded). So we put the hearth rubber edge thing that should keep us from a trip to the hospital if he ever falls against it. But he knows the fire is hot. When he walks through the room he points and says hot and then walks on. I think if we had entered winter and he was in the 10 - 12 month stage we would have probably delayed burning.

Its neat watching him watch the fire but he knows its hot and walks all the way around it.

 

[remkel]

I put my stove in the basement---oh, and continually educate my children on staying away from the fire. My three year old comes down to help me start the fires and load the stove- she sits back and gives me reminders about wearing my gloves.....noticed the only times I have burned my hands loading the stove she was not there....

 

[Jimxj2000]

For me it was easy - we have 5 kids and the stove is in the middle of the house.

We have a fence built of wood 1X2's and screen door screen - shaped like a big U around the stove. The whole thing is about 6 feet wide and 3 feet on the sides, but is light and easy to move when needed. We do have to step over for loading but we know that no one can accidentally touch the stove.

Think about asking your wife what she wants too. I am only home nights and weekends. During the day wife and younger kids are home - and only one set of eyes to watch the kids. If she doesn't feel comfortable leaving the kids with the stove you might want the fence. It is also a great place to hang coats, snow pants, etc during the winter.

 

[joecool85]

Think about asking your wife what she wants too. I am only home nights and weekends. During the day wife and younger kids are home - and only one set of eyes to watch the kids. If she doesn't feel comfortable leaving the kids with the stove you might want the fence. It is also a great place to hang coats, snow pants, etc during the winter.

I agree entirely. I would have been fine with no fence/gate, but my wife really wanted one and now I'm glad we have it. It does make me feel safer. Still important to teach the kiddo that the stove is hot though. I also agree about hanging stuff to dry, I love putting my gloves on the gate when the stove is ~500F or so, dries them out super fast.