Groundbreaking Tips: Teaching Kids to Use a Microwave

streetsmartmasterclass

1 Oct, 2021

Having to teach children how to use a microwave is one of the simplest and most beneficial household tasks. Your kid could still have a role in the preparation of food; and will have the opportunity to immerse themselves with a highly engaging appliance that generates real-world outcomes.

You’ll also have to monitor them working the microwave at first to ensure that fine food will not get spoiled. Once they’ve mastered the basic settings, you can let them discover the microwave’s full capability.

To ensure the safety of a child, a parent must come up with a decision by assessing their thinking skills. This is usually done by observing if they are older enough to use a microwave. A typical approach is that a kid can operate a microwave when he or she can learn and comprehend proper cooking directions as well as the microwave oven button.

Since most of the microwaves present are under cabinet microwaves, your children will have a hard time using them. In addition, this setup will cause hazards in your kitchen. To avoid microwave incidents, parents must establish regulations and educate kids on how to use them safely.

Potential Hazard in a Microwave

As much as the microwave can cater extensive benefits to the consumers, there are underlying hazards that lie within it. Since parents are the ones who are responsible for their children, we must analyze the different hazards present in using a microwave.

The majority of microwave-related injuries are caused by thermal injuries by hot cookware, overheated meals, or bursting liquids.
A large percentage of injuries are unrelated to radiation.
Extremely rare cases of radiation injury have occurred as a result of exceptional conditions or poor service.
Contact to high levels of microwave radiation escaping from gaps including cracks in microwave oven covers causes these radiation injuries in general.

Beneficial vs. Dangerous Materials for a Microwave

Every material that can be found in our kitchen has a possibility that it may be designed for microwaving purposes. The downside of it might be the harmful effect of some materials which are not suitable for microwaves.

While teaching our kids to operate a microwave, we cannot help but wonder about microwave precautions. Parents might search “can you microwave glass?” or “can glass be microwaved?” to assess if they are suitable for microwave usage. Fortunately, numerous cookware are capable of heating through a microwave. Listed below are examples of these:

Glass
Earthenware
Chinaware
Ceramic glass
Silicone bakeware
Wax paper
Pottery and clay
Browning dish
Plastic bags, covers, bags, and containers
Paper plates, paper towels, napkins

While there are microwave-safe cookware present in the household, enumerated below are the materials that you should avoid putting on your microwave.

Gold, silver
Staples
Metal cookware and bakeware
Straw or wicker
Twist ties
Non-approved meat thermometers
Materials with gold or silver trim/ metallic glaze
Foil liners

Cracking the Codes to Use a Microwave for Your Children

In the previous topics mentioned earlier, it is no doubt that you already know what to teach your kids about microwavable materials and microwave-dangerous cookware. It is also important to maintain the appliance safe and functional every day. Keep in mind these hacks you should teach your children in use a microwave:

1.During the cooking process, avoid letting them alone with the microwave. Disconnect or keep the microwave oven out of reach from your kid even though it is an under cabinet microwave.

Through that lesson, it will prevent any unwanted microwave-related injuries in the future. Furthermore, inform them that microwave ovens are not toy-like equipment.

2. Each brand and model has its unique set of features. As a result, checking the guide is the first step. To learn further regarding the microwave in your kitchen, read the user’s instructions. It contains a list of power use, cleaning methods, pre-set programs, and other important information.

3. After that, you must teach your child to connect the microwave to a power source. Do not plug in multiple devices simultaneously. Your kid will learn what length to choose for what reason if you’d examined the user handbook together.

Set the timer by clicking the number controls or adjusting the knob according to your microwave’s instructions. Guide them to arrange the meal in the glass ring’s center. Keep in mind that the ring’s center warms up fast.

4. Educate them to use the microwave for reheating foods that can be heated. Eliminate salads and continental appetizers. Heating food that is over four days old will spread bacteria inside the microwave, resulting in fresh food contamination.

5. Observe your kid operating the microwave. Once you are satisfied with their performance, ensure that they can complete all of the procedures and respond properly to circumstances such as boiling food or accidents.

Encourage children to never use a microwave oven without the consent of an adult.

6. After preparing the food with a microwave, demonstrate how to open hot cook wares to your kid. Steam is present in microwave-prepared foods. Gently remove the covers to allow the steam to flow in a different direction.

Before eating the hot food, instruct your child how to mix and distribute it. Foods are heated in different ways, and stirring helps to disperse the heat evenly and minimize hot spots.

7. Teach your children to tidy the microwave on a frequent basis. In maintaining the microwave’s cleanliness, do not use gel or water spray. Scrub the stains with a damp cloth and gently wipe any remaining food particles. Wipe away any residual dust with a dry cloth.

You and Your Children Are Good to Go!

Now that your children have completely learned about the things that are needed for operating a microwave, it is not difficult for them to start heating food by themselves! Thus, there is no need for them to search “can glass be microwaved’ or “can you microwave glass” online since they have understood the guide in microwave usage.

Having difficulties as you do not own a microwave? There are affordable and decent-quality microwaves available here at Amazon. Also, if you are aiming for cheap offers, there are many quality deals of used microwave for sale online!

For some households, having a microwave is considered a luxury because of its price. But the good thing is an individual can purchase used microwave for sale on some websites such as eBay, Craigslist, and Geebo.

As you achieve your goal of teaching your children to use a microwave, they must always foster safety and precautions in the kitchen. To be able to teach them effectively, here is a template that can remember the steps easily!

Microwave User Manual Download

7 Types of Workplace Signs to Teach Your Kids as Early as Now

streetsmartmasterclass

1 Oct, 2021

Seeing our kids enter the corporate world in the future is a huge milestone to look forward to. However, we know that their days at work will not always be perfect. There would be emergency accidents and situations at times. And as parents, we want to make sure they’ll stay safe at all times!

In this article, we’ll present 7 types of workplace signs you might want to teach your kids as early as now. This will help you ensure that they’ll have a safe first day at work. So, read on!

Workplace Safety Signs and Symbols

Maybe your kids have already been to a worksite that houses chemicals, metals, and live wires? I bet they do! Then, they have surely seen some of these workplace safety signs and symbols already. You may want to explain that signages help prevent unexpected risks and dangers that can happen anytime, anywhere. And so, having them in any kind of workplace is extremely important.

Below are some of the most common types of safety signage that can be found in the workplace:

Prohibition Signs

I bet your kids have already seen signages somewhere with a red circle and a diagonal line (slash) through it. Those are called the prohibition signs! Tell them that when they see these signs, it means they CANNOT do what is stated.

Here are some examples of prohibition signs you can introduce to your kids:

Mandatory Signs

While prohibition signs show what they CANNOT do, tell your kids that mandatory signs show what they MUST do. Mandatory signs usually have white symbols or icons placed within a blue circle. They’ll usually find the instruction below the symbols or icons.

Here are some examples of mandatory signs you can introduce to your kids:

Danger Signs

I’m sure your kids are familiar with this! Danger signs are easy to recognize. These signs have the word DANGER placed inside a red oval. Tell your kids that danger signs are used to warn people about possible dangers and life-threatening hazards. They must take these seriously!

Here is an example of a danger sign you can introduce to your kids:

Warning Signs

Have your kids already seen a SLIPPERY WHEN WET signage while entering a fast food restaurant? Tell them that’s an example of a warning sign! You may want to explain that similar to danger signs, warning signages inform people about hazardous situations. But this time, it focuses on hazards that aren’t really life-threatening. Warning signs are also easy to identify with their yellow-colored background and a triangle around the hazard symbol.

Here is an example of a warning sign you can introduce to your kids:

Emergency Signs

During their earthquake drills at school, your kids’ teachers always tell them to use the emergency exit. You may ask if they’ve noticed the green signage at the top of that doorway. Tell them that’s an example of an emergency sign! Emergency signs tell the location of or directions leading to emergency equipment and facilities. They are usually green in color.

Here is an example of an emergency sign you can introduce to your kids:

Fire Safety Signs

Fire safety signs basically tell the location of fire alarms and fire safety equipment such as fire extinguishers. They are usually in the color red. Your kids would be able to recognize them easily!

Here is an example of a fire safety sign you can introduce to your kids:

General Information Signs

As its name suggests, general information signs tell general or public information such as directions and specific notices. Common examples of general information signs are related to parking.

Here are some examples of general information signs you can introduce to your kids:

And that’s it! Those are the 7 types of workplace signs you might want to teach your kids as early as now. You can now ensure that your kids will be free from trouble during their workdays in the future. For now, you can take them on a tour whenever they’re visiting your workplace. And let them identify some signages you can find there!

The 25 Kitchen Utensils & Gadgets You Need

streetsmartmasterclass

1 Oct, 2021

Novice chefs and seasoned pros; gather around. Is your child dreaming of becoming a chef? Or simply wanting to try out a recipe for the first time? Whatever their reason is, knowing the gadgets and tools needed in the kitchen is always a good idea. This may serve as an essential step in learning how to prepare food and eventually becoming a great cook!

If they have a recipe they’re trying to master, look at our list of utensils in the kitchen and kitchen gadgets that’ll make their cooking experience process easier and faster. We’ll help them set up an essential kit with 25 tools in the kitchen and gadgets. Read on to know more about it!

Must-Have Kitchen Utensils

These are the essentials in their kitchen, those they’ll reach for more often than they think. For example, did they know that an egg ring exists? It can make their egg cooking process more manageable. Always remember, whether they’re cooking a simple egg or baking a cake, make sure they have these tools on hand before getting started.

With these items, they can cook just about anything!

KITCHEN UTENSILS

Slotted Spoon

A slotted spoon can be a miniature strainer, which removes solids from liquids, like pulling small pasta noodles from boiling water.

Metal Spatula

A metal spatula is vital for flipping, tossing, and serving all kinds of food such as eggs, pancakes, and sauteed meat.

Tongs

They can buy a cheap pair of metal tongs that twist and turn their food in the pan. This comes in different sizes, and it’s also great for serving dinner.

Ladle

Unless they’re someone who exclusively eats solid food (if they exist, please contact us), they will need a ladle to transport any liquid from the pot to their bowl. Other than that, there are different types of ladles, one of which can act as a strainer for their future pasta recipes.

Mitts

Do they use a towel to wrap their hand when they’re transferring hot food? There’s an alternative for that called oven mitts! These are used to protect their hands from being burned when transferring hot food.

Meat Thermometer

Do they constantly guess if their meat is well-cooked already? Why guess when they can accurately know? Take a peek at this thermometer! It’s a meat thermometer that’ll give them an accurate temperature reading of their food within seconds.

PREPARATION TOOLS

Mixing bowls

Buy mixing bowls to whip up a meal when they need to marinate meat, beat some eggs, or set aside some prepped vegetables.

Chef’s knife

Want to save their fingers? Buy a decent chef’s knife. Dull knives are prone to sliding around, and it requires a greater applied force to effectively cut. Thus, there’s a greater chance to cut their fingers. Every time they cook, they will reach for this essential, so go with a high-quality blade for cutting.

Bread knife

Using a chef’s knife might smash their bread and tomatoes if they cut them. A bread knife is ideal for slicing bread since it won’t crush nor tear it into messy pieces.

Cutting board

If they have knives, they should also have cutting boards. Do not make a habit of cutting things on a plate or the counter. They could damage both their knife and their counter. Other than that, cross-contamination might occur.

Colander

If they don’t have a colander, where will they drain all that pasta? Do they really want to use their sink to drain their pasta? No, that would be gross, which is why colanders exist.

Whisk

Nothing whisks quite like a whisk. When making gravy, mixing batter, or whipping their own cream, they need to purchase a whisk.

Can Opener

It would be convenient if every can had a pull tab, but fantasies are better than reality. Most cans don’t have a pull tab in the real world, and attempting to open a can without a can opener is frustrating. Make their life easier and purchase a can opener.

Peeler

They got their potatoes, their carrots, their cucumbers, their beets; all things that might need a good peeling. Of course, some people like to leave the skin on their vegetables, but if they want to make apple pie, or cube some thick-skinned squash, a peeler is a godsend. They are small and cheap anyway, so they might as well get one.

Grater

Their cheese won’t grate itself. Maybe some people prefer to eat their cheese solid, but if they want to mix their cheese with their pasta, a grater is what they need.

Measuring cups and spoons

Suppose they eyeball their ingredients based on how much they think a tablespoon and a cup are. In that case, they’re signing themselves up for an inaccurate and non-replicable recipe. If they want to make decent cooking or a balanced salad dressing, purchase measuring cups and spoons to make their life easier.

Salt and Pepper Grinder

Using pre-ground pepper may make the volatile oils and flavor compounds inside the peppercorn begin to dull. Freshly ground pepper is more potent and better in flavor. Thus, it is more favorable. To make it easier for them to hone their pepper or salt, buy their own salt and pepper grinder.

COOKWARE & BAKEWARE

Nonstick Pan

The first thing they’ll need in their kitchen is a nonstick pan. They can use this to cook eggs, but it tends to stick to stainless steel and cast iron. Luckily, these pans are low-maintenance to clean, perfect for a beginner cook.

Soup Pot

A standard soup pot can function as the one-pot in a one-pot meal. They can do a lot of things here, such as boil pasta or make soups and stews.

Saucepan

If they’re boiling frozen produce or preparing a stock from dashi, reach for a saucepan. They can even make instant ramen using this product.

Sheet Pans

Sheet p a ns are essential for baking cookies or roasting vegetables. It’s also the thing they put their recipe on when they want to turn it back to an edible state.

Egg ring

An egg ring is used to make eggs be cooked into a perfectly round shape. Other than that, it also keeps the egg from spreading around the pan.

APPLIANCES

Blender

If they’re a fan of making fruit shakes, smoothies or dips, they’ll need a powerful blender instead of using a food processor every time. This is a multi-purpose purchase, make the most out of it.

Microwave

Most likely, their home already has a microwave, but it’s usually worth an upgrade if it’s an old model, and it’s definitely a must-buy if there isn’t one. It’s a must-have for reheating food.

Air fryer

An air fryer uses minimal oil and hot air to cook or bake food. There is a lot of food that they can air-fry, such as frozen chicken wings, homemade french fries, and even fresh-baked cookies.

Fully stocking an efficient kitchen doesn’t have to be frustrating nor expensive. By purchasing high-quality products that have a strong value proposition, their fully stocked kitchen can last a lifetime, without costing them a kidney.

Were they able to take note of all of that? Fret not! To help them know exactly what tools to start out with, we created a Kitchen Utensils Checklist for them. All of the essential utensils, kitchen gadgets, and tools in the kitchen are there. Even the egg ring! Check what they have and what they don’t, and there’s even an extra page for them to write their own list of essentials!

Kitchen-Utensils-and-Gadgets-Checklist-1 Download

Kitchen-Utensils-and-Gadgets-Checklist-2 Download

Teaching Your Kid To Defrost A Refrigerator

streetsmartmasterclass

1 Oct, 2021

Teaching your kid to defrost a refrigerator is something that can train their independence. If you worry about the safety hazards that some tasks may have (like this one) this article is for you. This guide will assist you with the proper way of teaching your child how to defrost a refrigerator.

Why should you teach your kids to do chores?

This task can sound a little challenging because giving your kids chores may somehow slow you down. You want to get things done right away, right? But, deeds like these do not just free up your load, they also benefit your kids in the long run.

Studies show that children who start early on doing chores tend to become successful. Those who start late may have lesser chances of acquiring this benefit. So, it is advisable to let children be part of chores as early as the age of three. Letting them do so would increase the chances of obtaining its benefits once they enter adulthood.

According to Janet A. Creek’s article on The Benefits of Chores for Kids and Teens, some of the advantages that doing chores can give your children are:

being independent
being aware of the value of hard work
being ready for new challenges
being responsible
being punctual
being able to learn empathy
being able to cope with delayed gratification

These rewards are a few of the things that they will gain which they can also get to keep once they become adults.

The Importance of Defrosting Your Refrigerator

Back to the matter at hand, the first step in teaching your kid to defrost a fridge is by letting them know why it matters.

Your child should understand its importance because in doing so, you get to save money from the electric bill. According to a professor from the Pennsylvania State University, Dr. Sarma Pisupati’s Energy Efficiency of a Refrigerator, regularly defrosting your refrigerator will allow you to efficiently use electricity. And, since this chore works on the maintenance of your appliance, this means that your fridge will have a prolonged life span. It will do its functions in the most optimized case possible; freezing your food and beverage quickly!

Guiding Your Child to Defrost a Refrigerator

Before we start, your child should make sure that the following are available:

large bowl
clean and dry towels/cloths
and bags or boxes (to keep your food in while the defrosting is in the process)

To manually defrost a refrigerator, first, your child should remove the plug of your appliance from the wall socket. Assist them by checking if their hands are dry before doing this step to avoid electrocution.

Then, remove all of the contents from the refrigerator including the ice from the bin. See to it that they are only handling what they can to avoid accidents where fragile things (e.g. glassware) may break and injure your child.

After that, leave it open for eight hours. You could also suggest adding a hot bowl of water inside the unit while it’s being defrosted to speed up the process. Again, check on your child accordingly to reduce the risks of accidents. Do not forget to ask them to place mats on the bottom of the unit so the floor won’t get slippery from the water.

Once eight hours have passed, make sure to remove moisture by letting them wipe inside the appliance with a dry towel. Your child can now plug the unit back in. After 24-48 hours, the fridge can now be used as it is.

Defrosting a refrigerator is a skill that is useful to teach at a young age. Preparing them for this kind of responsibility will give them a sense of accountability even with simple things. So, call your child now and let this be a hangout moment for the both of you.

Sign	Meaning
`Source:` `Max Pixel` `Source:` `Wikimedia Commons`	NO ENTRY NO SMOKING

Sign	Meaning
`Source:` `Max Pixel` `Source:` `Pixabay`	HEARING AND EYE PROTECTION MUST BE WORN IN THIS AREA FOOT PROTECTION MUST BE WORN IN THIS AREA

Sign	Meaning
`Source:` `Wikimedia Commons`	HIGH VOLTAGE

Sign	Meaning
`Source:` `Pixabay`	SLIPPERY WHEN WET

Sign	Meaning
`Source:` `Max Pixel`	EMERGENCY EXIT

Sign	Meaning
`Source:` `Wikimedia Commons` `Source:` `Pixabay`	NO PARKING AREA UNDER CONSTRUCTION