3 Tips For Keeping Your Kids Safe In The Bathtub
There’s nothing cuter than watching your little ones splash around and play in a bubble bath. However, while taking baths are a necessary part of keeping your kids clean and healthy, baths can also be a dangerous place for your children if you’re not careful. So to help ensure that you and your little ones never run into any scary situations during bathtime at your house, here are three tips for keeping your kids safe in the bathtub.
Reduce The Water Temperature
One danger you’ll want to avoid when giving your kids a bath is getting the water too hot. The sensitive skin of small children can be even more sensitive to hot water, so you want to be sure that their bath water is never too hot for them.
While you might know the exact right temperature to set your faucet, your kids may get feisty and start grabbing the tap on their own, potentially putting the water too hot on accident. Luckily, HealthyChildren.org shares that you can avoid this by lowering the water temperature on your hot water heater. Ideally, you should keep the temperature on your hot water heater to below 120 degrees Fahrenheit. This way, the water will never get so hot that it can burn or scald your child.
Protect Them From Sharp Edges
Although most of your bathtub is like very smooth and even slippery when your little one is wet and soapy, there likely are at least a few areas that have sharper edges that could harm your child if they were to slide into them during their bath.
To keep this from happening during your child’s baths, SafeWise.com suggests that you cover any sharp edges before you put your child in the bath. The parts that you might want to cover, or even replace if they’re too dangerous, include the bathtub drain stopper and the faucet that sticks out of the wall. By simply putting a washcloth or rubber piece over these areas, you’ll be making things much softer and safer for your kids.
Never Leave Your Child Unattended
While most parents instinctively know this, it’s worth repeating that the safest thing you can do when your child is in the bath is to be right by their side the entire time.
According to the Cleveland Clinic, leaving your child’s side even for just a few seconds can be too long, as it only takes a moment for your child to slip under the water and begin to drown. So to ensure that you won’t need to take your eyes or your hands off your child while in the bath, make sure you get everything you’ll need and keep it within an arm’s reach while your little one is in the bathtub.
To keep bathtime happy and safe at your house, consider using the tips mentioned above to avoid injury while your kids are in the bath.