SEVEN BATH TIPS

Bath time serves many purposes. It’s a time to get your kids clean. It’s a time for your kids to splash around in shallow water and it’s a time for make believe sea water rescues and mermaid tea parties. Kids love the freedom that water has to offer and parents love to soak up their sweet smelling children wrapped up in warm, fluffy towels just before bedtime. With all of the great things there are to adore about bath time there can also be dangers if kids are left unattended. It may be tempting to leave the kids in the tub while you run to the laundry room “for just a second” or to grab your phone “real quick” but accidents can happen in those few seconds.

These 7 tips will help you create a safe environment and give your kids the freedom to splash around.

1. Make sure the temperature of the water is not too hot or too cold.

Test it on your wrist first for a more accurate feel. Better yet, buy one of those bath toy thermometers to help you figure out the correct temperature. Newborns get cold quicker since their skin is thinner.

2. Children can get cut very easily on the water spout.

Be sure to cover it up with an inflatable cover to protect your kids from hitting up against it or accidentally standing up and scraping their backs on it.

3.The best bath toys are those that do not have any holes in them.

Water can get inside and mold can grow; making the bathtub a breeding ground for germs. You should wash bath toys regularly or toss the ones that do have holes in them after a few months of play.

4. Do not fill the bath so high with water that your kids could fall under and be completely submerged.

Just a few inches of water will do for infants and about waist high for toddlers.

5. Always stay with your children while they are bathing.

Accidents can happen in seconds and if your child is not old enough to know how to lift their head out of the water – drowning can occur.

6. Encourage your kids to play in the tub but leave jumping for outside of the bathtub.

Toddlers like to test their boundaries and they like to splash, jump and watch the water fly out of the tub. Slipping in the bathtub can lead to a serious injury. Be sure to keep them seated in the tub or supervised while standing to wash.

7. Keep little fingers out of the drain.

The drain holes are usually very small but small fingers can easily get stuck if you are not watching your child closely. Bath time should remain fun while being safe. Encourage your children touse their imagination and explore their surroundings. Scrub-a-dub-dub!

Meagan Ruffing is a freelance parenting writer. She loves bath time just as much as her kids do and enjoys finding fun and creative ways to make bathing more fun.

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