How parents can keep kids safe at bath time

Bath time can be fun for young children and their parents. Many children love playing in the water, while their parents enjoy hearing their kids laugh and play with their rubber ducks and other bath toys.

It’s easy to focus on fun at bath time, but it’s important that safety remain the utmost priority when bathing children. The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends parents take the following steps to keep bath time as safe as possible.

• Make the bathroom inaccessible. Children who love playing in the bathtub may try to access the bathroom even when it’s not bath time. The AAP notes that the simplest way to avoid bathroom injuries is to make the room inaccessible so curious kids cannot get in the room when parents aren’t keeping an eye on them.

• Remain in the bathroom at all times. Bath seats and bathing aids can be effective, but they won’t prevent drowning. Children can drown in a few inches of water, so parents must remain in the bathroom at all times while kids are in the tub.

• Use a no-slip strip in the tub. A no-slip strip or a nonslip bath mat can ensure kids don’t slip and fall while in the tub. That’s especially important as children reach the toddler stage and older, when many youngsters tend to stand up and move around in the tub.

• Control water temperature. The AAP advises parents to adjust their water heaters so the hottest temperature at the faucet is no more than 120 F. Test the water temperature using your wrist or elbow. Water for youngsters’ baths should be warm, but not hot.

• Unplug and store all electric appliances. It may be convenient for adults to keep hair dryers, razors and other electric appliances in the bathroom, but doing so is dangerous. Unplug all electric appliances and store them in a locked cabinet when not they are not in use. The AAP notes that using electric appliances in rooms where there is no water is preferable to using them in the bathroom.