Bathroom Safety for Children

Keep bath time safe and fun.

Children love everything about the bathroom: the water, toothpaste, band-aids and toilet paper. The potential for trouble makes it all the more enticing for curious minds. If it's fun for the child, chances are it's also potentially dangerous. Our job as parents is to prevent accidents and mishaps for those split seconds when we aren't watching. With proper safety in the bathroom, parents buy precious time until they can intervene.

Babyproofing

Put a cover over door knobs like these.

A baby should not ever be in the bathroom unattended. Invest in child-proof doorknob covers, which require a level of dexterity to open that a child doesn't yet possess. The knob cover must be squeezed while simultaneously turning the knob to enter. If your knob is not round, set up a baby gate in front of all bathrooms in the house.

A Second Line of Defense

The toilet can be the most dangerous thing in a bathroom for a baby or toddler.

If small children get in the bathroom, put extra precautions in place. Install a lid lock for the toilet and cabinet locks under the sink. Never keep cleaning supplies under the bathroom sink. Put faucet locks on the bathtub faucet so baby cannot lean over and turn the water on. Cover all outlets. Never leave your baby or toddler unattended in the bath, not even for a moment.

Potty Training Children

Saying goodbye to diapers is nice but there are new challenges.

A potty training child needs to get into the bathroom quickly. Remove the gates or knob locks. He should still use a smaller potty, set on the floor next to the locked toilet. He can call you to empty his small potty. If you have a baby and a toddler, store the small potty elsewhere and keep the knob locks on or the gates up.

Preschool Age Children

This is a soft non-slip mat for inside the bath.

The stepstool that he uses to reach the sink should be sturdy and have non-slip rubber feet. Keep outlets covered with safety plugs. Also, use non-slip tub decals or a rubber bath mat in and out of the bath. Most importantly, buy a faucet protector so your child does not try to turn on the faucet himself, possibly scalding himself with the hot water.

School Age Children

Regulate the water temperature.

Bathroom outlets should still be covered. Consider investing in a thermostatic gauge for your shower. The water will always stay the same temperature according to what you have set on the dial. Make sure that your water heater is not set at high. Maintain the non-slip feet on the step stool and non-slip tub mats.

References

• Parenthood: How to Baby-Proof Your Home
• Energy Savers: Lowering the setting on your water heater
• Treehugger: Thermostatic showers