Toddler-proofing your bathroom
The bathroom is one of the smallest rooms in the house, and like
the kitchen, it can be full of hidden dangers to adventurous
toddlers. Here are some ways to toddler-proof your bathroom to keep
your little one safe:
- Always supervise your child in the bath or shower. A child can
drown in only a tiny amount of water, or slip in the shower and be
badly hurt. Never leave a child unattended in the bath or
shower.
- Keep the toilet lid down and install a toilet lock to keep your
baby from lifting the lid. Children love water play and the toilet
can seem like a very tempting, fun place for them to play. Besides
being unsanitary, the toilet can also be dangerous. Children
leaning over to peer into the toilet bowl or reach for a dropped
toy can fall in and be unable to upright themselves, and can
drown.
- Place a child-proof knob cover over the doorknob to the
bathroom so that your child can't find his way in there when you're
not looking.
- Keep cosmetics, shampoo, shower gel, bathroom cleaners, and any
other potentially toxic items locked in a cabinet out of your
child's reach. Install child-proof latches on the bathroom
cabinets.
- Keep all medications, vitamins, supplements, mouthwash,
antacids, and prescription drugs in a locked cabinet out of your
child's reach. Iron pills and multivitamins can be dangerous for
young children, as can herbal remedies and supplements that are
intended for adults.
- Keep any electrical appliances, such as hair dryers, electric
shavers, hot rollers, curling irons, straightening irons, and any
other appliances that create heat, out of your child's reach.
Unplug them after using them and store them where your children
can't get to them.
- Keep nail scissors, clippers, razors, trimmers, tweezers, and
any other sharp objects well out of your child's reach. Store them
in a latched drawer or high up in a cupboard.
- Put non-slip rubber mats or decals in the tub, and place a
non-slip mat on the floor next to the tub and shower.
- Teach your baby to stay seated in the tub at all times. This
can be a difficult lesson to teach, especially for active babies
and babies who are learning to pull up on furniture. But if you
repeat the message and get it to sink in, it will be well worth it.
Children can slip and hurt themselves on the sides or the tub or
the faucets, or slide under the water and drown.
- Teach your baby not to touch the taps, even the cold tap. Taps
can remain hot for a long time after the bath water has been run,
and can burn their delicate skin. If you are able, fit the tub taps
with soft padded tap covers.
- Set your hot water thermostat to no higher than 49 degrees C. A
lower water temperature reduces the chance of a child getting
scalded by too-hot water.
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