Making the Bathroom a Safe Place for Babies

When you have your first child, you can get a bit panicked at the thought of “baby proofing” the house. Who knew so many innocuous things could be harmful to a wandering child? It’s easy to get a little obsessed with plug socket covers and putting things over pointy corners. Some of us might go a bit overboard, but there are lots of things you need to remember to make sure your children are safe. 

The bathroom is one of the rooms where you need to pay attention. You don’t want it to be dangerous when your kids are in there, with or without you. You have to think about design and storage in the room, as well as what you do in there.
  

Non-slip Mats

Slipping and falling is one of your biggest concerns. There’s lots of water and smooth services involved in any bathroom. It can be easy enough for an adult to slip in the bathroom, let alone a child with less balance and coordination. The answer to this problem is an obvious one, which is to use rubber mats. If you don’t like the mats, which can sometimes harbour germs, you can use non-slip decals instead. A mat on the floor by the bath or shower will prevent pools of water. And it will give your little one somewhere to sit or stand while you dry them off.

Bathroom Cabinets

There are lots of items in a bathroom that have the potential to be dangerous in the wrong hands. From razor blades to medication, if your child gets hold of the wrong thing, they could injure themselves. Storing everything safely in a locked cabinet, or high up so they can’t reach, will help. You can find plenty of cabinets to choose from, such as this selection: http://www.bellabathrooms.co.uk/bathroom-furniture/bathroom-cabinets.html. Make sure that your child can’t climb anything to get a cupboard open. You should keep medicine, anything sharp and any chemicals or cleaning fluids out of their reach.

Preventing Drowning

Obviously, drowning is a risk when there’s a lot of water around. You need to take steps to prevent it when there are little ones in the house. You can put a lid lock on your toilet seat, so small fingers can’t lift it up. It may seem silly, but even a small amount of water is enough to drown someone. After anyone has a bath, make sure they drain (or otherwise dispose of) the water right away. Don’t leave it sitting in the tub for anyone to find. You could also consider putting the plug out of the way, so if anyone does manage to turn the taps on, the tub won’t fill up.

Bath Time Supervision

During bath time, you need to ensure you watch your child at all times. It’s up to you to judge when they’re responsible enough to have a bath on their own. However, expert advice is often around six years old. Remember to test the temperature of the water before they get in too and be careful of hot taps that could still be warm.

Bathroom safety is also about your child’s behaviour. So, as soon as they’re able, teaching them about the appropriate ways to behave is of paramount importance.

Anything else you would add to the list?

Rebecca x

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