Bath Safety for Toddlers
Date :
Wednesday, April 06 2011
Source:
Autourina Mains
Toddlers love to take baths and play in the water but there are few safety measure we should keep in mind when bathing toddlers. The only part of bath a toddler may not like is hair washingJ I can’t say that I blame them either because washing hair means getting water and soap in the eyes. You could overcome that problem by using a couple of bath puppets (you can either make them out of socks or buy a couple). Have the puppet fly in the air (hold the puppet over the toddler’s head) while you pour water over his/her head and wash it. Talk to the toddler and let him know there is water coming down on his head and you’ll be washing his hair. This helps prepare the toddler for what is about to happen.
A few bath safety tips to keep in mind are:
· Never fill the tub past the toddler’s waist line (while sitting in the tub)
· Never leave the toddler unattended in the tub even if you are using bath ring suctioned to the tub(children can drown in one inch of water)
· Never put the toddler in the tub while the water is running
· Set the hot water heater temperature at 120 degrees Fahrenheit (children can have third degree burns in water of 140 degrees)
· Teach the toddler to sit or stand in the tub
· Use the soap and shampoo at the end of the bath rather than the beginning because they can be irritating and drying to the skin.
· Don’t allow the toddler to touch the faucets and covering the spouts with soft covering can protect the toddler from hurtful bumps.
· If the toddler has a hard time coming out of the tub, set a timer so that he know when the timer goes off, it is time for washing hair and body
· Put lotion on the toddler, especially in the winter when the air is so dry
Bath time is a wonderful way of preparing for bed time and a great way to relax. Just take precautions, be careful and have fun. Gather everything you need before bathing (towel, wash cloth, bath toys, pajamas, diapers, lotions, etc.) I use to take a magazine in the bathroom and look at it while the little ones played in the tub. This way I was able to be with them while they had fun and played and I had a few moments to look at recipesJ.