3 Ways to Make Your Bathroom Safer for Children
Bathroom safety is a serious concern for parents with younger children. A home’s bathroom is filled with dangerous items that can lead to a serious injury or death, but fortunately, there are great ways to protect your children.
Use these three tips to have a safer bathroom for your child.
Prevent Poisoning
Poisoning incidents in bathrooms are a common occurrence with children, but parents can prevent this problem by becoming more diligent. First, stop storing any type of medication or dietary supplements in a bathroom. Vitamins and medications will look like candy or tasty beverages to a child, so you must keep these things in a locked container in another area of the home. Teach your child to avoid ingesting anything that is in a bathroom, including items such as mouthwash, shampoo or liquid soap. Put potentially hazardous materials in high cupboards that small children cannot reach, both inside and out of the bathroom.
Bathroom Renovation
If you have an old-fashioned bathroom in your home, then consider a total bathroom remodel to make the changes required for safety. A knowledgeable bathroom designer can create a new floor plan that makes it easier and safer for children to use the sinks, toilets or bathtubs. You can install bathtubs that are safer for children. Some of these bathtubs have slip-resistant surfaces on the bottom, or the features are made from a softer and more flexible material to prevent injuries from falling. You can also have slip-resistant floor tiles installed along with placing handrails along the walls near the bathtub, toilet and sink.
Install Safety Devices
There are cases of toddlers falling into a toilet and drowning, but parents can prevent this issue by installing a toilet lid safety lock that only parents can open. To give a toddler more independence at night, have a small potty chair in the bathroom that is safer for a child. In addition, you can place locking devices on the handles of a sink or a bathtub so that a child can’t turn the item on, leading to a scalding incident from hot water. These devices can also prevent drowning incidents in a bathtub or large sink. There are also soft covers to place over the faucet and spout handles of a bathtub to prevent injuries when a child falls against the items.
Parental Supervision
Make sure that children, especially toddlers are supervised closely so that bathroom injuries won’t occur. In the end, it is impossible to completely baby-proof your house, but these tips will help you be able to predict and prepare for some of the most common causes of injuries. If your child is injured, be sure to have a first-aid kit on hand with your local poison control center’s phone number and your pediatrician’s. By taking the time to protect your children in the bathroom, you can avoid a potential tragedy and give your children the affection and care they deserve.
Brooke Chaplan is a freelance writer and blogger. She lives and works out of her home in Los Lunas, New Mexico. She loves the outdoors and spends most of her time hiking, biking, and gardening. For more information, contact Brooke via Facebook at facebook.com/brooke.chaplan or Twitter @BrookeChaplan
