When kids come along, many of us have to make some serious changes to our homes to keep our little ones safe. Never is this more important than in the bathroom. From places they can fall and hit their head to dangerous chemicals they could ingest, there is just too much in a bathroom which could harm them. Whether you are considering installing waterproof laminate flooring for bathrooms or rearranging your cupboards, there is plenty you can do. Let’s take a look at some of your options now.
Prevent Unsupervised Exploration
We like to think that we have our eyes on our children at all times but all it takes is one unexpected knock at the door and our children are free to get up to mischief. Toddlers are inherently curious, and the bathroom can just be too tempting to ignore. You ideally want to be able to prevent them from getting into the bathroom when your bathroom is turned.
The easiest way to do this is with a hook-and-eye lock high enough that other members of the family can reach but that your baby can’t. This is a simple solution but it works extremely effectively. 
Break Out the Childproof Locks
Just like in a kitchen, there are plenty of places in a bathroom which could benefit from the installation of a childproof lock. If you are at all worried about whether your child could open something, think about putting a childproof lock on it.
Childproof locks can be fitted on everything from cupboards to toilet seats. You should be keeping the toilet seat shut to prevent your children from slipping into it but it is also very easy to find a lock to help make sure it stays shut when not in use.
When it comes to the cupboards, you should place anything harmful high out of reach. Things like medication, cosmetics, tweezers, or razors should be kept in a cupboard up high. Cleaning products might only fit in a cupboard near the bottom of the sink where there is plenty of access for inquisitive little hands. A few childproof locks on the doors should be all you need to prevent them from getting in; just make sure that they are used.
Splash-Down
Children love to splash in the bath and it should be something which you are happy to let them do. However, you need to make sure that such splashing is not going to affect either the room or them if they were to slip up.
For the floors, you can still have a stylish bathroom floor which can protect itself against any tidal wave your child sends at it. You can even find waterproof laminate flooring for bathrooms so you could have a beautiful wood effect on your floors and know that it is going to be able to resist splashes.
Water on the floor, or even a damp child who runs away before they can be toweled down, is a recipe for a slip-up and a bump to the head or some other body part. These are accidents you want to avoid and they can be with the help of some non-slip mats. Get one for inside the bath and one for just on the outside so even when you have lifted your child out they are unlikely to fall over.
Remove the Electrical Appliances
If you used to be one who risked having the hair dryer or the curling iron in the bathroom with you, it is time to get them out. Set up some other area of your home to be a styling station. These are all appliances which can cause burns to sensitive baby skin and an exploring child might not recognize the danger until they have hurt themselves.
Of course, the other danger of having electrical equipment in a bathroom is the danger of having it near water. You might have been happy to play this dangerous roulette but don’t put your child at risk. It just isn’t worth it.
Try to Make Your Child Understand
A child is never too young for a little guidance so you should try to make sure that you are teaching them about the dangers of the bathroom from as young as possible. Blocking off the bathroom using locks isn’t enough; you need to make them understand that it isn’t always the safest place so they are not compelled to go exploring if they do manage to get in unsupervised.
Likewise, you should try to make your child understand from as young as possible that they should not stand up in the bath until it is time to get out. This will hopefully stop them from trying to climb out too soon or from doing anything which might cause them to slip and bang their heads. The sooner you can engage your children and teach them about some of the dangers of the bathroom they might face.
A Place for Fun Too
Of course, the goal here isn’t to turn the bathroom into a place which is going to hurt your child. Although the bathroom is somewhere where your children can get injured, it is important to remember that it is a place for fun too. Make sure you buy your children lots of fun and bright bath toys. Not only will they help bath time fly past, they will also help with key cognitive development which will help your child later in life.
Some caution does need to be exercised when your child is in the bathroom but it won’t be long before they understand that it isn’t always the safest place and that they need to be sensible. Stay vigilant with the lessons and make sure that you are always doing your bit to make the bathroom safe. Keep the dangerous things away in cupboards and buy child safety locks to stop curious children getting somewhere where they shouldn’t be. It won’t be long before your bathroom can return to the safe haven it used to be.
I’m a 20-something stay-at-home mother and wife. I have an amazing husband, a beautiful daughter, two loving dogs, and a lazy cat. I wouldn’t change my life for anything! I love to read, listen to music, cook and blog!
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