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Top Four Safety Tips For Babies

At Aqua-Tots, we prioritize the safety of all tots and believe that safety isn’t seasonal; it’s year-round! In honor of Baby Safety Month, here are four tips that will help you keep your baby safe at home, in public, at a friend’s house and around water. 

1. Keep Your Kids In Sight 

It’s important to keep your little ones in sight at all times, never leaving them alone in any environment. This is especially true near water; not even for a few seconds to answer the phone or the door.  

A fundamental characteristic of children is curiosity. Children naturally wander and seek out new, interesting or entertaining things when they are unoccupied. Accidents and injuries are more likely to happen when children are unsupervised, and infants, toddlers and other young children are especially prone to this habit.  

  • For young children, place a baby monitor with a camera by their crib or bed. This can help you avoid safety hazards, allowing you to step in and remove choking, smothering, climbing, falling or restrictive dangers. 
  • Before leaving to answer the door or a phone call, unplug the sink or tub, drain any buckets of water, or bring your child with you. Drowning can happen in as little as 20 seconds in 2 inches of water (Stop Drowning Now).  
  • Always designate a responsible adult when children are in the water, whether that’s the tub or the pool. This person should be free of distractions (such as books, phones, friends, etc.) and always be within arm’s reach of children. 

2. Talk To Your Children About Boundaries 

Talk with your children about safe boundaries around the house and swimming pool. Ensure that they understand the need to respect certain areas and the potential dangers there, like the stove and any outdoor water areas.  

Children are still learning and can forget warnings when distracted by something fun like a pool. To help them remember, have your children repeat key phrases back to you several times a week, such as, “I will not go into the pool without Mom or Dad. I will not use the stove without Mom or Dad. I will not use scissors without Mom or Dad.” Add phrases for different areas of the house as needed.  

Children should always ask guardians for permission before getting into a pool or body of water. This is a vital part of keeping children safe, especially toddlers who become mobile as they learn to crawl and walk. 

3. Create Barriers to Protect Your Children

There are a few different types of barriers used in homes to keep children safe. These include: 

  • Doors: If you have a pool, doors should be weighted, with locks and raised handles and covered in child locks. 
  • Cabinets and Drawers: Install child safety latches on cabinets and drawers so children cannot access laundry chutes, knives, cleaning supplies, pest poison, glass or other harmful objects. 
  • Play Pens: This is a safe play environment that ensures children do not wander off while parents are multitasking. For safest use, remove toys that pose a choking hazard, put your child in, and keep the pen in your sight at all times. 
  • Pool Fences: These should be at least four feet tall and able to latch and lock correctly. 
  • Pool Toy Chest: Pool toys should always be put away after swimming to avoid children trying to reach for toys in the water later. This is a common way accidents happen when adults are not around.
  • Bathrooms: Drowning can happen in bathtubs and even toilets. Drain sinks and tubs and install latches on toilet seats and low cabinets. Keep bathroom doors closed and child-locked. 
  • Appliances: Child locks are made for refrigerators, sinks, stoves, ovens, dishwashers, laundry machines, fireplaces and more. You can find the specific locks you need for your appliance models online or in stores. Be sure to store standing mixers, air fryers, toasters, electric can openers, blenders, and other countertop appliances in upper cabinets that are child-locked. Combinations to gun and knife safes should always be memorized, not written down where children might find them. 

4. Become CPR And First Aid Certified 

Last but not least, caregivers of all ages—including parents, babysitters, extended family, grandparents and family friends—should be CPR certified and trained in first aid. Always keep a first aid kit and phone close by in case of an emergency when swimming, cooking, cleaning, doing laundry, moving furniture, or other activities that can pose a hazard to young children.