By Stacy DeBroff

Bathing can be a stressful time for all mothers, but it doesn't have to be if you know some tricks of the trade. Keep yourself sane and your baby happy with my tips for bath time fun and safety. 

• Adjust your home’s hot water heater to below 120 degrees Fahrenheit to ensure that your child does not scald himself.

• Affix non-slip bath decals or use a bath mat or a towel in the bottom of your tub when bathing your child.

• Never leave a child under age six unattended for a moment, even in a shallow bath or in his bath ring.

• Follow the manufacturer’s instructions when using a bath seat. Before placing your baby in one, tug on it to make sure it adheres to your tub’s surface. (Mats, anti-slip decals, or designs imprinted in the bottom of your tub can interfere with adhesion.)

• Cover the spout and temperature knobs in the tub during a bath in case your child hits his head and to prevent burns if the faucet is hot. If you bathe your baby in the kitchen sink, swing the faucet out of the way.

• To keep your curious child from getting his toe or fingers stuck in the spout, after the water’s been run for the bath, turn the spout cover to face upwards.

• Face your baby away from the faucet when he’s in the tub.

• Make “no standing in the tub” a household rule.

• Turn the hot water off first when filling the tub. That way, if your child accidentally turns the water on, cold water will come out first.

• Instead of adding hot water from the tub faucet to warm the bath while a child is in it, fill a pitcher from the sink and add it that way.

• Make sure that your shower doors are made with safety glass.

• Fill the tub with only two to three inches for newborns and infants up to six months and never more than waist-high (in sitting position) for older children.

• Remove shaving razors from the sink and the edge of the tub.

• Drain the tub immediately after a bath.

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