Thank you to INKBIRD for sponsoring this post.

Do you have a pool or hot tub at your home? How about small children who need to be monitored in the bath tub? Keeping your pools, hot tubs, and bathtubs safe for children is extremely important. You can avoid serious injury, sickness, or even death by following these vital rules.

How To Keep Pools and Bathtubs Safe for Kids

There’s nothing better than a refreshing cannonball into the pool on a hot summer day. Or if you live in a cold climate, a dip in the hot tub while the snow falls all around you. And for babies, bath time can be a fun time to unwind from the day and bond with parents and siblings. But before enjoying water fun, here’s how to keep pools and bathtubs safe for kids.

1. Never leave children near water unattended

Supervising children in the pool, hot tub, or bath seems to be an obvious must, but it’s unfortunate how many accidents and drownings happen every year because an adult gets distracted or steps away, even if just for a minute. Whenever your children are near water, you should have eyes on them. Getting engrossed in a conversation with friends at the pool or stepping away from your child in the bath, even for just a moment, can be deadly. No conversation or quick grab is worth it.

2. Always monitor water temperature

Water temperature is important in keeping pools and bathtubs safe for kids. The easiest way to monitor your bath tub’s temperature is with a wireless pool thermometer. This is a very handy tool to have at home as it shows the temperature of your bath, pool, hot tub, pond, or aquarium in real time.

Use a wireless thermometer to monitor:

• Your child’s bath tub (Safe bath temperature is between 98.6–100.4°F (37–38°C))
• Swimming pools (Optimal pool temperature is between 78°F to 82°F (26°C to 28°C))
• Hot tubs (Not to exceed 104°F/40°C)
• Aquariums (Most fish do best in 75-80°F (24-27°C) temperatures.)

We recommend the INKBIRD IBS-P02R Floating Pool Thermometer Set as it is easy to use, affordable, and excellent quality. What makes this floating thermometer so great is that it’s one of the most convenient ways to monitor water temperature at home. The floating device hangs out in your pool, hot tub, or bathtub where it gives you constant temperature feedback. With young children, we like to use it in the bath to make sure the temperature stays between 98.6–100.4°F. The INKBIRD  IBS-P02R floating thermometer takes all the guesswork out of keeping water a safe temperature. It’s less to worry about so that you can focus on having fun with your family.

3. Keep chemicals in check

Being a pool or hot tub owner can be a bit like being a chemist. It’s important to keep chemicals in check at all time for optimal safety. Regularly check your chlorine, alkalinity, levels along with pH balance. If you’re not confident with keeping pool and hot tub chemicals in check, it is worth it to learn or hire a professional.

4. Make sure children are confident swimmers

Lastly, one of the most important ways to keep pools and bathtubs safe for kids is to make sure they are confident swimmers. Babies as young as six months old can start “baby and me” swim lessons where parents can bond with their babies in the pool while learning vital safety skills and how to be comfortable in the water. Learning to swim is not just for fun, it’s essential for safety. Always have extra life jackets and flotation devices handy.

Water can be fun for the whole family, whether it’s bath time, a pool party, or a warm hot tub soak. Keep your pool and bathtub safe for kids with vigilant adult supervision, by safely monitoring water temperature, by keeping chemical levels correct, and by making sure everyone who enjoys your pool is a confident swimmer.

Following these four tips will bring you priceless peace of mind any time your family is near the water by helping keep pools and bathtubs safe for kids.