Collect soap, towel, diaper, clothing, toys, and any other items you plan on using before you even run the bath water. Place these items where you can reach them easily. Trying to keep one hand on a slippery little body while stretching for the shampoo isn’t safe for anyone!

Over 3,000 children under the age of four are treated for hot water burns each year. You can prevent this painful tragedy in your home by running the complete bath first, checking to make sure the temperature is not too hot (or too cold!) and then placing your child into the water. Don’t leave the water running after your child is in the tub. Water just a few degrees too hot can burn little hands reaching out in curiosity, or change the temperature in the tub to be too hot.

You can test the temperature of the water on the inside of your wrist, but the best gauge is a to use a thermometer made for this purpose. The ideal temperature for a child’s bath is 98 degrees, and just five degrees higher is too hot.

Once your child is in the bathroom, don’t leave her for any reason. Children can drown in just a few inches of water, and can easily topple into the tub while you’re dashing to the laundry room for clean towels.

Don’t run to answer the phone.

Don’t check to see who’s at the door.

Don’t leave your child to be watched by an older brother or sister.

Remember, about 80 children drown in bathtubs each year. Don’t let your child be another number in that statistic. Make no exceptions to this rule. Simply put: Don’t Leave!

Kneel beside the bathtub and keep one hand always firmly around your child. At this age children want to crawl and stand as they play, but it’s important for their safety that you keep them sitting while they bathe.

While safety is the most important factor in bathing your baby, splashing and playing in a warm watery world is lots of fun too. Make bathing an enjoyable and relaxing experience for your child by providing a few bath toys. Use plastic cups for pouring water back and forth, as well as onto your child.

Sometimes it’s the simple things we miss—and it hurts! Remember these simple safety steps to make your bathtub area baby-friendly:

•Don’t overlook the waterspout: Metal spouts get hot, plus have sharp edges. Protect your baby with a purchased cover or wrap a washcloth around the spout.

•Soap: Believe it or not, soap can be rough on your baby’s skin, painful to his or her eyes, and it tastes awful! Keep it out of your baby’s reach, and use it sparingly.

•Toys: No sharp edges or breakable items in the bath!

Consider putting these helpful (and fun!) products on your Baby Shower Wish List. These are available at most general stores in your area (like Wal Mart and Target).

•Ocean Pals Shower Rinser Set (from Kids II) has a playful octopus rinser to make washing fun. Set includes a floating temperature gauge that doubles as a toy.

•The Gerry Infant to Toddler Tub allows you to bathe your child on a counter (save your back and knees!) and the plug turns pink if water is too hot.

•The Bath Gift Set (Kids II) includes a spout cover, mesh bag for storing bath toys, and a floating toy, in a rubber ducky or Dalmatian motif.