Water safety is important at any age, but especially if you have babies or toddlers. Drowning can happen very quickly and in less than 1 inch (2.5 centimeters) of water. So, filled bathtubs, swimming pools, wading pools, hot tubs, and even buckets of water and sinks can be dangerous.
Never leave a baby unattended in the bath. If you must answer the phone or door, don't rely on an older sibling to watch the baby. Wrap your baby in a towel and bring them with you.
Never leave a bathtub, bucket, or other container filled with any amount of water or other liquid unattended.
Never use a bathtub seat or supporting ring without constant adult supervision. The seat can overturn or a baby may slip out into the water.
Install a toilet-lid locking device and keep bathroom doors closed at all times. Or you may want to install a doorknob cover.
If you have a pool on your property, install fencing at least 5 feet (1.5 meters) high on all sides of the pool, as well as a self-closing and self-latching gate with a lock that's out of a child's reach.
Consider installing a pool alarm or cover, but know that these are not substitutes for fencing and adult supervision.
Remove toys from the pool when kids are finished swimming to prevent them from trying to recover them when unsupervised.
Inflatable flotation devices such as vests, water wings, rafts, and tubes can give a false sense of security in the pool and aren’t effective protection from drowning. Never use these as a substitute for constant adult supervision.
Never let your child use mermaid tails or fins in the pool. These kinds of toys can make it hard to swim and lead to drowning.
Dump out all water from a wading pool when you're finished using it.
Remove any ladders from an above-ground pool when not in use.
Any babysitters should be comfortable supervising your child in the pool and understand your pool rules.