Water Safety at Home

For babies and toddlers, much of the drowning risk is at home, often at moments when nobody planned to be near water. The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission says nearly 90 children drown inside the home every year, two-thirds of them in the bathtub (opens in a new tab), and that a child can drown in as little as 2 inches of water (opens in a new tab).

That sounds frightening, but the fixes are simple and most cost little or nothing. They come down to four habits:

• Empty it. Drain the tub, the bucket, the cooler and the kiddie pool as soon as you're done. See buckets, coolers and containers.
• Block it. Latch the bathroom, lock the toilet lid, and lock the doors that lead to water. See door alarms and locks.
• Watch it. Stay within arm's reach at bath time, and name one Water Watcher whenever children are near water. See how to supervise kids around water.
• Plan for it. Write down who watches, which water is in your life, and what everyone does in an emergency.

Start with a walk through your home, one room at a time, or follow the room-by-room checklist.

Then put it all in writing, so grandparents, sitters and older children follow the same rules you do.

Every guide in this section cites the CDC, the American Academy of Pediatrics, the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission or another official source, with links you can check. For pools and hot tubs, see Pool and Hot Tub Safety.