Children and Hot Tubs
You just got a new hot tub and your children are begging you to let them play in it. However, you need to make your child’s safety your top priority. Hot tubs are not safe for children, especially if they are unsupervised. Below are some safety tips that you need to follow to keep your family safe around your new backyard spa.
- Children should never swim alone in the hot tub until they are over the age of 12. As annoying as this may be for you or for them, you need to make their safety your priority.
- When children are coming in for a soak, drop the temperature to 98 degrees as not to overheat them.
- Never allow children to stay in the hot tub for longer than 10-15 minutes at the lower temperature, and only five minutes if the temperature is at the regular 104 degrees.
- Ensure that your children drink plenty of water while they are soaking so that they don’t become dehydrated.
- Baby skin is thin, making them more likely to become overheated. For that reason (and many others), you should not allow children under the age of 5 to play in the hot tub — even if you hold them. Do not allow your kids to enter the hot tub until they can stand with their head completely out of the water.
- If you or your child starts to feel sick while bathing, it is important that they leave the hot tub until they feel better.
- Small children should avoid full emersion while soaking, so they should stand on the seats and sit along the edge of the tub to prevent overheating.
- Don’t allow your children to submerge their heads, even if they want to. They can easily become overheated, and the bacteria and chemicals in the water can easily enter their body, especially if they inhale the water.
- Small children cannot control their bowels, so when swimming in the hot water, they may leave behind a couple of surprises. Always take your child to the restroom before soaking, and if you do end up with a little surprise, you will have to drain the water, clean your hot tub thoroughly and then refill it with new water.
- Long hair can get sucked into the hot tub filter or drain, so tie up your child’s hair in a tight bun before they soak, and make sure that you have an effective drain cover.
- Always cover your hot tub when not in use to prevent drowning.
