For many children, a hot tub is a fun experience akin to swimming in the pool. But hot tubs are very different from swimming pools, and parents need to oversee kids’ hot tub use for safety reasons.
For starters, very young (and very small) children should be kept out of hot tubs, due to their body size and development. A good rule to follow is that kids should be kept out of the hot tub until they are tall enough to stand in the middle of it with their heads completely above the water. If you’re ever in doubt, check with your doctor to see if he or she thinks your child is ready.
Once hot tub time has been approved, the following safety tips will help make sure everyone has a positive experience:
- Closely monitor time. Children’s bodies heat up quickly, so you should limit their time in the warm water. The exact time varies depending on your water temperature, but around five minutes is a good place to start.
- Keep their heads above the water. This is an important drowning deterrent, but also a way to prevent infection. Even incredibly clean hot tubs have some level of bacteria in them, so you don’t want to expose children’s eyes, ears, and upper respiratory tracts to these germs.
- Cover screens and avoid the water return. Cover all the outlets in your hot tub with screens, and teach children to stay away from the water return and its powerful suction.
- Supervise, supervise, supervise. Accidents are most likely to happen when adults are not present, so if they aren’t in the spa, children don’t need to be either.
- Lock it up. When the hot tub isn’t in use, be sure to always put on the cover, and lock it securely. This will prevent curious children from accessing the spa when adults aren’t around.
Much of hot tub safety for children is common sense. Educating children on how to use the spa safely — and ensuring parents follow these guidelines — will allow you and your children to enjoy hot tub time together.
To learn more about purchasing a hot tub, visit our hot tub sales page or visit our Baltimore showroom.
