8 easy breezy ways to make your bathroom more kids-friendly

Did your kids reach an age, where they are old enough to be sharing a bathroom with you?

Ensuring that the bathroom is functional, easy and safe for them to use can be quite a challenge, especially when there’s limited space to work with. Nevertheless, here are some simple, budget-friendly ways to get you started!

1. Prevent incidents with anti scald pressure balancing valve

Children generally have sensitive and delicate skin. Therefore, great care must be taken to ensure that they are not burnt by hot water. To regulate the water temperature, an anti-scald pressure balancing valve should be installed for both the bathroom tap and the shower head.

The anti-scald pressure balancing valve is actually a special valve, which controls the water pressure from both hot and cold water, so that there is no sudden, extreme changes in temperature.

Tip: Remember to work with your renovation professional or a plumber for the installation. If you prefer DIY, remember to check the diameter of the existing pipes, to match with the new valve openings. Also measure the wall to the center of the pipes distance, to allow for some setback allowance.

2. Make the floor non-slip

The bathroom flooring is usually notorious for being wet and slippery, due to the splashes and spills that happen when the young children are washing their hands. Hence, installation of non-slip tiles help to prevent the kids from accidental slips when they are not under supervision.

Another option is to opt for applying anti-slip coating (such as Glaze Guard) to create high traction on ceramic tiles to create a high slip resident floor finishing. However, if anti-slip tiles or coating are too expensive, you can consider using non-skid mats, which are secured onto the floor with  felt adhesive heavy duty tapes.

Tip: The anti-slip mats should be strategically placed just outside of the shower, and at the vanity countertop area. These places are prone to getting wet.

3. Cover up the sharp edges of the bathroom countertop with corner guards

Protruding corners and edges of the bathroom countertop are hazardous, especially for younger children since they are shorter. Therefore, using thick, durable corner guards at these places, can prevent accidental injury from happening. 

Nevertheless, another more aesthetically pleasing method is to opt for a full bullnose countertop edge which offers a rounded countertop look.

Tip: Choose bathroom installations and ceramics that have round, smooth shapes to complement the bullnose edge design. Quartz is the most versatile countertop materials since it is durable and able to accommodate multiple different types of edge profiles.

4. Select a countertop which is more durable

As young children tend to spill or drop things frequently, avoid using the Marble and Granite countertops in light colors, since these materials are less hardy and get stained or scratched easily.

Tip: Quartz is recommended for vanity countertop since it is stain and scratch resistant.

5. Adjust the height of the sink and water closet with a step stool

The standard bathroom counters are typically too high for young children. Therefore, to make the height of the toilet installations more kids friendly, a step stool is useful for your children to reach the countertop, without having to stretch. A potty squat aid can also double up as a step stool too.

Tip: Choose a compact sized step stool or a potty squat aid, which can be easily slipped below the suspended bathroom cabinet.

Foldable step stools can also be stored behind a door or even in a cabinet. Another way is to install a dedicated lower, open shelf for your children, so that can reach for their  toiletries without any supervision.

6. Use auto soap and water dispenser

As the motor skills of young children are still developing, therefore they may not have the strength to press the manual soap dispenser or turn the water taps.

To prevent a slippery and soapy mess, an automatic motion sensor soap or water dispenser, that dispenses a standardised dose of liquid soap or water, will make washing their hands a more pleasant experience.

Furthermore, without the need for contact, you do not have to worry about your children spreading bacteria and germs while they find their way about in the toilet.

Tip: Avoid soap dispensers that come with their proprietary liquid soap containers. Choose an auto soap dispenser which you can refill with the liquid soap of your choice. If liquid soap is too expensive, try making your own liquid foam soap.

7. Give children a grip during their shower

Contrary to popular belief, a grab bar is not only meant for the elderly, they are also useful for young children when they need to steady themselves while they are using a standing shower, or easing themselves into or out of a filled bath tub. The grab bars can also be used for hanging towels too.

Tip: Grab bars can also be installed near the water closet too. Use grab bars which make use of air pressure to securely attach and adhere to the wall so that you can adjust the height of the grab bars as your children grows taller.

8. Keep potentially hazardous objects out of reach

Ensure that the bathroom cabinet is always locked if they are used to store items which might be hazardous to young children. These include scissors, electrical razors, shavers, hair curlers, dryers and so on.

Tip: If your bathroom cabinet does not have a lock, keep the potentially hazardous objects on the top cabinet shelf, so that they are out of reach for young children.

This article was first published in Renonation.