Every summer our family would go to my husband's uncle's ranch for a family reunion.
These reunions were great fun that lasted for three days.
The big highlight for all the kids was to go swimming in the "tank".
The tank is a large round cement holding tank that held water for the animals to drink.
The water drained out to various watering holes around the ranch for the animals.
Of course the tank was great fun to play in.
They had a second and smaller tank on another part of the ranch right next to two of the cousin's houses.
This tank only had about a foot of water in it.
It was perfect for the little kids to play in.
I was sitting on the edge of the tank watching about 9 or 10 kids playing in the water.
They were being good and having a great time.
I had a sore on my knee.
I looked down at it and poked at it for a minute and then looked up.
Horrified I realized that my little two-year-old girl was not moving, lying flat out on top of the water with her face totally under.
I jumped into the tank and pulled her out.
It took a few minutes for her to recover but she was ok.
This incident scared me to death.
How could it happen, and how did it happen with me sitting right there watching her? What about all the other kids in the pool? They did not notice her either.
It proved to me that it only takes a moment for a child to slip under the water.
Usually you will not hear when it happens.
That is why drowning is called the silent killer.
It only takes and inch of water for a child to drown.
It is too easy to leave your kids in the tub for just a minute.
While gone, or even while you are there, they could slide under the water.
The tub may be too slippery for them to pull themselves up.
If they have an older sibling in the tub it is not fair to make them watch the younger one.
We know it is too easy for them to get distracted.
It is too easy for us to get distracted.
If something were to happen to the younger one, the older one would feel the responsibilty for the accident for the rest of their lives, a burden that the parents unrightfully put on a minor child.
Of all home accidents, 80% of them happen in the bathroom.
Here are some other things to think about.
Getting into and out of the tub can be extremely dangerous.
Teach your child not to stand on the edge of the tub when getting in and out.
Have them face the faucet while sitting in the tub.
This will help to keep them from sliding back toward the faucet where they can hit their head.
Do not allow the children to play with the water faucets, turning them off and on.
In my Cub Scout den I had a cub that had no legs.
When he was little he accidentally turned on the hot water while he was in the bathtub.
He was too little to get himself out of the tub.
The water burned his legs so badly that they had to be amputated.
He was not the only one I have had heard this happening to.
Moral of the story, please do not leave your child or children unattended in the tub! You can save yourself and your family a lot of heartache if you will make this rule for yourself.
Please do not leave your child or children unattended in the tub!! There are many things that we do help our kids be safe and happy.
Keeping them safe in the bathroom is a responsibility that we should take very seriously.
Never leave your child unattended in the tub.