BABY PROOFING- Don’t forget the furniture!
We hear about baby proofing all the time, and when we talk about it most people's minds go to the most common items such as oven doors, outlets, Stove handles, cabinets, doors and even toilets. Unfortunately, a commonly overlooked baby proofing item is furniture…YES, furniture!
I am a facts and data kind of person, so I want to discuss the statistics first to help illustrate why this is such an important step in baby proofing. According to the Consumer Product Safety Commission’s (CPSC) February 2022 Tip-Over Injuries report, there were an annual average of 22,500 emergency department treated injuries between 2018-2022, and 581 fatalities between 2000 and 2020. Of those 22,500 injuries 10,000 were from children under 18 years old and of the 581 fatalities 472 were children under 18. A few tools and a safety strap under $8 can save your child’s life. (2020 Tip-Over Report (cpsc.gov))
Back in 2009 I had a close encounter with what could have been a tragic incident and all the furniture in my home got anchored that weekend. My kids were about three and I took a shower while they were peacefully napping- or so I thought. Moments after I got in the shower, two of my three kids came flying in my room screaming incoherently about their brother…I had never run so fast in my life. I was one of the lucky moms...due to the fact that all three kids shared a small room and had three toddler beds and two dressers crammed into it, the dresser tipped over onto my son, but the brunt of the weight was supported by the side of his sisters little toddler bed. The tall dresser did hit him on the way down and he fell to the floor, but it didn't crush him. Prior to this incident, I didn't know anything about securing furniture- I didn't know that it was even something I should worry about. It never, ever EVER occurred to me that in their exploration of their world, their cute curiosity and mischievous toddler behavior, that they would think to climb on things. They'd never really been climbers. I knew friends who had “climbers” but I was of the mindset that my kids just didn’t do that. Trust me folks, your kids aren’t climbers- until they ARE. Since that incident, I have been a HUGE advocate of safety straps for furniture. Even those short, long dressers that seem low enough to the ground that they shouldn't cause an issue- ANCHOR THEM. Or lightweight furniture that likely isn't going to crush a toddler (but certainly has the potential to cause serious harm on its way crashing to the ground)- ANCHOR IT. Also, if your TV sits on a stand-ANCHOR IT!
Items you will need
1. Stud Finder if you intend to drill into the studs
2. Optional: Measuring tape for spacing on the wall to match spacing on the furniture (or this is a more basic option)
3. Optional: An Awl tool to determine you’re in the stud before you drill
4. Pencil
5. Heavy duty self-drilling toggle anchor if you’re not drilling into a stud
6. Drill and drill bits
7. Screwdriver
On this long dresser I used 3 safety straps. I have always found it easiest to locate the studs in the wall first that cover the area where you want to place the furniture. These straps are also compatible with self-drilling toggle anchors, but that is sold separately, and I would recommend placement into a stud when at all possible.
