If you have a toddler or are starting a family, it’s important to secure furniture so that the kids can’t tip it over. Here are ways to keep your kids safe.
Got a toddler? Then just like when you get a new puppy and go through puppy-proofing, it’s time to think about toddler-proofing the house — before they try to climb the bookcase where you’ve been putting all of the great books you’ve been reading to them!
All kidding aside, it’s super important to secure the big pieces of furniture — like your bookshelves, armoires, or the TV. Toddlers love to get into trouble, and that includes climbing, pulling on doors and drawers, and so on. If a big piece should tip over? Often what happens is the child pulls it over onto themselves — and that can lead to serious injuries or worse.
So let’s learn a few ways to keep the kiddos safe and prevent furniture from tipping over.
This one is for people who are planning a family. To prevent furniture tipping, invest in pieces that won’t tip over, like furniture that has wide legs or a solid base. This will minimize the need to secure furniture with restraints.
Wherever possible, keep heavy items close to the floor — not on top, where it can make a bookcase or a free-standing cupboard top-heavy and extra tippy.
Some pieces of furniture can be secured to the wall with L-brackets and a few screws. This tip is mainly for furniture that sits flush with the wall. Get a stud finder, too, because brackets should be secured to the studs behind the drywall or surface material. L-brackets that are attached only to drywall won’t provide much protection against tipping since the screws will pull right out.
For this preventative measure, you’ll need both the kit and a stud finder. Locate the studs because that is where you’ll need to fasten restraints to the wall. As to the kit itself, it should come with brackets that you can attach to the furniture plus a furniture tipping restraint, which is basically a steel cable that you attach to the furniture and the wall.
Whereas you can use L-brackets as mentioned above for furniture that sits flush to the wall, these furniture anti tip kits are what you need for furniture that isn’t flush to the wall since the cable will be able to span a few inches of empty space.
TVs can be especially dangerous because they have super narrow footprints, and in many homes, they’re freestanding on an entertainment center or TV stand. So that’s the first thing to fix: If possible, get your TV off the stand or entertainment center and mount it directly to the wall so your toddler can’t pull it over.
If you can’t mount it to the wall, then use a proper TV stand — not shelving or a dresser. Good TV stands will have a broad base to prevent tipping. You can then secure the TV to the wall with safety straps.
Once you’ve got the safety measures out of the way, it’s time to think about other things, like entertainment and relaxation. Try creating a comfort corner where the kiddos can curl up and calm down, or invest in a few supplies for sensory play. And before you do, be sure to check Save’s weekly mailer for coupons and deals on everything you need to keep your kids comfy and engaged.
