How to Childproof Bedroom Dressers

Between 2000 and 2011, 349 people died when a piece of furniture -- often a dresser -- tipped over on them. Tragically, 84 percent of these victims were children under the age of 9, according to the Consumer Product Safety Commission. Many children use a dresser as a way to climb, but if the dresser falls on them, the results can be catastrophic. Fortunately, there are steps you can take to prevent this tragedy from occurring in your home.

Things You'll Need

  • Furniture straps
  • Anchors

Instructions

    • 1

      Anchor bedroom dressers to your walls. Purchase furniture straps and anchors at a hardware or home improvement store and follow the package instructions to install them properly. This important step will prevent the dresser from tipping over if your child does get the urge to try and climb up because it will be firmly attached to the wall and won't move, according to the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission.

    • 2

      Keep TVs off the top of the dresser. Even with the dresser anchored to the wall, your child might try to climb, which can cause the TV to topple over on him, the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission notes.

    • 3

      Don't store objects your child adores on top of a dresser. This include items such as toys, stuffed animals or books. This reduces the risk that your child will climb the dresser trying to grab his favorite things.

    • 4

      Supervise your child at all times. If your child is a climber, don't let him play in his bedroom alone and keep an eye on him in other areas where you have dressers. This allows you to intervene immediately if your child does decide to act on his urge to climb onto the furniture.

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