Child Dresser Safety

Keep your baby safe and sound

Most new parents know the obvious ways to child-proof their homes: electrical outlet covers, gates at the tops of stairs, and latches on all kitchen and bathroom cupboards. But very rarely do they consider child dresser safety.

Children's dressers, even ones that don't seem overly big or heavy, can present tipping hazards. The paint of older dressers, those made before 1978, could contain dangerously high levels of lead. And of course there are always hard edges and pointy corners that your child could bump their head on. The gollowing are several tips outlining how you can make the dresser in your child's bedroom as safe as possible.

Electrical cords

Dangling electric cords for lamps, radios, or TVs sitting on kid's dressers are easy for your child to tug on and pull the heavy items down on top of them. Tuck cords behind your child's dresser or tape them to the wall or floor to prevent accidents.

Sharp corners

Look for children's dressers whose corners have been sanded down to a round edge. If you feel the kid's dresser is still too dangerous, you can buy or make your own soft foam protectors to pad the corners.

Child dresser drawers

Child dressers should feature drawers that slide in and out easily. Automatic drawer stops that don't allow the drawers to be pulled all the way out will prevent them from falling on unsuspecting children. When using children's dressers, open only one drawer at a time and never allow children to stand in open drawers, as this could cause the kid's dresser to tip over.

Tipping hazard

Toddlers are curious and adventurous by nature and the open drawers of a child's dresser make the perfect ladder to climb up and reach items sitting on top. Open drawers, plus the added weight of the child, can tip over even wide, sturdy kid's dressers. Secure the child's dresser to the wall using bolts or nylon straps. If a permanent anchoring system is not available, use shims under the front of the dresser to lean it back towards the wall and make it sturdier. Never place heavy objects on top of child's dressers.

Household accidents can happen in a flash, even under close supervision. Taking a few moments to ensure that your child's dresser is stable and secure will go a long way towards keeping your baby safe.

More information on kids dressers