Per the earlier discussion on the subject:

Shabutie · January 2014

If anyone needs motivation to anchor their furniture and televisions, please read this. It's lengthy, but you get the gist pretty much immediately... FYI, it will make you cry.
I just want all those sweet little babies to be safe

https://lovelightlaughterandchocolate.blogspot.com/2012/12/be-with-me-just-for-today.html

cas110688 · January 2014

Ugh. I'm sobbing.

Aprilbaby49 · January 2014

cas110688 said:
Ugh. I'm sobbing.

Same here

So heartbreaking and tragic

hatroopes · January 2014

I follow her on Facebook as well, a very sad story. Now that we have a walker, we will definitely be getting our furniture anchored.

suedell · January 2014

How have you chosen what to anchor? Did you all do every large piece of furniture? We have a few things I am not sure will be able to be mounted because our house is old, our walls are plaster, and the floor moulding sticks out really far. I want to do this desperately but does any one have any tips? Thanks.

Shabutie · January 2014

suedell said:

How have you chosen what to anchor? Did you all do every large piece of furniture? We have a few things I am not sure will be able to be mounted because our house is old, our walls are plaster, and the floor moulding sticks out really far. I want to do this desperately but does any one have any tips? Thanks.

If you can pull it onto yourself, in any way, i.e. by opening cabinet doors and pulling or by opening all the drawers and pushing down on them(as if a child were climbing up them), then anchor it. I even anchored some smaller furniture because it is stuff that she is usually very interested in- like a small nightstand. Anything you think could fall over and injure any size child, I'd go ahead and anchor. I anchored most of the furniture in my house. I have one large dresser that I couldn't manage to budge so I left that alone, but I do have a flatscreen TV on it that I will anchor to the dresser.

Plaster walls will have to have a pilot hole drilled and a screw anchor put in(not as daunting as it sounds). Large baseboards can be ignored by getting the bigger size L-brackets. I have one small table that is several inches from the wall and I just got the bigger size. It would literally sway back and forth if you nudged it(and to think, I've had a heavy fish tank on it for years, lol), it was SUPER dangerous. It didn't help that the baby always wanted to scale the legs... But now, with 2 anchors(it probably would have been fine with one, but I'm a fan of overkill), I can try my hardest to shove the table, and the water in the fish tank won't even move.

https://www.walmart.com/ip/Corner-Braces/17474028
After finding these L-brackets, I wouldn't recommend the "child safety wall anchors" with the nylon strap. These are way cheaper and incredibly sturdy. you can usually find a place to put them where you won't even notice them. Just make sure you either use plastic wall anchors or longer screws if you're at a stud in the wall.

kgs0505 · January 2014

I haven't read this, (I don't like tragic stories that make me cry), but we did anchor the dresser in his room right away when we bought it. It is a highboy dresser and I could just see him trying to climb it, which he has done a few times. so I'm really glad we did that. We still need to do the TV, which I bought the stuff for about 2 years ago and it's still not done. Guess I need to put it n my DH's honey do list. At least it's a flat screen and not a tube, but that just makes it that much more unstable too.

AprilloMom · January 2014

I read that a couple of weeks ago and cried. My heart hurts for this family! I am so thankful for her willingness (even through the guilt she feels) to share with others. I never would have thought about anchoring most furniture. I can't remember if it was that blog or another article that I read said that 30 kids a year die from furniture falling on them! And so many more are injured. We bought the supplies the next day!

pinottoparenthood · January 2014

I can't even read it. I read that long article about kids that are forgotten in the car and how it can happen to anyone... I was seriously scarred and traumatized. I never got over it.

Just curious, what kinds of furniture does it say you should anchor? Just shelves and those types of things? I suck at babyproofing.... so far we have one gate. Luckily, R isn't too mobile yet... but I know he will be, soon!

Shabutie · January 2014

@pinottoparenthood That one about kid forgotten in the car made me cry so hard. I imagine what it was like for that poor child and what thoughts were going through his head. It just makes me feel sick. I know it was an accident, but it is so painful to hear about and I am extremely paranoid about leaving Josie in the car now- I will check the back even when I know I didn't bring her with me. I know what you mean when you say you haven't gotten over it. :-S

The article wasn't about what you should anchor or how, but I posted a couple of comments up that should answer your question.

megandscott07 · January 2014

I can't read the story but I am completely naive to think I could avoid anchoring if I don't leave LO alone to get into trouble? (This is clearly my first child)

danuli8 · January 2014

Someone posted this while we were all pregnant and I cried my EYES out...and then ordered securing cables. We have already secured three bookcases.

love4b · January 2014

I just sent this link to every mom and expecting mom I know - and posted it on the Brooklyn parents email list. I had no idea. So heart-wrenchingly sad.

kelsea1031 · January 2014

megandscott07 said:

I can't read the story but I am completely naive to think I could avoid anchoring if I don't leave LO alone to get into trouble? (This is clearly my first child)

Honestly, yes. You would not even believe how quickly/quietly kids can get into things. And it's simply not possible to have your eyes on a child 24/7. It may seem easy right now but things like furniture tipping over become an even bigger risk as they become mischievous toddlers and preschoolers. It is not difficult or expensive to do some simple things like anchoring your furniture but it could save your child's life.

megandscott07 · January 2014

Thanks ladies. It's not that I think it's difficult or expensive to do this, it's just that my husband is super OCD and doesn't want any holes in the walls. I will have to show him the article to get him to understand and hopefully secure everything this weekend.

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