not to worry about bookcases tipping.

[RedHotPokers]

We have quite an uneven floor in our living room and a tall bookcase. When we bought the bookcase I persuaded DH to 'tie' it to the wall using the strap supplied with it by IKEA. DH thought it was a bit pointless, but I insisted because we were ttc and I thought it made sense in case we had DCs and they tried to climb it or something.

Fast forward 6 years and my parents have recently moved and put two big bookcases in the room our DCs stay in occasionally. One of the bookcases had been in the DCs room in their previous house. DH informed my DM that she should tie the bookcases to the wall just in case the DCs managed to tip them over.

My DM asked about the ties in a few DIY shops (which apparently didn't do them) and a furniture shop (which apparently also didn't sell them). DM has now decided that its probably not worth bothering,as the bookcases are fairly wide at the base and not on an uneven surface, so unlikely to tip.

DH has now got a bee in his bonnet about this, and thinks DM is being irresponsible. I can see both sides, but am a bit that DH is making such a big thing about it seeing as he well-known for his lack of health and safety, and as he hadn't wanted to tie our bookcases to the wall initially either. I can't help but think he's just trying to have a dig at DM, who he does get exasperated with fairly easily.

So, DH wants me to ask MN whether IABU to just go with the flow and leave my DM to do what she thinks is best in her own house (we had a HUGE bookcase in the living room as kids and I'm 100% sure that wasn't fixed to the wall in any way)?

(sorry long!)

Just read Mollie, that must have been the one I saw

I am a childminder so my very heavy book case is secured to the wall. Most certainly better safe the sorry.

I met a lady on holiday a couple of years ago who's twins had been killed by climbing out of their cots during their lunchtime nap, pulling out the bottom drawer of a chest of drawers and climbing into it. The chest toppled onto them and they both died. Tragic story.

Haven't read back. We always tie them to the wall. We had major work done on our house 3 years ago and moved into rented accom whilst it was done for 7 months. We couldn't secure stuff to the wall there.

2 days before moving back in, we emptied it ( there was still some stuff in it ) and DS ( then 5 ) leant on it and it fell on him. It landed, unbelievably, so his head and shoulders were in a shelf, so not a scratch.

Alwys, always secure them.

I don't understand why the OP wouldn't want to tie them to the wall (as others said, it doesn't literally have to be the packs you can buy with the ties, either a metal strip, or some simple screws and a chain, or wedges under the fronts will do - simple solutions).

You had to explain to your DH the reason why you thought it was safer, now he's clearly listened to you, you're sticking up for your mum instead?

By all means make it as easy as possible - offer to do it yourself if needed - but for god's sake heed the warnings about this stuff and tie them back. I've never known anyone personally to lose a child from an accident like this BUT my mum has told me in the past that my oldest brother once climbed on top of the bookcase as a child, got halfway up, and it fell over on him - and he was generally a very well behaved child (so I'm told - repeatedly ) - luckily he wasn't too badly hurt, and I wasn't even born at the time, but that's enough for me to think it's better safe than sorry!

I'd urge a reminder about things like window cord blinds too, for that matter - far too many stories in the press about parents having these in their homes and little ones ending up tangled in them. Totally needless, pointless accidents - easily fixed in terms of prevention.

It's not worth the risk. Anything tall that a toddler can climb up needs fitting to the wall with an 'L' shaped bracket. It only needs two screws. My DS have tipped chests of drawers over. Fortunately no real damage was done. One also stood on the flap down door of a free standing cooker and tipped that over.....fortunately nothing was cooking on the hob. Tall bookcases do tip over and it really is no use just telling DC not to climb up furniture.

reindeer exactly. My mum knows someone whose friend lost a child by getting a blind chord around their neck while their mum was in the next room :-(.

Having read all the horror stories on here, decided to screw case into wall in DCs room. They are old enough to know better, but god forbid if one of our small visitors or cousins got squashed. Thanks for the wake up call

In a way bookcases are safer.
Drawers are aworse because the weight is shifted out of the support base.

It happened to a friend, with a TV on top, although her DD was luckily unharmed.

I would and did worry more when young children are around. Not so much with a 6 year old.

There are lots of awful stories here , but whilst that might make me take action to secure large and heavy pieces of furniture in my own house, it wouldn't occurr to me to ask relatives to do the same IMHO unless one of my DCs was a known climber. I'd be more tempted to just pitch up with a couple of door wedges if we were going to stay there.

I have heard alot of horror stories about falling televisions too. There are very good
here

After reading this www.thefreelibrary.com/TWINS+TRAGEDY%3B+Sister+and+brother,+2+suffocate+trapped+in+chest+of...-a0122641812 all ours are tied to the wall with metal l brackets. Better safe than sorry.

I agree that they should really be tied, but I think your dh should get the kit and do this for your mum.

The other thing I wanted to mention on this thread is the cord on blinds. A few kids have been accidentally strangled because they were playing with them. It's something that you just don't think about until you hear a tragic story in the news.

info here

Above is a very sad but useful site in memory of a little girl who died when furniture tipped over. The family are trying to spread awareness of making furniture safer.

FIX IT TO THE WALL!

Both my DS have been climbers so we fix everything to the wall. Except for the other day when we took an old cabinet down for someone to collect (which they didn't) and it was in the kitchen lent against the dishwasher. DS2, 13mo, decided to climb up it! Luckily I was in the kitchen making tea when eh did it! I have never screamed so loudly in my life! I thought he was going to die, but luckily I manged to grab it before it hit him and he was just shocked! Said cabinet is now wedged between two solid items one a chair and the other a wall. It will be gone on wednesday!

Ds managed to climb on the bookcase in the school nursery when he was 3.5. He knows he is not meant to climb on furniture, so why he did it I don't know. It was, as you can imagine, designed to withstand being climbed up and theoretically shouldn't have tipped over - but he must have swung back and it tipped over - his teacher was clearly traumatised (more than ds) and said that she was imaginging the worst when all she could see was a leg sticking out. Luckily ds was fine, but it shows how easily these things happen, even with things carefully designed not to fall over.

Will your DH not offer to do it for her?
Then she doesn't have to bother with it, and he can rest assured - everyone's a winner.

I guess I'm getting too old and cranky, but your use of DM, DH, DS, IABU, and MN to be very irritating. I really have to restrain my languageOh, there is a way. How about #%$##@$@$*&%^$%!!! That's what I think of your cutenot--abbreviations.

may I extend a warm welcome to you nikurashi