How do you make your home safe? Paedetrician's Warning

[missslc]

Our son is just starting to walk and pull at things so we are trying to child proof our one level home.

Now we have already done the obvious like make cupboards safe, move harmful liquid stuff but we are now looking at our flat screen tv in the corner and wondering how to prevent him getting near it.

What do people do? I am guessing just gate off the whole area with special gates?

The reason we are suddenly so concerned is we have just got back from hospital- baby has had bronchiolitis and 3 paedetricians all made a point of asking how secure how home was( theye were lovely and really trying to alert us to the risks). One of the things they said was that they see children on the ward with 'utterly horrifying' injuries from heavy things ( eg tv) falling onto them. So we are very motivated to find a solution before our son is fully walking.We cannot bracket the tv on the wall as we are in an earthquake area and the wall is not strong enough.

When you look on line there is so much but we want to know what people have used and has worked?

Thanks

[camflower]

I was Reading this lying in bed bfing ds and worrying about how dangerous my house was when I dropped my iPhone on his head and made him cry

[PartialToACupOfMilo]

My MIL told me the other week how SIL had pulled their TV onto herself when she was little and how we should bolt ours to the stand. LO had until that point shown no interest in touching the TV and MIL is known to exaggerate, so I told her we didn't need to. Then literally about a week later dd started to go up to the TV and pull herself up on the stand, so I'm reading this thread with interest.

I think we're just going to push the TV (flat screen) to the back of the stand so she can't reach it and see how much interest she then shows in it and think about maybe bolting it down. We already bought a door for the stand (good old Ikea ) so she can't get to the DVD etc.

We don't have any socket covers or anything really other than a stairgate on the kitchen. Not that I mind her being in the kitchen, but it's up a step and round the corner from the TV and before it went up I caught her hanging off the edge of the step craning her neck to watch the TV - so it's more to stop her falling out...

[MumAtVineCottage]

When we lived in Australia there was a safety brand called Dreambaby that made all sorts of stuff to keep the home safe and it wasn't expensive. We used their TV Straps to secure our flat screen TV to the TV cabinet, it was very reassuring to know it could not tip. I have noticed that you can now get this product here in England. Hope this helps.

[Manchesterhistorygirl]

My friend in LA has her flat screen on the wall, I actually visited when it was being done and that was an earthquake proof method apparently. Failing that bolt the bugger to the stand and floor.

[ZangelbertBingeldac]

"And the sockets. A baby who is only rolling can get fingers in a socket. You can't have too many socket covers."

I disagree with this. Socket covers can make plugs MORE unsafe than not having them.

OP, we have a flatscreen TV on a wooden TV stand and we bought a bracket that is screwed on to the tv stand which means the TV can't be pulled over. I wouldn't let DH bring the flatscreen TV into the house without one of these.

[pooka]

Don't get socket covers. They are actually more dangerous.

www.fatallyflawed.org.uk

[Wishiwasanheiress]

This is odd. I just spend time with the kids and say NO an awful lot. They learn fast.

[Pagwatch]

This is a thread from 2010 MumAtVineCottage.

I don't expect the op needs the advice anymore. Her child is probably at uni.

You don't have any connection to the company you mention do you?

[pooka]

Pah. Didnt realise was zombie thread and possible ad to boot.

[WhoKnowsWhereTheTimeGoes]

Rotary washing lines are another strangulation hazard, in the lowered position, either leave them up permanently, put a cover on or put it in the shed when not in use.

[Cloverer]

What is odd, Wishi?
Huge flatscreen TVs are a pretty new feature in most homes and much easier to pull over than CRTs, so definitely worth thinking about.

[MinimalistMommi]

The was a hole on the base of our TV stand attached to the Sony TV, we drilled a hole into our wooden TV stand that TV sits on and actually screwed TV into it so there was no chance of it being pulled over.