Tempting ropes, vibrating TV screens, light fixtures called remotes - follow these steps to protect yourself from the dangers hidden in your living room.
For you, an entertainment center means downtime. But for babies, it's a life-sized version of an Exersaucer with tons of buttons, strings, and gadgets to play - and if that TV stand isn't properly protected from baby predators, it could become a serious hazard. According to the Consumer Product Safety Commission, one child dies every two weeks from a fall from a piece of furniture or equipment, and TVs and related furniture account for 70 percent of accidents. Here's a simple baby-proof checklist to make your media cabinets completely safe for children.
Tie up your TV. Mounting a flat-screen to the wall is the safest option, but if that doesn't work, you can tie or anchor your TV, and Howard Appelbaum, a certified child protection expert and New York owner of Baby Proofers Plus states. Attach one end of the strap to the back of the device and the other end to the wall or cabinet at the back of the device to prevent the TV from falling over when the baby grabs it.
Keep it locked. If your TV standard has a door, hold the cable box, DVD player, or game console behind it and lock the door with a child's lock. If your cabinet doors aren't made of glass, buy a remote control extender, a small device that sits next to the TV and can send signals to electronic devices hidden from view.
Protect your players If you can't hide a cable box or console behind a door, Appelbaum recommends securing the small electronic components with electronic safety tape that secures them to the surface of the cabinet with a strong adhesive. You can also equip an Apple TV, Roku player, cable box, or DVD player with a small Plexiglas strap that covers the front and prevents little fingers from pressing buttons - or inserting foreign objects into the DVD slot.
Control the strings. If possible, keep the strings for your electronics on the back of your entertainment media. Invest in a rope cover that ties the strings together and attaches them to the wall or floor to keep them out of reach.
Cover the corners. When your baby can move around, sharp corners on furniture can be more of a hazard than a design element. If your entertainment center falls into this category, pad the corners (be sure not to spoil the finish with the glue that often comes with these products). Appelbaum also recommends quilting handles and knobs that come loose from the baby at eye level.
Remove the remote control. Many remote controls don't have a battery cover that is screwed on so that your little finger doesn't get in the way. Keep all remotes out of the reach of children to avoid a choking hazard.