Parents of small children who have older TVs: Read this!

[Brigid]

Apparently older, heavy TVs can pose a real threat to the little ones if they topple over.

http://www.usatoday.com/news/parenting-family/story/2012-02-08/Falling-TVs-have-killed-4-Chicago-area-kids-since-October/53014196/1

[immoderate]

1. Consumer Dept will require warning labels from manufacturers of older TVs.

--imm

[ret5hd]

2. heavy things falling hurts. no news there.

[tridim]

6. Teach your kids about gravity asap.

[Gormy Cuss]

3. Newer TVs too.

The example in the article compares a new 325 LB TV to an older one of the same size weighing 60. A sixty pound TV landing on a toddler's head can do serious damage.

The real message is strap or bolt heavy objects to the wall if you have young children in the household.

[laundry_queen]

4. Almost had that happen

to my daughter. She was old enough that I didn't think I had to have her dresser bolted to the wall (she was 7 or so) and she knew the rule was no climbing furniture (isn't that everyone's rule? lol). In fact, I had NEVER caught her climbing anything, she was one of those really quiet toddlers that didn't get into anything.

Then one day, I heard her screaming and ran into her room (9 months pregnant - fastest I've ever moved THAT pregnant) to find that her dresser and tv had toppled over onto her. Turns out she pulled out all the drawers and climbed them like a ladder to reach something on top of the tv and the whole thing went over - the tv literally flew over her head and landed on the bed, and she was holding up the dresser when I got there. She was unhurt, but very scared. That afternoon I got my FIL to come over and bolt every piece of furniture to the wall.

One thing about older tvs is that the majority of their weight is in the front. If a tv is on the front edge of a stand, it doesn't take much - a bump even - for that thing to topple forward. Very dangerous.

[laundry_queen]

5. Forgot to add

We also fastened the tvs to the stand (that was bolted to the wall) with safety straps. You can buy them in most baby safety places. I got mine online. They were very strong.

[Gold Metal Flake]

15. I will not mock you or the OP.

Stuff like this happens. Kids get hurt. it's not a fantasy or fear mongering. And your response to what happened was a good one.

Man, that was scary to read. Very glad there were no injuries.

[zbdent]

7. I thought it was going to be about something like this ...

[VWolf]

10. They're heeeere n/t

[lumberjack_jeff]

12. Videodrome. n/t

[zbdent]

14. Never saw it. I was thinking "Poltergeist" ...

[BlueIris]

8. Yikes. Thanks for the tip. nt

[renate]

9. that article is so sad

This danger used to be better publicized--I remember seeing warnings about TVs before my kids were born--but now that new TVs are so lightweight, we forget about how dangerous the old ones can be.

Thank you very much for posting this!

[lumberjack_jeff]

11. This news brief, sponsored by Amazon.com

"Did you know that heavy bookshelves can fall over and crush your precious fido? Please, think of the puppies and buy a kindle."

[Ron Obvious]

13. OK

OK, but what about sending my children out to play in the middle of the freeway? Is there a study about that?