We didn’t know about the danger of an unsecured dresser in our toddler’s bedroom | Opinion

On holidays like Mother’s Day, we’re reminded of the special memories we have of spending time at home with the people most important to us — our children. We always want to keep them safe. But at home, we also expect them to be shielded from danger.

For those of us who have lived through a tragedy of losing a child to a product safety hazard, Mother’s Day, a day meant for celebrating motherhood, can be difficult.

On a November afternoon in 2007, we got the call no parent wants to get. Our 2 1/2-year-old son, Charlie, had woken up from a nap and opened his dresser — just 30 inches tall — which tipped over on top of him, tragically taking his young life. This type of accident is often silent as the dresser falls on the child’s body, buffering any sound. Charlie’s triplet brother slept through the entire thing, in the same room.

We had done so much to baby-proof our home — installing cabinet locks and baby gates, raising cords out of reach, covering the corners on the coffee table — but we didn’t know that anchoring dressers to the wall should have been on the list. Had we taken steps to avoid this hidden home danger, Charlie would be celebrating his 19th birthday this week.

Unfortunately, I am not the only mother with a story like this. Earlier this year, the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission issued a new report focusing on injuries and fatalities that result from furniture, television and appliance tip-over incidents. It revealed that a child is treated in an emergency department every 53 minutes for a tip-over accident involving an appliance, piece of furniture or TV.

Spurred on by the advocacy of groups such as Charlie’s House, which my husband and I co-founded, the federal government has taken steps to make furniture less tip-over prone before it leaves the manufacturing warehouse. As a result of our efforts, Congress passed the Stop Tip-overs of Unstable, Risky Dressers on Youth Act or STURDY Act, and the Consumer Product Safety Commission now ensures furniture will be more stable, reducing child tip-over accidents. This new regulation, which went into effect last September, requires anchoring kits be included with all clothing storage furniture purchases.

You can take essential steps at home to protect your family from dangerous tip-over risks by anchoring large appliances, bookcases, dressers and other furniture securely to the wall. Always place TV sets on a sturdy, low base, and keep cable cords out of reach. Also, items such as toys and remotes should be stored out of sight so that so kids will not be tempted to climb furniture and reach for them.

Mother’s Day is a time to relax and celebrate with the whole family, so take the necessary steps right now to ensure your home is safe for your children. Help out the mom in your life, and “Anchor It.” It takes just a moment of your time, and will make Mother’s Day a holiday everyone can enjoy, safely.

Jenny Horn is co-founder of Charlie’s House, a Kansas City-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit whose mission is to prevent accidents and injuries to children in and around the home. To learn how to properly childproof your home, you can visit the nation’s first-of-its-kind safety demonstration house at 2425 Campbell St. on Hospital Hill. See charlieshouse.org for more information.