Although it is already a month old article, I recently read an article in the New York Times called “With Kids and Coffee Tables, It’s Trip, Fall, Ouch.” The article was an in depth editorial on the great dangers of having a coffee table at home.
Okay, yes, when we were all little you probably shoved your sibling into the coffee table or babysat a family member’s baby where with the blink of an eye, the baby was hanging on the table and then hit his or her head…it happens on many objects! Not that it is okay to split your head open when you hit the table, but the article really makes it seem like the coffee table is the #1 reason for these types of accidents/emergency room altercations. I have a friend Nick who has a scar on his chin because he jumped off the piano as a child trying to be Superman!
On a scary note, the NY Times article states, “Last year, 143,070 children age 5 and younger visited emergency rooms after table accidents, according to estimates from the United States Consumer Product Safety Commission. Coffee tables, in particular, turn up in more than a quarter of the accident reports, in the commission’s sample count.
The safety commission recommends that parents install bumpers on the corners and edges of their tables.
My boyfriend’s parents have a coffee table with iron around the edges – not exactly baby friendly. Lol. They used rubber and child proofed it. It looks ugly now, but hey, for the next few years while their grandchildren are young, it’s no biggy. At 15 to 18 inches tall, a coffee table makes an irresistible handhold for a baby who is learning to pull himself or herself up and try to walk.
But my argument is that kids are always bumping into things, and most parents panic, especially when they see blood….which is only natural right? Typical parental anxiety. 🙂
All in all – my advice is…if you are a new couple and planning on having kids, look for coffee tables that aren’t too high and have round edges. If you already have your to-die-for coffee table, put bumpers on it and try to keep an eye on your baby when he or she learns to walk or tell your kids to slow down if they are running around the house. Most ways that kids incur injuries is – falling, climbing and jumping. From jumping on the bed to falling out a chair…there are many things that can happen in a home.
Here are some tips on how to “baby proof” a coffee table:
All you need to do is get the pool noodles that are the length of the table (cutting may be required) and split the noodles horizontally all the way down to wear it will fit on the edge. My table was flat so it just squeezed on there but you may have to cut yours to fit. If there are any notches or cuts in your table (there are 3 on each side of mine) press firmly on the noodle on your table so it makes an indention and then cut out the indention. Do this on all sides that may need it.- If you have a round table or if eventually your little one starts thinking they look fun to pull off of the table and hit you with, you’ll want to secure them in with tape (doesn’t look great but works well).
- Your table is baby proofed and you get to keep your furniture!
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