[By Big C]
IKEA relaunches recall of dressers in US after death of 8th child
Such news break my heart when I imagine how the little ones get trapped under the dressers. And these news are not rare… especially for these IKEA dressers…
Official recall from IKEA here.
Name of Product: Children’s and adult chests and dressers
Hazard: The recalled chests and dressers are unstable if they are not properly anchored to the wall, posing serious tip-over and entrapment hazards that can result in injuries or death to children.
I used to think perhaps the parents should have followed the instructions and ensure that it is mounted to the wall.
Then I realised that hey! I wouldn’t have done that too if I bought it? Because I don’t want to set it permanently in that position and I have no tools to drill the mounting kit and come on… my kids wouldn’t be climbing that! (would they???)
I don’t know how popular these dressers are in Singapore because my hubby and I decided against it as we didn’t have the space and we didn’t like big furnitures. We end up using Toyogo multi layer drawers instead.
But I am quite sure that most would have just set it there against the wall.
And well, accidents happen when you least expect it!
So please check your home now!!
Dressers
Regardless if it is from IKEA or from any other furniture shop. The risk is similar and your kid could still be climbing up those drawers to reach for stuff above it!
Always make sure that all drawers are closed properly so that they cannot step on the drawers so easily.
Do not use the dresser top to keep things out of their reach, especially their favourite toy or the snack that they have been eyeing for.
Observe their behaviour around the dresser. Some kids are naturally curious and active that they would climb on any form of furniture while some just treat them as “invisible”.
Electric Fan
These are the most dangerous thing to me in my house! It can topple on your child, it can chop off their little fingers and it can pull their Long hair in risking tearing their scalp!
Though they are usually weighted, I noticed that the cheaper ones tend to be lighter and more wobbly!
And the connected joint between the base and the top tend to get loose over time. I had experienced my fan having “broken necks” before when it just broke and the blade (thankfully still kept within the cage) was still spinning after it landed.
Now we are using all KDK fans and we take extra notice whenever the kids go near the fan.
Remember to place the fan in places where it will not obstruct the kids’ way.
Make firm warnings if you see them stepping on the base of the fan. They should never attempt to do that whether the fan is switched on or not.
Use a safety net to cover the fan if necessary to prevent them from putting their little fingers in. Avoid buying cute design because that will only make them more curious!
Older girls with long hair should be educated and reminded not to go too near the fan. I teach Big E about this. Just in case! To be honest I have no clue if the fan can indeed pull in the hair (based on physics) but I just want to be triple safe.
Toilet bowls / Water Pails
Doesn’t take too much water to drown a little one. So take extra precaution! And it’s very dangerous too if they slip and fall.
Put down the toilet bowl lid and/or close the toilet doors at all times if you are allowing your tots to roam around. This is very important especially if you have habit of soaking soiled clothes in water pails!
Set boundaries when they are older. I teach Big E that she cannot step into the toilet on her own if the floor is wet. Even if I am just behind her. She must wait for me to hold her hands before she step in.
Best practice? Always check on your kid every other minute! They are fast creatures and we all know silence is scary when it comes to these little ones…
Phone chargers and cables
If your sockets are low, do not charge your phones at those visible to them. Use those that are away from their sight or use extension cable to put it on the table.
Make it a habit to unplug the charger after charging because you wouldn’t know when they may bump in the area and decide to play with it.
If you are leaving the phone on the table, ensure the cable and phone are away from the edge so they wouldn’t pull it down.
Cups and table cloths
Make sure everything that is on the table are away from your tots’ reach! From their height, they can only see a part of whatever is hanging over. They know no danger. And their curious hands would simply reach out to anything and pull!
So make sure all the cups – breakable or not, contain hot or cold drinks are placed out of their reach, away from the edge of the table. If you place them on table cloths or coasters, make sure those are away too.
And always remember that they are growing! What they can’t reach today, they may reach it tomorrow. So always observe and make sure that things are behind that “RED” line.
Do share this with your friends and family with young kids!
If you have other warnings to share, do comment below or drop me an email!
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