The Parenting Journal

Every week, somewhere in the United States, a dresser falls on a child. That is not a rhetorical device. CPSC reports one child death every two weeks from furniture, TV, or appliance tip-overs. And the location where it most often...

The night my older daughter fell out of bed the first time, I didn’t hear it happen. I heard the silence after it, and then the cry. She was 28 months old, three weeks into her big-kid bed, and she’d...

Every year, parents who own fireplaces face a choice that feels deceptively simple: put something between the child and the flames, or don’t. The problem is that "something" covers a wide range of products, from flimsy decorative screens to serious...

Key Takeaways Hardware-mounted gates are the only CPSC and AAP-recommended choice at the bottom of stairs. Pressure mounts can shift over time, changing latch alignment and swing geometry. Wall damage from pressure pads is often worse and harder to fix...

About 93,000 children under 5 are treated in U.S. emergency rooms each year for stair-related injuries, according to a Nationwide Children’s Hospital analysis of CPSC NEISS data. That number stops most parents cold. And yet the gate question I get...

Most modern homes have lever-style door handles. Most child safety products were designed for round knobs. That mismatch leaves a gap that a determined toddler will find, usually on the door you least want them opening. 87,000+ — Children under...

Key Takeaways Mesh gates are safe for flat doorways, never for the top of stairs. Look for explicit ASTM F1004 compliance before buying any gate. Adhesive mounts need 24–72 hours to cure and monthly integrity checks. Retractable gates suit high-traffic...

Every year, an average of 17,800 people visit emergency rooms for injuries caused by furniture and TV tip-overs, per the CPSC 2023 Annual Tip-Over Report. Children bear the worst of it. CPSC reports one child death every two weeks from...

The dresser in my older daughter’s room looked stable. Heavy oak, four drawers, pushed against the wall. I thought nothing of it until she was about 22 months old and I walked in to find her standing in the second...