Twin Saves Brother After Dresser Falls Over

Last updated on September 3rd, 2023 at 07:53 am

Twins. They are double the love, double the kisses and sometimes double the danger. They always say two heads are better than one, but in this case, four hands, four legs, and two heads can be dangerous.

You may have seen the video clip of the two adorable toddler twins on their video monitor. They were playing like children do. They specifically were attempting to climb their dresser, like twins do, but the dresser wasn’t anchored to the wall. The dresser fell forward onto one of the boys. The other in true twin fashion tried lifting the dresser off, he tried pushing it and finally freed his brother. A pint-sized superhero!

Luckily, both boys were unharmed and according to their mom, Kayli Shoff, they were right back to quietly playing after the ordeal. When their father, Ricky, shared the clip on Facebook he mentioned they were hesitant to do so, but both parents felt the message to properly secure furniture was too important not to share. According to the Consumer Product Safety Commission, 8,000 to 10,000 people are injured by falling furniture each year. Most of those injuries are from children.

All furniture should be properly secured with anchors, straps or brackets.

TVs

Flat screen wall-mounted TVs are the safest but if you have an older model, it is best to place it on a solid, low-to-the-floor table. You can buy straps to secure the set to the wall.
Follow all manufacturer guidelines about weight and never place a TV on an unstable entertainment unit.
Use straps to secure the unit and/or TV to the wall. We like these by Wonderkid.
Do not put objects like remotes or toys up high. Twins are resourceful. They will try to climb up furniture to get it.

Bookcases/Dressers/Large Furniture

Heavier items should always be on the bottom and lighter on top.
Anchor all heavy furniture, such as bookcases, dressers, and bookshelves, to the wall. We like these wall straps. Use a stud finder to help determine where the stud is so you can anchor to that for the strongest hold.
Put drawer stoppers on each drawer so that only one drawer can open at a time. Many tip-overs happen because the weight becomes unstable. We prefer these magnetic locks over the plastic ones. Little fingers can get stuck and the plastic can snap.
Don’t overload any tall furniture with weight. Always follow the manufacturer’s guidelines for weight and placement.
Routinely check for sticky cabinet doors and drawers. Pulling hard on a stuck drawer can cause dressers or cabinets to tip forward.
Stress to your twins never to climb on any furniture. Talk to them about the dangers of tipping furniture.
Always shop for well-made, sturdy pieces. The risk of an accident increases with wobbly, thin or poorly made furniture.

We are thrilled that the Shoff twins were not harmed. We are glad Ricky and Kayli decided to share the video with the world because safety is a discussion we should always be having!

If you don’t feel confident about anchoring your furniture properly to your wall there are people you can hire to do this for you. The International Association for Child Safety has a website where you can look for child proofing professionals in your area.

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