As income tax return checks come in, more families are buying things like furniture or new TV's.
There's an important safety reminder, make sure your new furniture or TV is properly anchored.
About every 30 minutes, a fallen TV or tipped furniture hurts a child in the U.S. The force of a falling TV on a child is ten times stronger than two NFL football players colliding at full speed.
According to the Consumer Product Safety Commission, furniture tip-overs claimed the lives of 431 children between the years 2000 and 2016.
Often times toddlers pull out dresser drawers and use them to climb to reach something or just for fun.
Even flat screen TVs can be dangerous if they tip over. They're heavy enough to injure or even crush a child.
CPSC Chairwoman Ann Marie Buerkle said 91 percent of tip-over fatalities happen in the home, yet parents are often unaware of the hidden hazards lurking in every room.
"What happens is a dresser or a TV or an appliance, they're not stable," she said.
Children between the ages of two and five are extremely curious.
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"Generally, the dresser will have a TV on it and will injure and or kill that child," said Buerkle.
The commission said there are two words that are key to childproofing your furniture and TVs: Anchor It!
They're honing in on this campaign throughout the month of March to warn parents about tip over accidents.
"All TV's that are not wall mounted should still be anchored to the wall. And if the TV is on top of furniture that could tip over, attach it to the wall as well. It's a simple installation that will take you about 10 minutes," said Jim Willcox of Consumer Reports.
Anti-tip devices generally cost between $5 and $25, and are easy to install. They could save your child's life.
An online search for "anti-tip strap" or "anti-tip kit" will result in a variety of purchase options.
The commission said consumers should install the anti-tip devices according to manufacturer instructions and always double check the attachment points to make sure the device is secure.
Parents will need to set aside some time to make sure each room is up to these standards, but it's time that could save your child's life.
As for parents, we're told preventing tip-over accidents is easier than you may think.
To learn how to secure your TVs and furniture, go here.
