Lauren HollandBy Lauren Holland

The living room is where families gather, play, and relax, but for a toddler it can also hold hidden risks. Furniture, electronics, cords, and even small decorative items can become hazards when a curious child begins to explore. The good news is that a few practical steps can greatly reduce these dangers. No single product or change makes a room completely childproof, as the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) reminds us, but combining the right safety devices with watchful supervision helps create a much safer space.

In brief: Anchor all heavy furniture and TVs, secure button battery compartments, eliminate cord hazards, soften sharp edges, screen heat sources, and use outlet covers that cannot be choked on. Supervision remains essential.

Anchoring TVs and Furniture to Prevent Tip-Overs

Furniture and television tip-overs are a leading cause of injury among young children. The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) reports that 77% of all tip-over deaths from 2000 to 2019 involved kids under the age of six. Toddlers climb, pull, and reach for items on high surfaces, and even a piece of furniture that seems stable can topple when drawers are open or a child’s weight shifts. The CPSC’s Anchor It campaign urges families to use sturdy furniture, secure televisions, and mount flat-screen TVs to the wall. The campaign also advises removing toys, remote controls, and other tempting objects from the tops of TVs and furniture, because these can encourage climbing.

The AAP recommends using anti-tip devices such as metal “L” brackets to anchor dressers, bookcases, and TV stands to wall studs. Plastic anchors can become brittle over time, so metal hardware is a more durable choice. For dressers, installing drawer stops or safety straps prevents a child from pulling out multiple drawers and shifting the unit’s balance. The AAP also stresses that flat-screen TVs, while lighter than older tube-style sets, can still weigh as much as one or two bowling balls and must be anchored. Safe Kids Worldwide similarly advises mounting flat-panel TVs to the wall and using brackets, braces, or wall straps to secure top-heavy furniture. If you still have a large cathode ray tube (CRT) television, place it on a low, stable piece of furniture or recycle it.

Even when you are in the same room, a tip-over can happen in an instant. The AAP notes that about half of fatal tip-over incidents involving children occur in bedrooms, sometimes while parents believe their child is asleep. For more on securing furniture throughout the home, see our guide to toddler-proofing room by room. You can also explore specific anchoring products on our furniture anchors page.

Button Batteries in Remotes and Electronics

Many living room items, including remote controls, key fobs, flameless candles, and small electronic toys, contain button cell or coin batteries. The CPSC warns that if swallowed, a button battery can burn through a child’s throat or esophagus in as little as two hours. The consequences can be immediate and severe. The CPSC advises keeping remotes, electronics and other products with accessible button or coin batteries away from children if the battery compartments do not have a screw closure, and the AAP lists small remote controls, key fobs and flameless candles among the products that contain them.

The CPSC advises that toys with button batteries are required to have a secure closure that needs a screwdriver, coin, or tool to open. Check all battery compartments in your living room electronics. If a compartment is damaged or cannot be secured, repair or dispose of the product. Loose batteries are especially dangerous: as soon as you remove a discharged cell, place non-conductive tape (such as electrical tape) over the terminals or around the entire battery and take it to a battery-collection center. Store spare and used batteries out of a toddler’s reach and sight.

If you suspect a child has swallowed a button battery, the CPSC says to seek medical attention immediately. The CPSC notes that the National Capital Poison Center recommends honey for children 12 months and older on the way to the emergency room, given as 10 mL every 10 minutes for no more than six doses, only if the battery was swallowed in the past 12 hours. Do not delay going to the emergency room to obtain honey. Call the National Battery Ingestion Hotline (800-498-8666) or the Poison Help Line (800-222-1222) for treatment information. For broader poison prevention strategies, visit our poison prevention section.

Cords and Window Covering Cords

Electrical cords and window covering cords can pose strangulation and tripping risks. The AAP’s home safety tips recommend keeping electrical cords out of reach and sight. For window coverings, the AAP says to avoid those with cords entirely. If you cannot replace corded blinds or drapes, attach the cords to floor mounts that hold them taut, or wrap them around wall brackets to keep them out of reach. Use safety stop devices on cords, and cut any loops, equipping them with safety tassels.

The CPSC’s childproofing guide also emphasizes using cordless window coverings in homes with young children. If cordless products are not an option, the CPSC suggests calling the Window Covering Safety Council at 800-506-4636 for a free repair kit. Tension devices can anchor continuous loops and bead chains to the floor or wall. Eliminate any dangling pull cords by making them as short as possible. For more window safety measures, see our window safety page.

Coffee Table Edges and Corner Bumpers

Sharp corners on coffee tables, end tables, and fireplace hearths are a common cause of bumps and cuts when a toddler is learning to walk or playing actively. The AAP’s home safety guidance specifically calls out coffee tables as a particular hazard. It suggests removing dangerous furniture from traffic areas when possible, or applying cushioned corner- and edge-protectors that stick onto the furniture. The CPSC’s childproofing guide recommends using corner and edge bumpers to help prevent injuries from falls against sharp edges of furniture and fireplaces. Look for bumpers that stay securely on furniture or hearth edges, as the CPSC advises. For more on reducing fall risks, visit our falls prevention resources.

Fireplace and Heater Screens, Hot Glass Doors

Heat sources in the living room require careful barriers. The AAP advises checking fireplaces, woodstoves, kerosene heaters, and other heat sources to make sure they are screened so that a child cannot get near them. Gas fireplaces with glass doors become extremely hot and can cause severe burns when touched. The AAP also recommends checking electric baseboard heaters, radiators, and even vents from hot-air furnaces to see how hot they get; these may need to be screened as well. The CPSC’s childproofing guide notes that corner and edge bumpers can be used on hearth edges to soften impacts. For additional burn prevention steps, see our burns and hot surfaces section.

Outlet Covers and Plugs That Are Not Choking Hazards

Unused electrical outlets are tempting for small fingers. The AAP’s home safety tips say to put non-choking hazard safety plugs in all unused outlets. If a child repeatedly tries to access outlets, block them with furniture. The CPSC’s childproofing guide adds that outlet covers and outlet plates should be large enough so that children cannot choke on them and should not be easily removed by a toddler. If you are replacing receptacles, the CPSC recommends using tamper-resistant types. For a deeper look at outlet safety, read our article on outlet covers and tamper-resistant outlets.

Plastic Bags and Small Objects

Plastic bags can suffocate a child. The AAP’s home safety guidance warns never to leave plastic bags lying around the house, and never to store toys or other items in plastic bags. Dry-cleaning bags are particularly dangerous; knot them before throwing them away so that a child cannot crawl into them or pull them over their head. Even a small torn-off piece of plastic can become a choking hazard. The AAP also advises getting down at a child’s eye level to check floors constantly for small objects such as coins, beads, buttons, and pins that could be swallowed. For more on choking hazards, visit our choking hazards page.

Putting It All Together: A Living Room Safety Routine

No device is completely childproof, as the CPSC emphasizes, and determined toddlers have been known to overcome safety products. That is why supervision remains the most important layer of protection. Still, a consistent safety routine can greatly reduce risks. Walk through your living room and anchor all heavy furniture and TVs, secure battery compartments, eliminate cord hazards, soften sharp edges, screen heat sources, and install outlet covers that cannot be removed or choked on. Keep plastic bags out of reach and regularly scan the floor for small items. For a guide that covers every room, see our toddler home safety checklist.

Frequently asked questions

What should I do if my toddler swallows a button battery?

Seek emergency medical care immediately. The CPSC states that a button battery can cause serious injury in as little as two hours. The CPSC notes that the National Capital Poison Center recommends honey for children 12 months and older on the way to the emergency room (10 mL every 10 minutes, no more than six doses), but do not delay going to the emergency room to get honey. Call the National Battery Ingestion Hotline (800-498-8666) or Poison Help (800-222-1222) for guidance.

How can I tell if my furniture is stable enough without anchors?

Even heavy, well-made furniture can tip when drawers are open or a child climbs. The AAP notes that furniture design, carpeted surfaces, and the weight of objects inside can all affect stability. The only reliable way to reduce tip-over risk is to anchor furniture to the wall using metal anti-tip devices, as recommended by both the AAP and the CPSC’s Anchor It campaign.

Are outlet covers really necessary if my outlets are behind furniture?

Yes. Toddlers can reach behind furniture or move lightweight pieces. The AAP recommends using non-choking hazard safety plugs in all unused outlets, and the CPSC advises that outlet covers should be large enough not to pose a choking risk and difficult for a child to remove. If a child shows persistent interest in an outlet, blocking access with heavy furniture is an additional step.

For more room-by-room guidance, visit our living room safety page.

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Lauren Holland

About Lauren Holland

Lauren Holland is part of our editorial team and reviews and edits our childproofing guides, checking product details against manufacturer specifications and owner feedback.