NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WTVF) — If you've got a toddler, you may have what's known as a toddler tower.
You will find these toddler towers in a lot of homes these days with young kids. I had one when my kids were smaller. And they're great because they give kids a boost so they can do things like cook and play at counter-level with their parents.
But there may be dangers that parents may not be aware of.
Joie Golomb’s daughters love making dinner with their mom—thanks to a little boost from a toddler tower.
“I think having access to cooking with me at my level and again learning some of those chopping skills, tasting food with me, seeing what I’m doing, mixing things—that was such a special thing for us to share and be able to cook in the kitchen,” said Golomb.
With guard rails and other safety features designed to prevent falls, toddler towers are marketed as a safer alternative to a chair or stepstool. But reports of kids falling out or tipping over in the towers surfaced—both to the Consumer Product Safety Commission and in online reviews.
“There's a really wide range of quality in toddler towers on the market, and safety standards have not been established yet for how they're made or tested,” said Consumer Reports' Lauren Kirchner.
Consumer Reports conducted its own independent tests of 16 popular models.
“13 of the 16 towers we looked at failed our stability test,” said Kirchner.
Consumer Reports' stability test simulates what happens when a child leans to one side of a tower or climbs up one side. Consumer Reports reached out to the manufacturers—the six who responded said their products passed internal safety tests.
The test results may sound alarming, but Consumer Reports says it's important to follow basic safety precautions when using a toddler tower. If you’re shopping for one, look for a strong, wide base and a heavy frame with a low center of gravity and movable parts you can’t adjust without tools.
Avoid large cutouts or wide rails—kids can get stuck in them. And make sure the top guardrail is above your child's belly button while they’re
standing on the tower. Also, remember to use the towers on level floors and check the screws and fasteners regularly to make sure they’re tight.
Now keep in mind, when your kids can reach the kitchen counter, there’s a whole new level of danger: knives, glassware, even a hot stove. So make sure you childproof this area around here before you allow your kids to be up at this level.
Do you have more information about this story? You can email me at jennifer.kraus@newschannel5.com.
I'm so thankful Robb Coles highlighted the Kamer Davis clinic in Hermitage and the hardship that may force its closure. The clinic provides care for patients with intellectual and developmental disabilities and there is no other place like it nearby. You can tell the staff is so passionate about the care they provide. I hope by shining the light on this, the right person can step in and make a difference.
- Carrie Sharp
