# Babyproofing a glass-topped table



## Belia (Dec 22, 2007)

I have this coffee table:

http://www.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/products/50087072

The picture's not great, but it's a 36" square glass-topped coffee table. Will the glass be a problem with my DS? If so, how do I babyproof it?


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## flower01 (Aug 1, 2007)

Honestly, we just got rid of our coffee table until she was an accomplished walker. I just didn't want to risk the pointy corners or hard edges.


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## Lisa1970 (Jan 18, 2009)

Ditto on the getting rid of. I had to rid of the dining table because it was top heavy (glass) and I was afraid the baby would try to pull to stand on it. We just went without. I also rid of coffee tables and anything with sharp edges. But...if you want..there are soft edgey thingies that you can buy. Make sure they are a good fit. I would not worry about the glass breaking in the middle..just the sharp edges on the corners.


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## Lisa1970 (Jan 18, 2009)

Also, I have never heard of the glass on a coffee table being so fragile that it could break under the weight of a falling, banging toddler. But, of course, I have not seen every coffee table in the world. But I would guess it would be thick enough and tempered.


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## Ducky5306 (Jul 2, 2006)

Before you get rid of the table check out this website









http://www.abcfunpads.com/

if you can sew you could make your own.. Its a great idea! I love how cute their patterns are too.. (No, I don't work for the company! lol I actually don't even own one i just love the idea! I found their website long after my DS was done being a wobbly walker)


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## Belia (Dec 22, 2007)

I think I'm mostly worried about him taking a hard toy of some kind and banging it repeatedly on the glass and breaking it. Do kids do that? And would he do it hard enough to break the glass?? It is very sturdy, but still....

I can't imagine getting rid of it completely.............


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## Jenne (May 21, 2004)

Pool noodles work well to cover sharp corners tightly!

Jenne


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## Ceili (Nov 21, 2001)

We put our coffee table in storage until ds was a pretty accomplished walker. It freed up space in the living room for him to roll about on the floor.

That said, I don't think you need to worry about it breaking. About a year or so ago we were at playgroup and I watched a largish 3 year old launch himself off the sofa and onto the glass top coffee table. Neither were damaged during the event. It might get scratched up and it will get lots of finger prints and drool on it, but it probably won't break.

Edited... after clicking the link I see the warning about the possibility of breakage. In my head I was picturing the type with a solid glass top. You could remove the glass and maybe fill in the space with something else? Maybe corkboard covered in fabric/vinyl or something along those lines?


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## FiveLittleMonkeys (Jan 21, 2009)

We also got rid of our coffee table while the kids were learning to walk. In fact, our youngest is almost 8, and we have yet to replace it - to me, it's just a clutter magnet!!

If you want to keep it, I would replace the glass with something that isn't breakable.


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## Ironica (Sep 11, 2005)

Apparently, when I was two, I THREW a glass-topped coffee table across the room and broke it.

Also, our (wooden) coffee table has hundreds of tiny dents in the top, from DS1's joyful habit of slamming the coasters corner-down onto it.

So, yeah, I'd say cover it or take the glass out. See if you can get something like a clear silicone sheet, maybe? That way you'd get to keep the essential look of the table, but it would be insulated from toddler predation.

We never got rid of our coffee table. DS1 bumped his head on it maybe eight times before he learned where it was and how to avoid it. DS2 never runs into it at all; our living room now is HUGE and the coffee table is off to the side.


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## Hazelnut (Sep 14, 2005)

We had a similar one from ikea for several years, but never did replace or get rid of it. He bonked his head on the wooden corners a few times, and we put the soft bumpers on the corners, which he repeatedly took off. I didn't really feel like it was the most treacherous thing in our house. I did worry about the glass. It got banged with cars a few times, and they tried to climb on it a few times (that DID worry me, but it stopped before i got rid of it), but that's all. We actually threw a thomas road on it and it was a road/train table for a looong time. The biggest danger was what they did to the table. It got pretty knicked. Now we wound up with another, somehow, but the glass is so thick and the edges rounded that I'm not worried (just no clmbing).


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