I learned this simple tip years ago, and it has helped keep my kids alive.

To get straight to the life-saving tips, watch the video below. But be warned: Although it's not real and uses a dummy version of a child to make a very serious point, it still feels pretty jarring.

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Furniture and televisions kill (and injure) kids.

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This is Charlie. Several years ago, he passed away at 2.5 years old. He'd been taking a nap in his bedroom. He woke up and, unbeknownst to his parents, climbed up his dresser. It tipped over and crushed him. The small dresser responsible for his death was only 30 inches high.

Unfortunately, Charlie is one of many and the statistics are alarmingly high. According to the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, a child dies every other week when a piece of furniture or a TV falls on them. And an average of 25,000 kids are injured every year by tipping furniture and TVs.

It just takes a few seconds.

Toddlers and young kids may be small, but they're fast! And the furniture doesn't have to be particularly high or heavy. It takes just a few seconds for a child to take a step or two onto a piece of furniture. And then it takes no time for it to tip over.

These are accidents.

Deaths and injuries from tip-overs don't happen because parents are neglectful or "bad." They are honest accidents. But if more parents knew how easily they occur — and how easy it is to prevent them — more kids would be safe.

Here's how to prevent them.

All you need to do to prevent your child from being killed or injured by tipping furniture is secure it to a stud in the wall. Televisions can also be attached to the back of the furniture.

The CPSC also offers the following advice to keep kids safe:

Anchor furniture to the wall or the floor.

Place TVs on sturdy, low bases or anchor the furniture and the TV on top the base. Push the TV as far back on the furniture as possible.

Keep remote controls, toys, and other items that might attract children off TV stands or furniture.

Keep TV and/or cable cords out of reach of children.

Make sure freestanding kitchen ranges and stoves are installed with anti-tip brackets.

Supervise children in rooms where these safety tips have not been followed.

But what about the holes in the wall?

Charlie's dad, who has committed himself to spreading the word about these simple precautions and the impact a single mistake can have, notes that you can easily fix a hole in the wall. But you can't fix the hole in your heart that you'll carry forever if you lose a child. It's absolutely essential to ensure none of your furniture can tip over and injure or kill your child. A few small holes in the wall pale in comparison to the danger.

Watch Charlie's dad talk about what happened to his child so you can keep your kids safe.

Now that you know, do something!

If you have small children, check your furniture and TVs and anchor any that could be unstable.

My husband and I did exactly that when we became parents — not because we were intuitive, but because I got lucky and saw an article about the danger. I'm so grateful, because my daughter turned out to be a climber. She could have been a statistic.

Give someone else the ability to keep their kids safe. Share this!

Knowledge is power. And in this case, it's big — enough to keep kids alive and uninjured.