your home so that the toddler did not walk up the stairs, lose her balance and fall? Or do you think that if the toddler can walk, it is okay to take the gate down?
2006-12-05 16:54:57 · 34 answers · asked by Anonymous in Pregnancy & Parenting ➔ Toddler & Preschooler
The baby is a friend of mine's. When she told me that she took the gate down, I didn't think it was a good idea because her toddler is still unsteady on her feet. Thanks for all your input and for confirming my own thoughts about continuing to use the gate!
2006-12-06 12:42:39 · update #1
No, definitely leave the gate one. They can ...
1) fall, slip, etc..(they are very distractable and don't think of the consequences of carrying a blanket, toy, etc).
2) They are able to get into things on the other floor. My son ate nasal spray. I had to call the poison control center
3) If something happened to them, you would not hear it. (Did you know that drowning is a silent death...they make no noise at all)
4)They could fall out of a window, tip over a dresser, strangle themselves, etc. They are in need of constant supervision for a long time to come.
2006-12-05 17:00:49 · answer #1 · answered by faith2u 2 · 2⤊ 0⤋
I wouldn't take the gate down unless the baby can climb the gate!!! My daughter was walking at 9 months old and scaling everything she could find including the entertainment center at 10 months old. They have to learn how to do steps eventually and if you work with her every day, she will learn how to master the stairs. I would put the gate at the top of the stairs if the bedrooms are up there and you don't want her trying to get down the stairs in the middle of the night while everyone is sleeping but as long as you are aware of her where abouts during the day, then there is probably no reason to worry.
2006-12-05 17:25:28 · answer #2 · answered by lilphill1 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
We did the gate at the stairs thing and my kids were walking at 9 1/2 months and 11 months. Not only for their safety but so I could better keep them contained and keep an eye on them and where they were at. If they needed to go up and down the stairs I would take it down and help them until I felt they had enough balance and coordination to manuever the stairs by themselves.
2006-12-06 00:56:01 · answer #3 · answered by party_pam 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I know its important to be careful, but we've had two toddler kids climbing up and down the stairs and never has either one of them fallen. Initially, I used to follow them up and bring them down, but soon I realised I was quite redundant there. I am in general, paranoid about their safety. So if I felt confident, I guess you can imagine how comfortable the kids were.
One of them is my friends daughter and she walks along the few inches 'outside' the railing, making them her steps when the gate is closed. That scares the wits out of me. I'd rather keep the gate ajar, so they think they opened it themselves. And I'm sure everyone agrees the thick carpetted stairs are better than the hard wooden 'railing steps'. But its only when you have seen your child take to the stairs in a way that makes you confident.
My only suggestion is, don't let parent paranoia dampen their spirit.
2006-12-05 17:15:58 · answer #4 · answered by clear-n-content 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Well I think that the best thing to do is to show your baby how to go up and down the stairs. My 18mos old daughter has been walking for about 5mos, we have recently moved to a big old two story house and although I was going to put up a gate but she showed interest in learning how to climb those stairs so I showed her how to climb up on her tummy and how to come back down the same way(that's a big one lot easier to go up then down). If you don't feel comfortable taking down the gate then follow your own instinct for me though I enjoyed show her how to conquer that mountain and now she keeps up with the other three with no problem.
2006-12-06 03:19:00 · answer #5 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
every toddler is different, My oldest two seemed to fall down stairs at least once a week, yet the third never did, and none of my grands did more than once or twice. My youngest has been up and down the stairs for 3 months, and though she scares the bee-geezers out of us has not fallen down even once. keep the gate there until the baby starts to try and climb over it, we only gate the basement stairs since they aren't carpeted, and we don't want her down there anyway.
2006-12-05 17:02:31 · answer #6 · answered by judy_r8 6 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Walkers are even more dangerous on stairs than crawlers- they stand up and fall! Of course you need to leave the gate up (at the top and bottom of stairs she may access on her own. Keep your gate up until your child is VERY steady and safe on her feet, understands the rules about the stairs, and has lost interest in them anyway.
2006-12-05 18:06:37 · answer #7 · answered by Erin C 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
We kept out gate up because it just felt safer that way. Our daughter was easily able to go up the stairs but coming back down was a problem. We still have it up and she is 21 months old, she likes to get into things she shouldn't so this deters her from going to the second floor :)
2006-12-05 17:51:34 · answer #8 · answered by Michelle 4 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Personally, I would leave the gate up when you are not within arm's reach. I've had issues myself with stairs!
I believe that if you leave it up all of the time, your child will not master the concept of climbing stairs easily. If you take the gate down during supervised play times, you will be able to re-enforce the rules of climbing stairs (taking their time, proper leg position, holding onto the banister, etc.).
2006-12-05 17:16:20 · answer #9 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
No...the gate should stay up. As long as a child might lose their balance, the gates should be there. I personally would leave them up until the baby was closer to 30 months.
2006-12-05 16:59:55 · answer #10 · answered by gg 7 · 2⤊ 0⤋