Safety Gate Hell!

[adamadamum]

Hi, does anyone have any ideas what to do next, with this problem? i have two darlings, my dd has special needs, is 4 but more like a 2 year old, and my ds is 2 1/2.

I had normal safety gates, top & bottom stairs, and in the kitchen doorway. About a month ago my dd, the size of an 18 month old but oh so flexible, began to climb over the gates, a few days later her very tall for his age brother followed suit.

So I got dog gates, 107cm high and was so confident there was no way they could get over these...within days the same was happening!

I know they are pretty good on the stairs, though my dd had 2 minor tumbles the other day which is worrying...What the hell do I do next? All I can think of is either barbed wire or electric fencing lol... help!

[luciemule]

Hello - my auntie has an autistic son who climbs everywhere and on everything and he did the same over gates. In the end, although it looks a bit 'prison-like' they had to put two gates (one upside down over the other) in the doorway to the lounge as this was where he was allowed to play. Doesn't sound like your children need that though. You could always have a gate made or try again without one. When we put the stairgate back up for our son, our daughter taught herself to climb onto the bench and over the banister! She's very good at it though!

[bigcar]

My ds1 at 16m was climbing out of his cot and over the stair gate by wedging the bars between his toes! We went into stair gate overdrive and put them on his bedroom door and on the front room door as well so at least we could hear him before he got to the stairs. Not entirely sure if that didnt make it more dangerous for him though! In the end we had to spend a lot of time following him up and down trying to teach him going on his bottom was much more fun than on his feet, this seemed more successful, if rather sore on my own rather large behind, maybe the start of a new keep fit regime! Dd3 is 10m now and i think electric fencing could be the way to go this time, let me know how you go... lol!

[ComeOVeneer]

Tricky one. Can't think of an answer. But I can totally sypathise. We have recently moved to a new house on 4 floors and have had to put up 6 stair gates (including one across the kitchen door as ds likes to open the oven. DS is actually getting quite good on the stairs but I can't spend all day searching 4 floors trying to find him and what he is up to.

[DeputyMacDawg]

Wouls a screen door be heavy enough?

[Azure]

I assume they do need them otherwise you wouldn't have asked the question, but we abandoned stairgates a month ago because our then 17-month old could open them up. Thankfully we haven't had any problems as he is careful and most the time we are with him anyway, but could you live without the gates?

[adamadamum]

Maybe barbed wire or electric fencing is the only answere after all... Deputy, I can't find a tape measure, can you give me a rough idea of how much one of these screen doors might cost? They look like something I can't really afford but it's worth looking into.

Will be experimenting soon with the gates I have, maybe an extra one upside down may be the answer at least for now but we shall see!

Thanks for all your replies, any more ideas are more than welcome!

[DeputyMacDawg]

Sorry, but I don't know how much they'd be. I'd seen one used to keep dogs enclosed, and thought it might suit you.
Do you have someone who would be able to make a wood frame and then attach wire mesh to it, then attach it to the existing door frame in some way?
That way you could make it as high as you need.