to not have a fixed stairgate at the top of the stairs?

[Thurlow]

I did start a thread in Chat about this but it was stupidly waffly so if anyone recognises it, ignore it!

Trying to make a decision so I know whether I need to go shopping at the weekend hence starting another thread here and in no way am I also killing time on my last day at work

WIBU to only have a travel stairgate at the top of the stairs with a toddler? Toddler is not actually interested in the stairs at all, it'd be more to prevent any confused wobbling and not paying attention. The reason for a travel gate is stupid, impossibly narrow stairs so can't fix one there, and the only place we can fix one (where it currently is) parcels off different rooms in a very awkward way.

I would have had to turn into a rather unhappy & complete control freak to live without solid stair gates. You have to live with any consequences, OP.

We just had one on the bedroom door and then dispensed with that when training her to go dry at night.

I had a stair gate (pressure fit) at the top of very narrow staircase. Sounds very similar to your layout. Stair gate was wobbly so took it off. Talked to the children about it etc etc. Was due to get a new one the next day. DH took dc up for bath and in the few seconds it took for him to bend over bath and turn off tap, our then 18 month old fell down the stairs- top to bottom.

Luckily she slid down in her back rather than tumbled over and I happened to be walking towards the staircase at the time do caught her before she actually landed on the wooden floor. Quick visit to A and E, all fine, not a scratch.

But I couldn't rest in that house. Luckily it was a rental and we bought our new house a few months later. And a stairgate went on the very next day. I still have a stairgate at top of stairs in new house because my dc tend to wander into room at all times in the night if they have had a bad dream and our bedroom door is directly opposite stairs.

So, it is up to you to judge the risk in your home. But even with the most sensible children and vigilant parents, accidents happen. Falling down a flight if stairs is up there as a pretty nasty one IMO.

I never had with my DS now 7 and am planning to play it by ear with my 10 month old.

When staying at a friends house DS (then 2) tried to climb over the stairgate which would have caused far more injury thN just a straight forward fall so I actually consider them more of a hazard.

But then I also don't do socket covers (although you're not actually supposed to use them anyway) or cupboard locks.

We'll get one like that, llama.

There's not much we can do for the next few weeks, though realistically it is less of a day-to-day issue than I think it will be. DD is never alone upstairs, and the proper stairgate is on her door in case she ever does climb out of bed. The rest of the time she is upstairs with us we will just have to keep a good eye on her, and then this whole 'run of the upstairs' idea (which the room move was done to create) will just have to start when we can get one of those other stairgates.

Annoyingly I put the gate on her bedroom door last night in what seemed like the logical position, only for her to walk through it with me this morning and realised it's in the wrong position, if she's holding onto the gate to get over the step (the joys of Victorian terrace houses) then she's swinging to the edge of the stairs, rather than away from it! Know what I'm doing again later...

We have a Victorian terrace too. We bought the BabyDan flexi gate. It's adjustable width and can cope with angled walls, skirting boards, etc. there's no bar to trip on either.

Having said that, DC2 is a climber. We had to take down the stairgates at 17m because he was climbing over them (out of cot at 16m for same reason - I found him teetering on the rail on his tummy, about to fall and land on his head). My heart is in my mouth every time he runs across the landing and past the top of the stairs now. He can use the stairs safely enough, but the bathroom door is right at the top of the stairs and neither DC seem to associate the landing with the stairs. We have a rule of no playing on the landing but they just get carried away when they're running between bedrooms and bathroom.

Yes absolutely get the roller blind one

it's ££££ but v good

I don't have one because we live in a rented property so can't attach anything to the walls, I'd be worried about a pressure fit one giving way and they have a bar along the bottom which I think is a trip hazard so in my case I think it's safer not to have one. Dcs are supervised on stairs though, I have in the past had one at the bottom so they can't get up without me but ds1 can open them now so seems little point. Yanbu op.

I had one with DC1 and 2 but then we moved house. I then had DC3 and didn't bother with stair gates. He is the only one who has never fallen down the stairs.

Well I didn't have one and DD1 pushed DD2 down the stairs. Watched her somersault down from top to bottom.

never used stair gates. imo, it's better to teach a child re stairs safely.

Sort of wish I was that brave. But I'm not! I have 2 toddlers and I have gates everywhere! Though a guest left one open yesterday and my 16 month old was found very competently walking down the stairs at nearly the bottom step, so I don't think he's suffering a lack of learning. I couldn't contemplate not having them but I know people who do