When did you get rid of stair gates ?

[bluemondae]

How old were your children / toddlers ?

Stairgates are not recommended for children over the age of 24 months as they are deemed dangerous from this age. I'm a childminder and simply do not have them at all.

Following with interest. DS is just 3 and we still have them, although we leave them open sometimes. DS is more than capable of getting up and down the stairs safely, but I think we both worry that at night he might wander into the stairs and fall. Possibly being precious, though!

I'm pondering this now. Kids are 4 and 2, I just worry that the two year old could get out of bed in the evening to come and get me and somehow hurt herself although we have a plug in light in the landing. Cant leave the main light on as they sleep with open doors.

Very sadly a friends husband tripped on the one at the top of their stairs, hit his head and died a few months ago - so it's been in the back of my mind to remove them since then.

When they were potty training well so around 3ish with older ones.
Use ours more for dog these days as big ones don't need them and youngest is not sitting unaided yet.

Around 2.5. Basically once youngest was good at staying in bed by herself.

Saying that, she did fall down the stairs the other day so perhaps we got rid too soon (she was fine btw, daddy caught her)

We removed ours for DS at age 2.5.
Will be back on at top of the stairs only for DD unless she can be relied upon to not fall down our extremely steep stairs (Edwardian house).
I imagine they've prevented a lot more accidents than they've caused. Whether they are needed will depend on someone's home layout.

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@LaBelleSausage

I'm pondering this now. Kids are 4 and 2, I just worry that the two year old could get out of bed in the evening to come and get me and somehow hurt herself although we have a plug in light in the landing. Cant leave the main light on as they sleep with open doors.

Very sadly a friends husband tripped on the one at the top of their stairs, hit his head and died a few months ago - so it's been in the back of my mind to remove them since then.

That is very sad, your poor friend.

But th

Exactly why it is only recommended to have screw in stairgates at the top of stairs. Not the pressure gates as they have the bar at the bottom that can be tripped over.

@glitterelf

stairgates are not recommended for children over the age of 24 months as they are deemed dangerous from this age

Ok but what if you have a 6 month old crawling around too?!

We keep ours up for the dog! So probably indefinitely

If your stairgate is at the top then there shouldn't be a bar to trip over. You can get sloped covers that stop them being a trip hazard if you have installed one with a bar.

@glitterelf

Stairgates are not recommended for children over the age of 24 months as they are deemed dangerous from this age. I'm a childminder and simply do not have them at all.

How does that work when there are children of multiple ages in the household? We got rid of hours when our youngest was 3 so ds1 had them til he was 5.

Depends on how they used.....on the stairs they dangerous at the bottom...I know a child that fell down and badly damaged by landing in the stair gate. I stopped at the bottom of the stairs around 2.....I still however have a gate on DD age 4 bedroom door...onjy ever used at night as you walk out of her room straight into the stairs...we right next door across the stair so I can go quick if needed the toilet. If her door didn't led to the stairs there be no gate on her door

I don't use them. Kids shouldnt be crawling around unsupervised anyway. I close the doors to the hallway where the stairs are.

[quote Justheretoaskaquestion91]@glitterelf

stairgates are not recommended for children over the age of 24 months as they are deemed dangerous from this age

Ok but what if you have a 6 month old crawling around too?![/quote]
I observe them and don't leave them unattended or out of earshot. However my stairs aren't your normal stair set up I have two steps that lead to my downstairs toilet and a small landing before a set of around ten steps another small landing followed by two more steps. If a small crawler managed to get to the stairs they certainly wouldn't make it past those first two steps.

@DeepaBeesKit

I don't use them. Kids shouldnt be crawling around unsupervised anyway. I close the doors to the hallway where the stairs are.

Toddlers are quick and soon learn to open doors we have one on the living room door so DD(2) can't get to the hallway and one at the top of the stairs which is a fold back style so nothing to trip over. She's pretty sensible and doesn't go near the stairs at the top but she does play in her room while I put clothes away and I'm now always within reach to grab her so seems sensible to use them.

I live in a 3 story house with bedrooms on different floors snd I would not be able to function with my 18 month old and 3 year old without stair gates at the top and bottom of every stair! Would be so dangerous as they are extremely active and running around like lunatics - and whilst they are never unsupervised it’s unrealistic to expect them to never have a few seconds out of my eye line. Stairgates slow the youngest one downed a minimum!!! Due a third baby soon so can’t see them going anywhere!

At age two a child could cause themselves serious injuries with stairgates from climbing over, tripping, getting stuck between the bars and from toppling them over due to the child's height / weight. For me looking after children of varying ages it's far more dangerous for me to have them in place than to not have any.

Ours is still in place at the top due to DD (4)s night time wandering, she has to pass the stairs to get to our room so it helps me sleep better. She can open it so it's no barrier if she's properly awake but at least she won't fall accidentally in the dark, no bar so not a trip hazard

We had a screw in one at the top of the stairs for years, because we have very high steep stairs and I was worried about DS sleepwalking (which he never has, but PFB). Solved when DS had an epic tantrum aged around 7 and kicked it off its hinges.

We still have one at the top of the stairs. DD is just turned 3 and it's there because if she wakes in the night and comes to us (most nights!) then she has to walk across the top of the stairs so it's in case she stumbles and slips down them rather than anything else. Can't see us taking it down any time soon.

When youngest was about 3.50 yrs although we had fitted wooden gates (my Dad made) so no trip hazard.

Found the pressure ones dangerous and useless

Kids shouldnt be crawling around unsupervised anyway

Ahhh spoken like someone who doesn’t have a ninja whirlwind 18 month old that can open every door and a 3 month old to attend to😂.

I never used them for either of mine (7 and 2).

Not on the stairs or their bedrooms either.

We still have ours (screw in ones both top and bottom of stairs) DD is nearly 4 and charges between the bathroom and her bedroom without concentrating on where she's going and could easily go flying down them. Obviously they won't be there forever though. They also do a very good job at keeping the cat downstairs, he is very loud, very vocal and despite however much he is given before bed, or biscuits to nibble would continually yowl for food at stupid o clock in the morning outside our door given the chance.

We have them on the kitchen door and the door from the living as that door leads to the front door, which because of the lock, our 4 year old and 2 year old can both unlock. None on actual stairs though. Did have one on their bedroom door, but recently removed it.