Baby gates and under 2s

[LoftyTealSwan]

I've got a mum friend who has a 20 month old toddler. He can apparently open baby gates and doors. I guess he can reach doors to open them but I thought baby gates were a lot harder because they require the opener to be slid to the left and lifted up, in that order and without a break?

She's a friend of a friend and find she bends the truth alot. So no sure if it's just my dislike for her picking this up as another lie or not.

We had ones that you could open one handed but you needed dexterity and strength LOTS of visitors struggled. DC were over 5 before they could manage.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/BabyDan-MultiDan-openings-62-5-106-8-Extendable/dp/B008MVF5WW/ref=ascdffB008MVF5WW?mcid=929bb452d0123bbfa5130eacd46ad9dd&th=1&psc=1&tag=googshopuk-21&linkCode=df0&hvadid=696352643949&hvpos=&hvnetw=g&hvrand=1424970867797547592&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=&hvdev=m&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=1006854&hvtargid=pla-421336805882&psc=1&gadsource=1

We never had an issue with toddlers getting gates open. They were removed when they were 2 and the threat of climbing became more dangerous. A child under 2 is always going to be close to their parent when they are in the house, so you can hear them if they are rattling it and banging it about. Babies are surprisingly good at climbing upstairs, the greater danger is them trying to go back down, which they aren't so good at.

Stair gates aren't recommended after 2, you certainly don't need them for a 4 year old. You just teach them how to go up by crawling and down on their bottom until they can manage the step height properly.

Thank you for the info about age and climbing over.

So good to have a baby gate at stairs? Can get ones 105cm tall and hard to open

My son can climb the baby gate by gripping the bars between his toes. He's 14m. He's also deconstructed the child lock on the kitchen cupboard.

But not all babies are mental.

If they can climb over them then they’re more dangerous than not having them. By 3 I would expect children to be able to safely walk up and down stairs by themsleves.

Ok I'll cross that bridge when I get to it!

Again depends on child. My friends boy would pull out a box, climb on it to hop over. Or once I saw him monkey climb using his feet to grip up the bars 😅 guess taller one without bars? You can get screen ones if your child is like my friends boy
My DD that wouldn't cross her mind at all and she is behind in milestones and tiny.

Mental?

Yesss that's what saw my friends boy do! It's wild 😂

Ah right so it's not all babies will try it! Sorry I misread

Screen ones aren't recommended for top of the stairs

Please enlighten me. And the rest who voted 100% YABU at the time of writing.

Even if they can open it, and/or are good at going down stairs, I would still have one at top of stairs. It forms a delay, so should they make a run for it following getting dressed, there is a delay to their speedy decent downstairs, and reduces risk of them stopping suddenly at top of stairs and due to being top heavy them falling down the stairs head over heals.

My 20 month old can open doors but she couldn't do a baby gate