To ask/insist that my dad takes down the stair lift in his house which is no longer used so that we can put up a stair gate for ds age one

[nocluemum]

there are also very sharp edges on the stair lift which he will cut himself on if not wathched for every minute and we are there for 2 weeks

if you were just visiting for a few hours at a time I would say no - but if you are going to be there for two weeks then it is probably a sensible thing to do. How difficult would it be to take down ?

I don't know if you are being unreasonable or not but my uncle go a stairlift 15 years ago. He died 12 years ago and the stair lift stayed, although unused. My auntie is now near 80 and has used it every day for the last year.
What I am saying is that it may not be used now but it may be needed later, when he is older, so I guess maybe yab(a bit)u .... especially and it would probably cost him to take it down and he would have to pay to have it installed again.

why are there very sharp edges on a stair lift? Is it broken?

I know that is the reason I think that he has not taken it down. He is a very fit 67 year old but so was mum until she died. they have no second hand value it seems and was expensivve to get it installed in the first place. On one hand I dont want him to lose money on it but on the other if something happended to ds ie fell down the stairs and bashed himself on the metal or cut himself badly on it I dont know how I would face my dad. If it were only for a couple of days it wouldnt be a problem and me a dh could just watch him like a hawk but 2 weeks is going to be exhausting. The floors in the bathrrom are rough wood so god knows what i will do when going to the loo for example - put him in the bath as cant leave him crawling round outside.

ds will be 13 months when we go

I thought from the OP that you were going to be living there. If you are only there for a fortnight I would take riven's advice and wrap a blanket over sharp edges. It is silly to take down something he may need later.

YABU - they are expensive and a pain enough to install. He is nearly 70 and knows that he might not be as healthy as he is now.

Why is it stopping you putting a gate up?

fwiw - there is a stairlift at my mum's house and has been since DS was approx the same age as yours - never had a problem with it, if anything it works as an extra handrail for him.

I think if you have asked and he has said no then I would not insist. As others have said, it will maybe be used later in life and unless you were living there permanently then you will have to find other ways to stop your DS from climbing the stairs / on the stairlift. It was always a nightmare going to my parents / inlaws as they had no stairgates but we survived (no stairlift though I hasten to add, but there is one at DS1's nursery and nobody has hurt themselves on it).

well, no. IMO, you can't insist, because it's his house and you've no right. You can certainly ASK, but I don't think it would be reasonable of you to INSIST!

Your choices are - ask politely (maybe offer to pay for removal), don't visit, don't let your son upstairs on his own, cover the sharp edges....

And certainly agree with the others too that you don't know what is in store for him. That stairlift may very well end up vital for him.

Because of the way the stairs are the stair lift comes into the hall whcih is why its not possibl to put a stair gate up as from where it finishes their is no wall on either side to attach the gate.

i do think YABU - it is expensive to remove a stairlift

i have never had stairgates in my house, and DS has visited plenty of places where there aren't any either

he is still in one piece

Is there a living room door? Put the gate up there so he can't get out of the living room? Have one at the bedroom door too. Create a couple of safe areas and simply carry him/escort him between them?

Good idea hecate - I will offer to pay for it to be removed and then he can put it in the garage (there is room) so that if does need it then he can put it up again - hadnt though of that one

As for the wooden floors, am sure your DS will be ok on them. Lots of people have wooden floors that are not in perfect condition (are wooden floors ever in perfect condition?). If the wooden floor is only in the bathroom it doesn't sound like it will impact too much on your DS as he is not likely to be going in on his own to use the loo / have a bath anyway at that age. Surely your dad or DH can look after him while you use the loo ???

You'd probably have to assure him you'd pay for it to be put back up again!! It's an option though, if you're really worried.

could a stair gate not be pl;aced on a door such as living room so is unable to get to stair lift

i think its a bit extreme to take out a stair lift that may potentially be needed and would cost alot to get put back

put stair gate on a door leading to where stair lift is then you wont have to worry

also although 13 mths and into everything i doubt very much you would take your eyes off him long enough to get into any dangers

just keep whatever room he is in sfae with stair gate so you have reassurance that you can turn your back but dangers are everywhere and normally come from the most undangerous thing but children will explore and will have accidents and we always watch them like hawks

just keep areas safe that you are in and have some areas that are simply out of bounds

Good idea hecate. Put the stair gate on a door way instead.

I think you are worrying far too much, he is 13 mnths! Mine were vaulting stairgates by then in any case. You'd be better off teaching him to use the stairs safely.
As for the floors, we had natural floorboards in our old flat, and the kids never got so much as a splinter. If you are worried, get a big mat.

yes YABU .. put a stairgate on a room you've made safe for him so that you have somewhere to leave him for a minute and the rest of the time supervise him .. in my own house I've never had a stairgate .. we just put one on the living room opening and had a huge, enormous playden if needed

Thanks hecate - great idea about putting the stair gate on the living room/kitchen door which ever we are going to be in instead.

I have this lovely mental picture of a 13mth old vaulting stairgates!! It has made me start the day with a smile!