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Behaviour/development

Talk to others about child development and behaviour stages here. You can find more information on our development calendar.

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Original poster

How do you teach a baby to go down stairs?

29 replies

ShinyMoonInAPurpleSky · 14/03/2011 09:46

My ds has just climbed to the top of the stairs with no help from me, although obviously I was right behind him the whole way (so dh has been sent to finally buy some baby gates - many thanks to everyone who helped on my thread about that a few days ago :o)

But now I'm wondering how you teach a baby to get down a step on their own? And when should they be taught this?

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Iggly · 14/03/2011 09:55

Every since DS started climbing up, I've been showing him how to slide back down (feet first, on his tummy). His legs are too short to walk down properly. He's now 17 months and can do it if he feels like it but the stair gates are staying! His legs are still too short to go it alone and I never let him alone on the stairs. Can't see it happening for a while yet!

hmmSleep · 14/03/2011 09:57

I started by putting a cushion at the bottom of the stairs (just in case) then for a few weeks got them to sit down and bump down on their bottom, they soon instinctively started to turn round and sort of crawl down backwards, so still using both hands and feet. After this it was trying to get them to hold on to the banister and look where they are going! I never actually had stairgates, never got round to it, but the only person to ever fall down the stairs is me, whilst pregnant ! My dcs were about 14 months when they started doing stairs on their own.

mollymoomalone · 14/03/2011 10:02

Sooner the better , sliding is Ok but can can be hazardous, as causes carpet burns and he won't have control of his speed, may go at an angle and bump his head. Teach him to crawl down backwards, he'll get it almost immediatly I promise - my 5 did.

BertieBotts · 14/03/2011 10:07

I couldn't I was too nervous. My sister did, she taught him to come down crawling backwards. I couldn't cope with the bit where he'd look behind him to see where he was going and nearly fall off, but she just sat behind him ready to catch him if he did lose his footing.

Apparently teaching them to slide on their tummies feet-first down slides is a good precursor to stair encouragement. As the weather's getting nicer but it's still cool enough to wear a vest this is the perfect time to do that :)

BertieBotts · 14/03/2011 10:08

He never did lose his footing, BTW. He was very careful at looking and not falling off, it was amazing :)

LaWeasel · 14/03/2011 10:12

I have no idea. DD is 2 next week and absolutely will not try! She climbs up perfectly happily, but won't go down.

NorfolkNChance · 14/03/2011 10:14

To be honest DD just got on with it, we have banisters on 2 levels (very 70s look) so she holds onto the lower part and holds our hand and off she trots one stair at a time.

She will bum slide but doesn't like it as much.

BertieBotts · 14/03/2011 10:19

I found bum sliding was too big a drop when DS first started climbing stairs. He could go down on his bum from about age 1 or so I think, when his legs were longer.

Lazyem · 14/03/2011 10:30

My 18 month old has been going down backwards on his tummy, like others have mentioned, for a few weeks now and has just started wanting to come down by bumping on his bottom. Needless to say I stand on the step below him, just in case! He is getting quite good at it, though. I think it is an important skill for them to master as there will be places they go that do not have stair gates.

TysonNobdie86 · 14/03/2011 10:39

I never even thought about it, ds just taught himself, obviously with me there.
He has never fell down the stairs in my care either, he is 2.9 years old.
My older sister with 2 of her own dc managed to let him fall down the stairs when she babysat for the first time for a couple of hours.
He was about 18 months old

theyoungvisiter · 14/03/2011 11:16

another one here for backwards on tummy.

I just used to help them at first, then every time they approached the stairs I would say "Backwards" and turn them around - they soon got the hang.

The main thing is to make it clear they mustn't imitate you (ie walk down) because that's what they'll usually try to do if you don't explain. (If they can walk that is).

LaWeasel · 14/03/2011 11:35

So... what do I do about my toddler that will not try? At a push she will sit on the top step.

That's it.

BeenBeta · 14/03/2011 11:41

Anoter vote for backwards and make sure that gate is always shut and not left open for a second as babies/toddlers are fascinated by stairs.

We used to live in a hotel for a while and DS1 learned to climb stairs on a big spiral staircase where there we no stair gates. We couldn't take our eyes off him for a second otherwise he would be up there. They like looking down on things as it is a new experience.

theyoungvisiter · 14/03/2011 11:52

Actually to counter BeenBeta, we never had a stairgate - I felt it was inevitable that someone would leave it open one day, so it was better to teach them to be safe on the stairs and demystify the experience.

But having said that, at the time we had a staircase with fairly short 1/2 floor drops, and each landing was carpeted, so they weren't likely to break their neck. Obviously you need to take a judgement call on your own set up.

What to do with the non-trier? Have you tried crawling up and down on your tummy yourself, make a game of it? If she sees you doing and giggling, she may find it less worrying.

Or plonk her down on her tummy in the middle of the staircase and literally move her legs down one by one until she gets to the bottom - then big claps.

How old is she?

LaWeasel · 14/03/2011 12:14

She is two next week.

I think she is afraid, but I don't know why, she has never fallen or slipped. If you put her in the middle she will crawl up, try and move her feet to show her she cries and clings to me... they are pretty steep stairs but she can get up so she ought to be able to get down!

I'll try her on her belly again when she gets up from her nap though and report back later.

theyoungvisiter · 14/03/2011 12:56

I think you should do it - literally crawl down on your tummy, giggling, and make it look fun.

She will probably think this is very funny, especially if you repeat it a few times and clown around a bit. Sing something silly if you can bear it - "Mummy's tummy on the stairs goes bump bump bump" to the tune of Wheels on the Bus or something like that - you know, that kind of cheerful drivel that toddlers love!

It might help make the whole experience more of a game for her, and then you can sing the song for her when she does it.

pranma · 14/03/2011 16:40

dgs is another one who comes down backwards-it is very funny as he starts off some way from top of stairs and crawls back shouting,'Backwards backwards!!'He can also manage sitting on the steps and bumping down one at a time.He was 2 last month and dd and ds-i-l have now removed the stair gates.

LaWeasel · 14/03/2011 16:56

Well, we spent an hour playing on the stairs. But still no going down!

No idea what to do long term really, I don't want to make it a big deal (like food) and turn it into a battle, but I can't keep carrying her down forever either!

GwendolineMaryLacey · 14/03/2011 17:08

I never taught DD stairs , she just got the hang of it on her own. I didn't know you were supposed to 'teach' things like this. She can walk down the stairs but they're steep so she generally slides down on her bum which I prefer her to do anyway although she does at it at more speed than I would like! She's 3.2 and remarkably cavalier about stairs.

exoticfruits · 14/03/2011 17:16

I taught them to go down backwards-much safer.

theyoungvisiter · 14/03/2011 18:25

gwendoline I think it depends on your setup. Our old house was only four rooms, but it was split on three levels with stairs all over the place. They basically had to learn to cope with stairs as soon as they could crawl, so I taught them. They both went backwards from about 7 months and started to go forwards when they were walking confidently, about a year to 18 months.

LaWeasel · 14/03/2011 18:31

Oddly, DD can handle one step no problem, our old house was one with lots of one step drops in and out of rooms and she had to deal. The problem with the main stairs is I can't just leave her to it - she'll just stay up there playing until she falls asleep!

humphreythehamster · 14/03/2011 18:36

I found DS crawling feet first down the stairs last week. I shrieked in panic, he looked up and waved like he'd been doing it for months :o

monkoray · 14/03/2011 21:13

LaWeasel, have you tried dragging your DD down by her ankles - in a fun game way - not an evil you will learn way.
I taught my DS to go down the stairs by dragging him down backwards by his ankles - he thought it was hilarious.
Then i'd let him try on his own and shout at him every time he tried to turn round to go down forwards.
He fell down one 4 step flight once when he was learning cos he got up before he reached the bottom and i was too far away to catch him (trying to give him space to learn - hmmm).
We leave the stair gates up because i don't want him destroying our bedroom while i'm in the kitchen, but when we open them he is safe going up and down on him own and has been since he was about 14 months.

aPixieMomma · 15/03/2011 09:44

I never did.

He used to climb up fine but I just used to carry him down, then one day (at about 21months) he held himself steady using the wall and walked down.

He still uses one hand now to steady himself (very nearly 2yrs old) but he can go down stairs fine now.

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