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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

Going down stairs - how to teach?

16 replies

FredFredGeorge · 01/05/2012 14:22

How do you teach a baby (well toddler I guess now she's sort of walking and climbing stairs) to go down them?

Obviously we can block the stairs to stop her having access, but how do you teach them - the same for getting down off beds too I guess?

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Are your children’s vaccines up to date?

Set a reminder

5madthings · 01/05/2012 14:33

as soon as mine were crawling i taught them to turn around go down backwards by sliding on their tummy one step at a time, basically by showing them physically i would put them at the top of the stairs, turn them around onto the tummies and gently pull them down with their legs so they could see what the had to do.

they all 'got it' quite quickly nad my 16mth old dd is a whizz at going up and down the stairs, its great actually as she will go up to play wiht her brothers or after her nap she will get up and come downstairs on her own, i hear the pitter patter of little feet on the bedroom floor and then she comes downs stairs and say 'hiya'

its not so good in the evenings as after i put her to bed she has developed a new game of getting up and coming donw the stairs and cheekily peeking round the living room door at us! we just pick her up and put her back in bed and say 'night night, sleepy time' eventually she gets the message!

and yes for beds, sofas etc you just show them to turn around and slide of feet first on their tummies :)

OneLittleBabyTerror · 01/05/2012 14:33

They teach themselves like everything else? Mine can't walk but can go down the stairs moving backwards. We do have a step out from our back door to the garden so maybe that's where she learned it from?

I have stair gates on both end though to stop her climbing up and down herself. She is enthusiastic and prone to slipping down multiple steps at a time. Pretty scary to watch.

OneLittleBabyTerror · 01/05/2012 14:44

Oops, what I mean is try to put your LO just on the stairs and give her time to explore. You'll just need to be staying close if she's a bit of a daredevil.

Original poster

FredFredGeorge · 01/05/2012 14:50

Well her learning to walk pretty was pretty much - pull herself up on sofa turn around set off into the middle of the room with no particular target in mind and shortly after faceplant, or sometimes get her hands down (in a way that I'm sure would break a wrist or callarbone had I been doing it) She's still not walking properly, but now is a bit more circumspect and just walks to get between things to cruise against. The same policy with stairs is a lot further to fall!

OP posts:

OneLittleBabyTerror · 01/05/2012 14:57

Um, have you got one of those short toddler step stool? My DD loves climbing on it and wave. Maybe if you get one, and let your LO go up and down herself? It'll be a bit safer than the stairs! It sounds like your LO needs a place to practise safely before you let her lose!

OneLittleBabyTerror · 01/05/2012 14:59

Something like this

piji · 01/05/2012 15:23

backwards

Octaviapink · 01/05/2012 16:37

Exactly what 5madthings said. As soon as they could crawl, show them how to come down backwards safely. DS is 17 months and has been going up and down stairs by himself for a couple of months.

IvanaNap · 01/05/2012 16:41

This reply has been withdrawn

This has been withdrawn as this poster has privacy concerns.

FruitSaladIsNotPudding · 01/05/2012 16:41

We taught our daughter to either come down backwards or to bump down on her bottom. She was really cautious for ages and wouldn't do it on her own. No stairgates here since she was about 22 mo - she was a climber so a stairgate at the top would have been really dangerous.

She's 2.4 now and can walk up properly holding bannister, but still bumps down.

5madthings · 01/05/2012 16:45

is liking the the what 5madthings saids

IvanaNap · 01/05/2012 16:55

This reply has been withdrawn

This has been withdrawn as this poster has privacy concerns.

5madthings · 01/05/2012 17:42

lol it was only because dd was having her nap and ds4 was being babysat by the tv that i was able to type that reply

now i am dealing with my 5, plus an extra one i seem to have gained! and make dinner, WHY do people ALWAYS phone up whilst i am trying to do this task?!! are they STUPID?!!

Octaviapink · 01/05/2012 17:55

I'd like an ansaphone message that said "YOU'RE RINGING ME AT 5.15PM ARE YOU MAD OR JUST AN IDIOT?"

Even if it was MIL.

5madthings · 01/05/2012 18:00

yes i agree! dinner time and the kids bedtime, and certain relatives just DONT get it when i say 'am doing dinner/getting the kids to bed really cant talk' and go on and on and on... i may be known to just put the phone down and let them talk away to nobody...

Octaviapink · 01/05/2012 18:56

Oh that's brilliant. My favourite is when they say "Is this a bad time?" and you say "Yes, actually, can I ring you back." and then they carry on talking anyway as though you had never spoken.

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