A what age is it reasonable to allow DCs to walk up/down stairs unattended?

[SpawnChorus]

I usually accompany DD (2) up and down the stairs, and she is pretty sure-footed, especially on the way up. Not so confident about her coming down, but I think that's partly cos I am always there in front of her, and I think that gives her a (false?) sense of added security, so she's not so careful.

Anyway, I'm just curious to know when I can let her tackle the stairs without my go-go-gadget arms in the immediate vicinity.

[climbingrosie]

My DS was about 18 months when we moved from a flat into a house with stairs...the stairgate was useless and he quickly learnt to unscrew it from the wall or just climb over it! (it was at the bottom!)He quickly learnt to manage the stairs easily...









Now he's nearly four he goes down on his tummy head-first, and has also discovered sliding down the stairs in a sleeping bag! at the speed!!

[mumtwogirls]

DD2 is now 22months. I let her go up the stairs on her own and when she wants to come down she will call us. She won't let me carry her down so we walk down with her holding my hand and her other hand on the spindles as we go down. Sometimes she will go on her bottom. We stopped the stairgate about 2 months ago as I know she wont go down without someone. She learnt this lesson when we were at a friends house and she actually fell down some very steep narrow steps. It scared both of us no end but she remembered. Thankfully.

[katylou25]

Ds1 was 11 months when could go up and down stairs safely - up on hands and knees and down feet first on belly. He is a very aactive child and it he saw it as a challenge to get to them as soon as i opened the stair gate so only used it when wasn't able to get to him if needed ie if I was in the shower etc. This took away the novelty factor and stopped his up down up down up down fixation within a couple of days. Hes now 2.1 and walks up them holding on to rails and bumps down them on his bum. Ds2 6 months, rolls along the landing and tries to shove his head between the bannister railings so desperate is he to attempt the stairs so stair gate is now well and truly on whenever we're upstairs!

[mawbroon]

LOL. 16 month old ds goes up by himself when here with me, but dh would have a hairy fit if he knew!!

[zubb]

ds3 goes up and down stairs when he wants - he's 17 months now, but has been doing so for a couple of months. Ds1 and 2 were about the same age I think. I made them all go down backwards as soon as they could climb up. Going down on bottoms came a bit later.

[bethw]

It depends on your stairs, if they are steep, wood, etc. then they are more dangerous but I'm with some of the others here. You have to give them independance so they gain confidence.........or maybe I'm just lazy

[CheesyFeet]

(its on her bedroom door because we can't put one up at the top of the stairs btw)

[CheesyFeet]

AM thinking now that I should remove the stairgate at the bottom as dd can walk up and shuffle down the stairs perfectly well

We have a gate on her bedroom door, is that really bad??? Am now starting to wonder if she's being trapped in her room, although if we forget to put it on at night she tells us off!

[ScottishThistle]

I'd say whenever they seem confident & that can be at any age!

Blimey I still fall up & down stairs at 34, much more painful as an adult I feel!

[fennel]

Incidentally, they don't really seem to hurt themselves when they do fall down. My neice, now 4, falls down stairs quite regularly, she's fearless and also clumsy, and it hasn't bothered her. my 5yo fell down our really steep high stairs recently, ones I think are quite dangerous, and didn't even have a bruise. My 2yo falls downstairs occasionally too.

Children do seem to bounce.

[FrannyandZooey]

I think I followed ds around for ages doing this as well. It doesn't do them any harm to have you walk behind them, IMO - I mean it isn't like you are stopping them from developing the skill, you are just being there to make sure. I also have a thing about stairs and know a child who suffered severe injuries after falling down stairs aged 2, so I am lairy about it.

[UniSarah]

when they can do it by themsleves. We are currently working hard to stair proof our baby (11m/o) as we can't baby proof the stairs. friends in similar houses have had stair proof kids by about 13/14 months.

hes very good at going up and has worked out how to take a toy with him by moving it one step at a time. hes to short to come down on his bum, so we are going for feet first on front, the reverse of how he goes up. hes good at down once he gets going but not so good at starting down yet. more practise needed before i start leaving room doors open again.

[PizPizPiz]

My dd started going up and down by herself when she was 2.4

[pucca]

I think it also depends on the stairs

My dd is 3, but i still don't let her go up/down alone, our stairs are horrendous terrace house stairs (even i have to hold to bannister).

Stairs at relatives houses she is fine with though has been for a good while.

[kels666]

17 mths for my DD. She is extremely agile though.

[ukcloggie]

DD is now 2.2 and is very good at walking up and down since a few months, but looking back I deffo had PFB syndrome and should have left her to get on with it a bit earlier, she really wanted to as well!!

[liquidclocks]

DS1 was doing it at 10-11 months - went up on all fours and slid down on his tummy. He fell once, at 16 months, from the 3rd step when DH made a loud noise and he turned to look - so our fault not his.

Only reason we have a gate is to keep him in his room when I need to have shower

[Bozza]

DD si 2.8 and has been walking up and down for ages. We have not had stair gates for months but kept the top one for longer than the bottom one. But she does it all totally independently.

[paulaplumpbottom]

I think its one of those things that happen gradually. My DD is three and she would go up and down on her own but someone is always present. They are steep and wooden. One day I imagine I'll just stop worrying about it. I think its just one of those things that you know when the time is right.

[RedTartanLass]

lol colditz

[melpomene]

DD2 is 21 months and can walk up and downstairs by herself (holding onto the banister on the way down). If I am with her she likes to hold my hand on the way down, but she can manage safely by herslf too.

The more freedom they have (within reason), the quicker they learn.

[colditz]

At whatever age your next child is born

[staceym11]

my dd is 2 and a couple of months and my dh panicks about her walking up/down the stairs outside our flat (not concrete, but not quite indoor stairs iykwim) whereas with a new baby i can't afford to help her up/down (mainly as the baby is breaking my arm the heavy lump) so i go and put him in the buggy at the bottom and wait for her to come down and when we go up i usually go into the flat telling her that the door is open when she gts to the top. she is fine every time, some days she doesn't feel as confident (when shes tired/ill) and she sits on the bottom step and tells me she'll wait until iv got ds in safely! i then go and retrieve her from the bottom step! lol