Are your children’s vaccines up to date?

Set a reminder

Please or to access all these features

Behaviour/development

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

Toddlers and stairs question- at what age should they be able to go up and down steps and stairs?

13 replies

EachPeachPearMum · 30/03/2008 15:27

Dd (2.2) can climb up the stairs on all fours (pretty slowly), but cannot come back down.
She can go up and down single steps, but only extremely slowly, and usually only if you hold both her hands.
I am certain this is a psychological problem, not a physical one, but I am becoming a little concerned now.

She has been late with all physical milestones except sitting up, eg crawled at almost 16 mo, walked 1 week later- perfectly, not stumbly.

Never pulled herself up to stand, though once she was walking, that was overcome.

She still finds it very difficult to go from standing to lying down, and has to do it via her tummy, can't do it onto her back IYSWIM.

However, she runs around with ease, and rarely stumbles or falls. She can get on and off a little chair ok too. She does struggle climbing onto the sofa still though (higher than her chair). She can kick and throw a ball no problem, and usually attempts to catch too.

Any experience or suggestions as to how we can help her overcome this?

OP posts:
Are your children’s vaccines up to date?
SoupKitchen · 30/03/2008 15:37

DS can climb and descend stairs and tackle a climbing frame, however he is not 100% reliable and I would not leave him alone to do it.
He is 2.1 but has a sister a year older to encourage him

Have you thought about a soft play centre where she can gain confidence around other children her own age as a fun activity.

Sounds like confidence to me, but am not an expert.

hairtwiddler · 30/03/2008 19:50

DD can climb stairs on all fours and comes down either holding one hand and the other against the wall. She also bumps down on her bottom. She can do the stairs at nursery alone (up not down) as they have a child level banniser. She's 2.3 but was a very late walker (21months). I think a lot with her is confidence too - she won't go down a pavement step without taking my hand. At least it means she wouldn't run into the road!

Can you count the stairs, or put something a few steps up for her to collect? DD likes taking the dirty nappy bag down to the bin

JingleyJen · 30/03/2008 19:55

DS2 is 18 months and goes up and down stairs independantly (backwards down and all fours up) this is a similar age to DS1 - however if you are talking about walking up and down stairs I think DS1 started doing that sometime after his 2nd birthday.

As with most things to do with parenting, they all do things at different times and I would try not to worry about it. I agree with the idea about soft play areas so that he can build up confidence in a safe environment.

catzy · 30/03/2008 20:02

My DS is 2.7 and can climb up and down the stairs confidently. I still don't let him come down on his own but can't remember the last time he slipped. Not sure when I should stop being there just in case.

Mind you I sometimes worry about my DS-5yrs old, the speed he goes down them.

EachPeachPearMum · 30/03/2008 20:36

Thanks people!
The problem with soft play areas is that she just won't go on them when there is anyone else around!

We live very close to an excellent one, but each time we go, she spends most of the time curled up on my lap.

I'm at a bit of a loss as to why she would be like this- she goes to nursery every day (was part-time from 13 mo, full times 16 mo) and interacts fine with children and staff there.

The soft play places just seem to make her close-up... maybe its because they are so large?

I'm sure it will just take time, and at least she doesn't run off into the road.

OP posts:
hairtwiddler · 30/03/2008 21:06

DD is exactly the same... fine at nursery but very clingy and shy when I'm around. She's not a fan of soft play either.
Like you say, at least no running off, or you having to sprint after her all the time!

dandycandyjellybean · 30/03/2008 21:16

my ds is 2.4 but we have very steep stairs with no carpet and a stone floor at the bottom!!! Needless to say, although he can fly up them, we still have stair gates on and it will be a long while yet before I will let him navigate them independantly.

EachPeachPearMum · 30/03/2008 23:16

hairtwiddler - does dd wind her hair round and round her finger?

Sounds like they were separated at birth!

OP posts:
hairtwiddler · 31/03/2008 07:44

Yup, with thumb of other hand in mouth!

EachPeachPearMum · 31/03/2008 10:37

mine doesn't do the thumb suck. The other hand is usually clutching a cuddly toy of some description.

OP posts:
Umlellala · 31/03/2008 11:01

I think it pretty much depends on how much they have been able to practise. Dd has been climbing up and down stairs confidently pretty early and walking up and down since about a month after walking (14mths) BUT we only have a couple of flights of ten carpeted stairs so have just let her loose on them (no stairgates or anything).

She is now 23mths and attempts to walk down not holding anything - have to remind her to hold on and take it slowly.

Reading your OP post, I don't think you have much to worry about, just let her practise and she'll get there in her own time. Far better to have a careful child who is calculating their own risks IMO than a reckless one who will constantly put themselves in danger through not realising. My friend's toddler is constantly falling off things and just randomly falls over cos she is so unsteady and doesn't seem to be aware of her own abilities IYKWIM. In a year it won't matter whether she could climb stairs at 12, 16 or 24 months.

annoyingdevil · 31/03/2008 12:41

ds has just started walking down properly at 20 mths. He started crawling up at around one, and then was able to come down on his own a month or two after that. DD was around 17 mths, before she was allowed up and down on her own (pfb.) I prefer to let my dc take a few risks, and before anyone jumps on me, my stairs and carpeted and not very steep.

I took the stairgate down when dd slammed it shut, causing DS to fall down the stairs!

blueshoes · 31/03/2008 12:49

Agree with Umlellah. Your dd is the best judge of when she is confident enough to go up and down stairs.

I think for those children who don't naturally go backwards down stairs (my ds taught himself at 15 months but dd took much longer), it might take a little longer because obviously walking down holding on is more difficult. Also, depends on your dd's height. Taller is easier because of height of stairs.

If you want her to work at it, I would just leave her on the stairs and hover around casually to catch if she falls. Even if she falls, she has learnt a lesson about her abilities. Ds has fallen so many times, even headfirst from the top of the stairs right down to the bottom - screamed blue murder and then was up there again!

If she does not want to attempt, I would just leave it for another day ... hth

New posts on this thread. Refresh page