When do you stop using stairgates?

[AngelsfromtherealmsofgloryDog]

A bit of a premature question since my 12 m.o. has just learned how to climb stairs, but I was wondering how long we'd be likely to need them up.

I used them until they began to climb over them.

Till you are confident he/she can get up and downstairs on their own without falling down, including wandering along the landing in the semi-darkness looking for the toilet!

I've had the up for the last 12 years, but as soon as one child starts being sensible enough there's another one who starts crawling!

My youngest is 3 and they'll be up for while yet. He's perfectly safe on the stairs, it's just that I don't trust him in the kitchen by himself!

I don't use them but surely they are no longer of use once the child can climb over them.

I know a few children who climb over stairgates and the age range is quite large so I suppose it's when your child learns to climb over!

Am just about to dig mine out of the loft as we are puppy-sitting over Christmas! Don't want him upstairs, or out of the kitchen at night and he cries behind a shut door.

Took ours off in the summer when the house was decorated. DD was 2.4. Meant to put it back but never got round to it. She's very careful on the stairs anyway but I will put one on the door of her room (if she ever moves into it) to prevent her falling down the stairs in the night (weird upstairs arrangement, she would have to cross the stairs to get to us)

Stair gates went on when dd1 was 15 months and off when dd2 was 15 months. dd1 would sit next to a stair gate, dd2 would scream and shake them and then catapult herself over the top. I taught her to go down the stairs feet first on her tummy, took one day and then she was fine.

They went back up for a month when dd2 moved to a bed as she started coming into my room at night and I would wake up to hear her sucking her dummy (like Maggie Simpson) and staring straight into my eyes from about 4 inches away. It was very scary.

Thanks. :)

We have one at the kitchen doorway still (DS1 is 3.8yo) and he also has one at his bedroom doorway to keep him safe - so far he hasn't attempted to climb over it! Once he turns 4yo will re-evaluate whether it's necessary for him since he should have a lot more understanding about boundaries/safety? I hope!

ds is 3.8 and we still have one at the top of the stairs, he used to come to our room in the middle of the night in our old house and when we moved in here we were very anxious he would do the same only half awake and take a tumble (our room is directly at the top of the stairs). So far he hasn´t but its no hassle to keep it up and reassures us. Also puts the cats off that part of the house which is a bonus. I imagine we´ll leave it up quite a while esp as we are expecting no. 2.

When the dog learns to leave the cats in peace

DD is 2.2 and really doesn't need the stairgate any more - she has no interest in climbing the stairs any more and is pretty adept at climbing up and down them when she needs to. The dog, on the other hand, gets much pleasure from terrorising the cats so the upstairs stays for now.

Meant to say upstairs gate stays for now.....doh!

Ours just gone DS1 has worked out how to open (just turned 3)

We still have ours but when DBD(5) comes here and the stairs are in front of her room, but at her mums the hallway is in front of her room and she has a habbit of walking round half asleep at night. She can undo the gate herself but only when she is properly awake. We have a dog too so gate at top and bottom of stairs so stop her getting up stairs. Got a baby on the way so im guessing gates will stay up for a long time now!!

Think we removed ours when DS was about 2 - they're back on now for DD - he is 3y6m and has been able to undo them easily on his own for a few months now