Too young to remove the stair gate?

[Livingoffcoffee]

Am I crazy to be thinking about taking the stair gate down at 16months?

DS has figured out how to open it himself and just goes up on his own. (Or goes up one step, closes the gate behind him, and plays zoo animal...) We moved it up one step so he couldn't reach the latch, but now he just pulls himself up using the gate and pulls. Think at any moment he could lose balance and fall off the step backwards.

He's walking, but still crawls up the stairs (really confidently), but guess once he learns to walk up the stairs he'll be unsteady again for a bit?

We removed ours around the same time. You need to monitor more closely till they get really steady but they simply learn earlier in my experience.

Well if he can open it - and if he's climbing up to attempt to open it - it's worse than useless, isn't it?

Take it down, and make sure you always accompany him anywhere near the stairs (yes, it's a drag. We never had a stair gate at all, and I spent a lot of time wandering about the hall...).

Thanks both. I was slightly nervous someone was going to tell me I needed to get a new one that he can't open.

Our house is small enough I can always see when he's going for the stairs, so easy enough (if exhausting) to go with him. And we're moving soon (hopefully) so then I guess we just never have to reinstall one.

Think the stair gate goes tonight...