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Parenting

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Original poster

How many stair gates do you use? ie. bathroom, kitchen etc.

28 replies

LadyOfWaffle · 03/04/2008 18:51

Just flicking through mothercare magazine (which is obviously going to say you need a million stairgates) and it shows them on most doorways. I have one in the bathroom and kitchen but was going to move them when we get a better door put on the bathroom (with a knob rather than handle) and double doors put in our kitchen arch - do you have bathroom/kitchen gates up?

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Quattrocento · 03/04/2008 18:52

Never had any.

I mean obviously I don't need them now but I question whether anyone needs any. I did try but our stairs were too wide or the wrong shape or something and you know what, they are still alive now at 8&10

RubySlippers · 03/04/2008 18:55

none
DS 22 months and still very much in one piece

JingleyJen · 03/04/2008 18:55

one at the top of the stairs,
I have cabin hooks on the top of the study door so they can't get in there and stick more things into the CD drive (bitter experience)and at the top of the toilet door so we don't find anymore things blocking the toilet, but we don't use that one very often now DS1 is toilet trained.. I don't want to run the risk of accidents.

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CarGirl · 03/04/2008 18:55

just had them at the bottom and top of my stairs and that is mainly because we have an open plan house with open stairs/slats so a stress I wanted to live without.

REIDmylips · 03/04/2008 18:55

We have one at the top of the stairs and thats it. We have no doorway into our kitchen so ds (19 months) can go in when ever he wants. We do however have child lock thingies on the cupboards (although if he is determined enough he can still get in them!) We have moved anything of any harm out of his reach (put them in top cupboards)

We have a door stopping him from getting up the stairs which (as yet) he cant open

hth

TsarChasm · 03/04/2008 18:59

Oooh this brings back memories. I used to have so many it was like prisoner cell block H.

It used to take ages to get through the house clanking them open and shut and one that didn't even open at all that I had to vault over.

I took them all down one day when I realised the only person struggling to open them...was me. The dc had them sussed no trouble

frasersmummy · 03/04/2008 18:59

we never had them on any rooms. Downstairs is completely open plan so having a gate on the kitchen wasnt possible. Never even thought about one on the toilets!! (bad mum)

We had a gate top and bottom of the stairs which we removed when ds was just over a year. prior to taking it down we spent time teaching him to slide down safely.

Seona1973 · 03/04/2008 19:51

We have 3 - 1 at the top of the stairs and 2 in the hall to prevent ds from getting to the stairs (we cant put it at the bottom of the stair as the bottom steps jut out to the side). DS has free access to the kitchen and bathroom but is supervised of course especially when he is 'too quiet' We do have cupboard locks in the kitchen from when dd was a baby and we never took them off.

nickytwotimes · 03/04/2008 19:53

I have one a the top of the stairs so ds can run around safely. I'd have one at the bottom, but we have an odd stairway and can't find one to fit. i just keep the family room door shut all the time and have a handle on ti which he can't get to!

Tigerschick · 03/04/2008 19:55

We have 3 -
One at the top and bottom of the stairs and one between the kitchen and utility room which stops DD from getting into the garden and stops the dogs from getting into the house!

TheDevilWearsPenneys · 03/04/2008 19:58

We had them just on the stairs.
I remember a heartstopping moment after going to the loo and seeing I had left the gate open.
DD (15 m at the time) was grinning in the middle of the staircase and confidently crawled up to me.

I didn't want to go running for her in case I alarmed her and she fell back iyswim.

I think gates on every door is bollocks. just teach them, or supervise them.

FasterPussyCatGrrrl · 03/04/2008 20:11

Just one, which stops them getting to bottom of the stairs and the front door. I want one to fit on the landing though, but having trouble.

Weegle · 03/04/2008 20:11

top and bottom of the stairs

those who don't have any - is your staircase inaccessible at night? I would be worried DS would stumble out of his room and down the stairs if trying to get to our room - the stairs are right opposite his door. The bottom gate is purely to stop me having to stop him going up when I'm busy downstairs. Kitchen is free reign and he's been taught not to go in the cupboards.

PhDlifeNeedsaNewLife · 03/04/2008 20:15

our flat is very conveniently divided by a long corridor. bedrooms/lounge at one end, stairs/kitchen/bathroom at the other. thus, one stairgate. curiously have found it only good as my remembering to shut it

TheBlonde · 03/04/2008 20:18

I have 6
one between the kitchen and lounge, rest are on the stairs

rosiejoy · 03/04/2008 20:38

none, i was heavily pregnant when ds got interested in stairs, seemed to make sense just to show him how to get up and down to save me carrying him!

lock on cupborad under the sink, otherwise he goes where he wants

sweetkitty · 03/04/2008 20:43

We used to have 3 top and bottom of stairs and between dining room/kitchen.

Now we only have the dining room/kitchen one and I like it so it's staying. We have a large cupboard in our kitchen with the cat litter tray in it and DD1 likes to munch on cat litter (I know disgusting child) it also gives the cats somewhere to hide and also means that they can't get out the kitchen door easily. I also just cannot be bothered putting back everything they would pull out the kitchen. They do get in the kitchen but only when I am present.

All stairgates are/were about 5 inches off the ground so the cats can limbo under them.

MaeWest · 03/04/2008 20:45

I have one at the top of the stairs so DS can be free range upstairs, we also have one across the door of his room as he's tall enough to open doors now and I need to contain him somewhere whilst I have a shower in the morning.

He plays in the kitchen quite a lot, we have child locks on the cleaning cupboard and the booze cupboard, anything else is fair game

squeaver · 03/04/2008 20:45

None. Just teach em to go up and down stairs on their backsides.

PuppyMonkey · 03/04/2008 20:50

I must be in the Prisoner Cell Block H camp cos we have THREE at the mo. We have a v.weird uppy downy kind of house with lots of little staircases (mad 80 extension) and DD2 (one on Sunday ) keeps heading straight for them. Just makes me feel a bit more relaxed.

Does this mean she will grow up a bit tapped?

BlueberryPancake · 03/04/2008 20:56

One at the top of the stairs, and had to put one at the bottom of the stairs when my 2 DS (youngest one 11 months old!) started to race up the stairs!!! I just wanted peace of mind. I haven't put one at the kitchen door but might have to for a little while, as my youngest has the very bad habit of hanging off my legs when I'm cooking, and I'm nervous about dropping something on his head. I think it depends a lot on how your house is designed and also how nervous you are as a mum. I'm a bit of a chicken...

cheesesarnie · 03/04/2008 20:56

one at top of stairs one at bottom

MuffinMclay · 03/04/2008 20:58

Two - one across ds1's door to discourage him from leaving his bedroom at night (not foolproof - he can open it or push it over if he puts his mind to it). Another across spare room door (ds2's room at the moment) to stop ds1 going in and poking him awake.

None on the stairs.

suwoo · 03/04/2008 21:05

One at the top of the stairs so DS can have free reign upstairs. He has been trained though to come down backwards (he's 15 months)

Staceym21AtLast · 03/04/2008 21:10

i'm not a nervous mum, but i have one on my bedroom as they have taken to emptying my cosmetics everywhere and thats a pain (although i know i can tech them not to but 17mo thinks its a game!) and i lock myself in there to iron as ds climbs the ironing board otherwise .

also have 1 on the kitchen as i hate them being at my legs when im cooking and i cant be faffing putting cupboard locks on!

so i have 2

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