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Parenting

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Original poster

How old were your DC when you stopped shutting stair gates?

26 replies

ceebee74 · 08/04/2008 13:40

DS is 21 months and we rarely shut either the top or bottom stairgate now as he is very confident in climbing up and down the stairs - however, my sister was horrified about us letting him 'play' on the stairs.

Just wondered what the general consensus is.

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ScienceTeacher · 08/04/2008 13:42

We didn't use a stairgate with the last two. Don't know why we bothered with the first three - it was open all the time.

The only time I found stairgates useful was when I had a coffee morning and wanted to prevent kids from going all over the house.

Bumdiddley · 08/04/2008 14:22

We lived in a flat before and our house has no bannisters so we were petrified of ds and dd falling down the stairs. They are 3 and 19m.
We removed the stair gate when ds was about 1.

Neither of them has ever fallen. They're not allowed to play on the stairs but are allowed to experiment with ways of going down!! ie. shuffling on their bums

UniS · 08/04/2008 14:28

once he was confident going down stairs and I kept forgeting to shut it. So about 15 months, boy was stair proofed as soon as he could crawl as couldn;t gate off all teh stairs in the house. we spent ages playing on the stairs with him to teach him how to do them safley.
still have it in place so I CAN keep him out of half the house, or when we have vistors with younger kids.

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treelover · 08/04/2008 14:29

very very young. i taught them to crawl down backwards, and that was that.

francagoestohollywood · 08/04/2008 14:31

I'm actually , because I can't remember . Possibly around 2????

SmugColditz · 08/04/2008 14:36

Ds1 - well after 3

Ds2 - probably by 2.5 but he's only 23 months now.

She probably compares him to her own children on her own stairs which might not be as safe as your child on your stai9rs.

fishie · 08/04/2008 14:39

ds nearly 3 and very safe and confident, but we still have one top and bottom. our stairs are really steep and narrow and the newel post is cast iron. my mum comes down the stairs backwards!

HaventSleptForAYear · 08/04/2008 14:44

DS2 is 14 mths now and I haven't closed it for ages. I love that he can go up and down on his own and be independant. Mostly just stands at the top holding his arms out to be carried though.

We did the same with DS1, who is very careful and never hurts himself. DS2 is a different kettle of fish, bumps himself every 5 mins, but I'm still happy with him on the stairs, it seems "dangerous" enough for him to be reasonably cautious. May need the gate again if he starts getting cocky though !

Porpoise · 08/04/2008 14:47

never had stairgates

Original poster

ceebee74 · 08/04/2008 15:32

Thanks for the replies. It was actually whilst we were at our parents who don't have stairgates - and I wasn't concerned that DS was merrily going up and down stairs whilst my sister was on edge about it and couldn't believe that I wasn't bothered.

Haven'tslept - that just reminded me of my DS actually. When he wants to be, he is very proficient at coming down on his tummy - but most of the time, he stands at the top saying 'cuddle' He always does this when I have other things to bring downstairs (washing basket, shoes etc) - am sure he does it deliberately so I have to make an extra trip upstairs.

OP posts:

Bluestocking · 08/04/2008 15:36

Never had stairgates but not .

Porpoise · 08/04/2008 15:50

(actually, me either Blue Stocking, but that's just between you and me!)

Bluestocking · 08/04/2008 15:55

Shall we form a little club, Porpoise?

ChopsTheDuck · 08/04/2008 16:08

18 mnths. Then they could climb over them. I think dt2 has fallen once, but that was a lot later.

LadyOfWaffle · 08/04/2008 16:12

DS is just 2, can climb stairs but is a little clumsy so I keep it up. If he was carrying his tiger (favourite toy and his size) I have no doubt he would trp over it and fall down. And he is very adventurous on the stairs trying to slide down them etc. I guess we would have stopped in about 6 months ish, if another baby wasn't on the way

ChasingSquirrels · 08/04/2008 16:14

had one for a few months (12mo - 16mo) with ds1, mainly because it was given to us and stopped the dog getting the post.
never used one with ds2.

stleger · 08/04/2008 16:16

I am also a never had one! A clique!

stealthsquiggle · 08/04/2008 16:18

DD (18mths) closes them for us - she is very OCD-like about it

on a more serious note, I do try to keep them shut as we have changes of level between every room and too many hard (wood and tile) steps and sharp corners to allow her to learn only by experience.

hockeypuck · 08/04/2008 16:26

We stopped using them when DS was about 18 months and taught him to crawl down the stairs feet first on his tummy.

Then, at 23 months (last week) he saw DD (age 5) walk down the stairs and thought "sod this crawling down the stairs lark, I want to be like her" and took one step off the top of the stairs and landed at the bottom.

Thankfully unhurt but I'm not taking the risk again for a while.

Flum · 08/04/2008 16:31

First child. Took stair gate down when she was 2 and half!

Second child only had one outside her bedroom(house has 4 staircases)and it seemed a bit pointless in light of all the stairs so got rid of it when she was about 1. She could crawl up and down by then. Wierdly she has never fallen down until a week or so ago (nearly two now) bumped down about 8 stairs - alright though!

Fizzylemonade · 08/04/2008 17:38

Stair gates are only recommended until the child is 2 as theoretically they can open them. After that I believe it is meant to be used under parental supervision (although we plan to put one on ds2's door when he goes into a bed)

Never had a bottom stair gate for ds1 and top stair gate we removed when he was younger than 2. Ds2 we had a bottom stair gate as he is a dare devil and would climb several stairs to test out his jumping ability (he is only 22 months now!)

Removed top gate last weekend as we don't shut it and he would try and swing on it.

It is all about the ability of the child, I agree with Hockeypuck though, they copy their older siblings, ds2 jumped off the stairs because ds1 does but he is 3 years older.

My Mother considers falling downstairs as a rite of passage.

Elkat · 08/04/2008 21:31

My Youngest DD is 17 months and I can't remember the last time I used them in the day. (We put them on at night, as she is in a bed). But as a PP said, she crawled early (6 months) and was attempting the stairs by 8 months, so I thought the safest thing was to teach her to go up and down the stairs safely. She crawls up and slides down. I have also got dog leg stairs which are safer. So, our stairgate hasn't been used since she turned one, possibly even before that. But as another pp said, it depends on how safe and confident the shild is.

Wallace · 08/04/2008 21:40

have bottom stairgate mainly to keep ds2 downstairs away from flushing things down toilet and getting to things in older childre's bedrooms. Have never had a top one. We moved just before ds2 turned one and dh was supposed to put a top stairgate up but never got around to it A bit late now!

Wallace · 08/04/2008 21:40

Forgot to say ds2 is 20 months, but I think you knew that already

Nemoandthefishes · 08/04/2008 21:48

I dont shut mine during the day and all 3 dc [4.6,2.4 and 15mths] will go up and down the stairs as they please and always have done. Of a night I shut it but only because of the house alarm.

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