bloody boring i know but i neeeeeeeeeeddddddddd a stairgate before j learns how to scale the stairs!!

[CvQ]

what you got??
can you open it one handed and does it stay up or does it need tightening alot!

We have two types from mothercare - the pressure ones for the kichen that you can open one handed and don't need fixing to the wall. Doesn't need tightening but did fall out once when my friend's toddler (very big for his age!!) pulled on it so hard it fell out of the door way! Other than that, it does stand up to DS very well!

The other on is a stair one that is screwed into the wall. Again, you can open one handed and this one is tough, although we don't let DS swing off of it - as much as he would like too!!

Bog standard M'Care ones. I don't think we've ever had to tighten any of them and yes, they're easy to open with one hand.

we got a babdydan one for free when DS2 was little (and got it fitted!)

The local council were doing a free home safety and fire check for anyone elderly, vulnerable or with kids under 5! We got new smoke alarms, a stairgate and a box of stuff including corner covers, cupboard latches and plughole covers!

thanks.
i cant screw it into the wall because we are in rented property and i want my deposit back
ive been looking on argos but am abit blind to whats any good.i dont want to get a cheap one thats not going to be effective.

hiya honey, hope you're feeling better today. i'm off to bed in a moment but my health visitor arranged for the fire brigade to come around and fit mine as i was on income support. ask your hv if they have a scheme like it. it's free and you know they are properly fitted they fit as many as you need and they're not the cheapest kind either. mine are one handed, wide opening, and self-closing so no forgetting to close it after you. (it's DM form last night by the way. dp been snooping) nite love take care xx

look on kiddicare.com. loads cheaper. Measure the gap and get a pressure fit one.

CvQ - you need to be careful though as the pressure ones can still leave a mark in the paint. Maybe worth clearing with landlord first and offering to make good any marks when you leave or similar

oh i thought the pressure ones would be better.ok maybe i should call and check first then before i do anything.
thankyou for telling me.i didnt realise!

we have pressure mounted ones we bought from mothercare, many many moons ago. i insisted on getting ones i could open one handed.
however, the best thing is to teach your dc how to go down stairs as quickly as possible. as someone whose dc fell down the stairs and broke both bones in his forearm, aged 11 months, i feel that stairgates are fine and well, but real safety is only acheived once they know how to get down the stairs.
once your dc has learnt how to crawl up them, you need to teach them how to crawl backwards, down the stairs. this should mean that you dont actually need the gates up for more than three months or so, much much safer imo.

call and check. Tell them that you will fill in any screw holes and paing over maybe?
then the whole of the stair gate world is at your disposal

my DD knows how to back down stairs, but at nearly 2 I still don't trust her to do it

she is completely fearless though - the kamakazi kid

stitch, you talk a lot of sense.
Our stair gate is mainly for the dog!

CvQ - they are better but they can leave marks. I know mine have and where my friend's toddler pulled the gate out, the gloss chipped revealing...bottle green gloss!!

She never apologised either!!

In a similar vein I have never put catches on drawers. DS (14 mths) can now open and close drawers safely. Once they trap their fingers once, they tend not to do it again.

Ginger - I haven't put catches on drawers either...not that DS has caught his fingers but I do find that sometimes its better to let them find their feet than baby proof everthing! I have ornaments on the DVD stand and he's very good about leaving them alone so there is something to be said for that!

the only thing ive got is those socket covers and i put some safety film on the bottom half of the back door.i didnt trust how safe the glass is

I haven't babyproofed doors or drawers

DD knows to get fingers out of the way, and knows the instruction "fingers!" if someone else is closing something

I just have a thing about stairs, maybe because my neice broke her jaw falling down them, and my DD likes to jump

norma, a two year old is strong enough to force a stairgate off the wall, and i strongly feel that coasting down the stairs on a stairgate is far more dangerous than crawling down them.
we currently have an 11 month old staying with us, so stairgates are back up. i caught dd leaning heavily against it, whilst sitting on the upstairs landing. if, for any reason the gate chose that moment to 'let go' of the wall, then she would have been very seriously hurt.

best to get rid of the things as soon as possible. lots of people use them for d ogs which is a bit different.

no - I only have one at the bottom of the stairs to stop her going up - and she really can't shift it as it is screwed in to the wall.

and if she did shift it she would either be at the bottom of the stairs looking to go up or the top of the stairs looking to go down, so no danger there.

I meant that I prevent her from being upstairs without my knowledge - ie she can't get upstairs unless we have let her up there

Never ever had a gate at the top of the stairs

sorry - first line should say "or at the bottom of the stairs looking to go down into the hall"