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View Full Version : How do you know when to take down the gate?



COElizabeth
11-06-2003, 03:26 PM
I feel somewhat silly asking this! I haven't closed my gates in weeks because James zips up and down stairs all day long with no problem. It's his main form of entertainment, actually. Yesterday, though, he fell backwards and fell down a few steps. Fortunately, he didn't hit his head and wasn't hurt, but I still felt horrible. I know I should be more cautious with him, but for future reference, how do you know when it's "safe" to leave gates open all the time or take them down?

Elizabeth, Mom to James, 9-20-02

lukkykatt
11-06-2003, 03:50 PM
I took down the gate at the bottom of my stairs when my older son was about 2 (it has since gone back up for my 16 month old). By 2, he was really proficient at going up and down the stairs safely and I also felt more comfortable that if he decided to go upstairs while I was cooking or on the phone, that he would just be in his room playing.

I still leave the gate at the top of the stairs closed at night because I am afraid that he might fall in the dark if he gets out of bed and couldn't see where he was going (and he is now almost 4). So, I imagine that I'll be using that gate for some time, since I have another little one who will be moved into a bed some ways down the road.

sweetbasil
11-25-2003, 11:10 PM
Our downstairs gate was a tension-type, and the upstairs is fixed. Once DS mastered the stairs (we moved into this house when he was 20 mo old), I removed the downstairs gate-- unless we had friends w/little ones coming over or something. But we left the upstairs gate attached to the wall and railing. I rarely lock it, but get some comfort in hearing him open and close it, so I can know what part of the stairs he's on, whether he's upstairs or down, etc.

For several months after moving in, it was a rule that DS#1 go down the stairs on his bottom or slide down (feet first) on his tummy. He preferred the first option. As he became more adept, he gradually learned to go up and down while walking, but holding onto the wall beside him (the railing was at head level ;)).

As a side note, even at three years old, when he's been sick, wakes up from a nap extra tired, etc., I make him go down the stairs on his bottom or hold my hand, as he's much more prone to hurting himself.

This reminds me, though- he's been getting up at 6am the last few days, and I wake up with him next to my bed (our room is downstairs). I wonder if he'd go back to his room or the playroom if he found the gate locked (he can't unlock it himself). Or, would he just pitch a fit until either I wake up or his baby brother does?! Hmmm....

sarasprings
11-26-2003, 01:49 PM
We still have our gates up (DS is 18 m) because I can't see the bottom of the stairs from the kitchen, which is where I usually am when DS is playing on his own. He just isn't ready to take the stairs on his own -- he's too distractable.

A friend with a baby the same age did take the bottom gate down about a month ago. Her son is pretty good about waiting for her and is better able to go up and down on his own.

I'd leave the top one up for a while (of course, there are people who are totally against gates and never have them up), just to be safe. As for your son falling -- everyone falls once in a while. If you really feel comfortable with him going up and down, you may not need the bottom one.

Melanie
11-26-2003, 06:13 PM
Well, we moved out of our 2-story to a 1-story, but speaking about the home we used to have, I would have kept up the top gate and taken away the bottom gate. For us, it is because our upstairs hallway was small and if Ds was running or playing or whatever toddlers do, it would have been easy for him to accidentally fall down the stairs if he lost his footing.