Anyone NOT have a baby gate at the top of the stairs?

[jyllebean]

Our 3rd dd is now mobile/crawling. This is the first time we've lived in a 2 story home with a baby. We have a fairly steep straight set of stairs that are carpeted, I'm wondering if we are crazy if we don't get a baby gate for the top. At what age can baby learn to go down the stairs on their tummy?

Just wondering if anyone has advice. We have a 5 yo and 7 yo. It seems like most baby gates I've researched are a pain to open and I'm wondering if the older kids will be able to work them. (I want them to be able to.)

Just brainstorming. Thanks!

[Philly Mom]

We don't have one. Our kids sleep with the doors closed. They can't open them. Other than sleeping they are never alone upstairs.


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[JBaxter]

I never had one with any of my 4. We always had 2 story and only gated the bottom.

[Carlasmom]

You migth be surprised at how quickly your older two will learn to open even the trickiest baby gate :) We used one for our youngest, never an issue for our older kids.

[acmom]

We haven't had one in either of the two houses we have lived in with kids. (Both our sets of stairs have had a turn with a landing though.) We kept doors closed at night with kids in cribs when they were that age and worked on going down the stairs early. We also never let them go upstairs alone until they were independent on the stairs and in one house we did have a gate at the bottom (the other house we gated off the foyer where the stairs were).

[123LuckyMom]

We never had one. We really spend all our daytime hours downstairs, and otherwise, the baby would be in a room with the door closed. We didn't find we needed one. We DID have one at the bottom of the stairs so the baby couldn't climb up, and I taught my 4 year old how to open it.

[mikala]

We had one but I agree with others that your older kids will figure out how to open a gate quickly. My oldest figured ours out around 3.5 yo and probably would have learned sooner if I taught him how.

[minnie-zb]

We never did -- we didn't have them at the top or the bottom. As soon as ours were mobile and interested in the stairs we taught them to crawl down backwards. When my oldest was little I remember reading an article about this being a better way of handling stairs. Plus, ours were never really that free roaming when they were that little -- we knew where they were and they weren't inclined to get too far out of sight. Now, I know not all kids are like this. I think you should pick what will work best for your kids and your family. But, do I think a gate is a must have? No.

[Jen841]

We never did -- we didn't have them at the top or the bottom. As soon as ours were mobile and interested in the stairs we taught them to crawl down backwards. When my oldest was little I remember reading an article about this being a better way of handling stairs. Plus, ours were never really that free roaming when they were that little -- we knew where they were and they weren't inclined to get too far out of sight. Now, I know not all kids are like this. I think you should pick what will work best for your kids and your family. But, do I think a gate is a must have? No.

We never had one.

[kmkaull]

DD started crawling last week and is getting faster every day. She's very interested in the stairs, and it freaks me out! She loves to follow her 4 year old brother everywhere and I can totally see her trying to go down the stairs. Baby gate is going up today.

However, we spend a good amount of time upstairs doing laundry, getting dressed, baths.

[SnuggleBuggles]

We never had one bc we never hung out upstairs. Only up there for sleeping and used a crib

[nfceagles]

We never had one in two different houses for our two babies. We did have gates in doorways that kept the baby from getting to the front of the house (office, formal dining room, foyer) where the stairs were. When they were upstairs they were either sleeping in their cribs or closed in a bedroom with me.

[maestramommy]

We had a jerry rigged gate. It was one panel out of a Superyard that we tied to the railing at the top of the stairs. When we went up there, we closed it. It was mainly so they wouldn't accidentally tumble down while they were in the toddling stage. Which lasted about 2-3 years total? At the bottom of the stairs we had 2 panels like an elbow closing off the the stairway so if they tried to move it we would at least hear them. It was also very useful when we first got Shep because we didn't allow him on the second floor.

[georgiegirl]

With dd no...just a jerry rigged gate. Just like maestro mommy. With the boys, we needed real gates or else they would have been dead by now.

[lizzywednesday]

We didn't have a gate, even though I bought them, because DH decided he didn't want to put holes in the walls. AFTER I'd spend $150 on hard-install style gates. (Yes, I'm pretty sure that I b!tched about it here. :6:)

So ... I taught her how to bump down the stairs on her bum instead.

Our home is 3 stories, the stairs are carpeted, and she never fell.

[smilequeen]

Not with my 3rd. He learned how to navigate the stairs really early and he was just never really alone near the stairs. I gated off my kitchen and hearthroom from the rest of the house so he couldn't roam free towards the stairs and if we were upstairs he was always with me. We also have a split staircase with a landing halfway, so it just didn't scare me that much. Our old house had a tall curved staircase with tile at the bottom...and we had a gate there for my older two.

What gates we had my older two could always open. Remembering to close them was another story, so I never would have trusted one at the top of the stairs to be closed and locked anyway.

[kboyle]

I never had one with any of my 4. We always had 2 story and only gated the bottom.

same here.

[mommylamb]

We've never had one either. We're always with the kids upstairs, and now DS2 is pretty good at navigating stairs anyway. We have a gate that separates our kitchen/family room from the rest of the house, and this is the room we spend the most time in. Kitchen is childproofed well. DS2 turned 2 in February and we will probably take that gate down in another 6 months or so. I'm looking forward to a gate free house.

[KDsMommy]

With the boys, we needed real gates or else they would have been dead by now.

YES! This is our DS3, we call him Mister Chevious. We have hardware mounted gates at the top and bottom of the stairs and always use them. We've also taught him to bump down the stairs on his bottom, but we don't let him do it without one of us right there with him. DS1 and DS2 (6.5 and 5) can easily open and close the gates. Just be prepared to give many reminders to older DC about closing the gates! With our crazy DS3, we could never even dream about not having our stairs gated.

These are the gates we have, and they have worked well for us. http://www.toysrus.com/buy/between-room-gates/babies-r-us-secure-stairway-gate-3928502-16483546

[Kestrel]

Hmm... we chose to gate DS's room (upstairs), rather than the stairs themselves. (We also gated the bottom.) This allowed me to work in the laundry room upstairs, but keep DS safely away from laundry soap/chemicals.

[urbanmommy]

We have one at the top of the stairs that we hadn't been using. Then a couple weeks ago dd2 took a tumble down the stairs (she was ok minus some bumps and bruises) and we've since started closing it. I taught dd1 (5 yo) how to use it and she can open it and lock it no problem.


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