Even when you've shown your little crawler or walker hot to go up or down the stairs it's still important to secure them. It's one thing to watch your toddler climb up or down stairs with you behind them ready to step in as soon as they look like they are about to fall but another thing altogether to let them do this by themselves. So make sure you've got safety gates in place and don't remove them too early.

There are lots of baby product brands who offer safety gates such as Kidco Baby Gates, Evenflo, Cardinal, Guardian Angel, Dreambaby and many others. So there's bound to be a selection of gates at your local baby store. Make sure you measure the width of your staircase (wall to wall) before you go out to buy them. When I went to buy ours I got the measurement completely wrong and we had to go back for an extension.

There are basically two types of mechanisms for installing the gate (pressure-mounted and screwed in). Generally it is not recommended to rely on pressure mounting at the top of stairs as your baby can lean into the gate which may be too much for the pressure mounting. So double check what you can do and think of alternatives if you can't screw the gate to your walls. Usually with a bit of DIYing (e.g. using extra wooden boards or metal brackets) you can fix the gates securely.

There are also a number of closing mechanisms. Some include a foot pedal, others are secured by a latch at the top. Most of the mechanisms are well tested for the ingenuity and creativity (or brute force) of toddlers trying to get out. Try it out anyway and make sure you're comfortable with it (also remember that usually you are carrying something in one hand when you are trying to get through). Many gates are designed in a way that they are self-closing which I found really useful and this adds a bit of extra safety when you forget to close it (just make sure the gate closes safely by itself ... every time).

The million dollar question - could a particularly agile toddler climb over the gate? Most gates are at least 65cm high which makes it pretty much impossible for toddlers to climb over (at least until they are 2 years or so). HOWEVER if they can use another object (e.g. a big toy) to climb on top of it might be possible. So watch your little champion if he's showing signs of working this out.

All in all safety gates are indespensable items in most households where little children and toddlers are around.

-Stef

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