Child-proofing garden...
Discussion
LimaDelta said:
Evanivitch said:
mikeiow said:
I may be off-piste here, but I would train them to use the garden as you have it.
Unless there is something super dangerous - do you have a pit with knives in?
Teach them to crawl carefully up and down steps and be there with them anyway.
Maybe I sound wrong, but we wouldn't leave our toddlers on their own in the garden. Sure, they will trip and graze knees, but that is part of learning.
I'm with you.Unless there is something super dangerous - do you have a pit with knives in?
Teach them to crawl carefully up and down steps and be there with them anyway.
Maybe I sound wrong, but we wouldn't leave our toddlers on their own in the garden. Sure, they will trip and graze knees, but that is part of learning.
Alternatively only put them in a playpen until you're ready to let them use the garden.
We did zero 'child-proofing' to our home or garden with ours. Let them learn, and if they take the odd tumble, they'll learn faster.
They need to learn. Show them.
We wrap children up in cotton wool and bubble wrap too often now.
Our children were 2 & 3 and we had a 4 ft difference between T1 & T2, with sleeper steps. They knew to take it easy.
Bought the play pen for when mine started to crawl. She used it twice before she was fed up and tried to break it.
It was better to set the boundaries and she kept to it.
But that was a girl on her own. I know boys and twins would be different! You know your kids. If they need a fence put one in, If you think they will be alright leave them at it.
It was better to set the boundaries and she kept to it.
But that was a girl on her own. I know boys and twins would be different! You know your kids. If they need a fence put one in, If you think they will be alright leave them at it.
If you're worried about the drop, how about putting some sort of cushioning along the bottom of the retaining wall temporarily in case they do fall off? It would be far less invasive than fitting a fence and would probably do a better job of teaching your children that walking off cliffs isn't clever.
In the 60s we had a garden with 3 concrete steps going down from the patio to the lawn, apparently I survived until I was 3 then fell down the steps while chasing a football and broke my wrist. Have no memory of it at all so not the end of the world. Would leave the garden as it is and watch them as much as you can though obviously this wont be 100% of the time.
I like that our garden is on one level, and mainly grass, in terms of letting our daughter run around. But we do also have a fair size paved area, and a she comes out on the canal with me all the time.
Gives people kittens when she is running along the tow path, including walking up to the edge and looking into the water, but she has been doing it on and off all her life (now 2.5 yo) and she's yet to fall in. Plus I am watching her 100% of the time.
The only thing she every really hurts herself on is the corner of the kitchen table because its at head height.
Looks like your steps are wood and or plastic rather than stone, so not going to be as hard an edge, and you have a plant pot on the hard corner of the upper patio, if not a huge amount of grass. So broadly I am also in the camp of 'see how it goes' because they are surprisingly good at mitigating obvious danger, maybe throw some plants in the bed. Nature includes 18inch drops in the evolutionary learning process, for me its 'unexpected' things like exposed electrical connections or rotating machinery you have to watch.
That said, we have spent the last two and a half years thinking 'how the hell do they manage' every time we see people twins and think about having a pair of them to look after once, especially as you say when there is one parent and two toddlers for a day. So if a 3ft fence along the edge of the raise bed and a corner protector on the edge either side of the steps gives you a bit mo rest bite, then by all being go for it!
Let them explore the garden, and see what causes the most issue and or parental anxiety and make modifications to suit.
And get a small slide or little tikes cube, and a (pair of) swings? Facebook marketplace is your friend here!
https://www.smythstoys.com/uk/en-gb/outdoor/swings...
https://www.littletikes.co.uk/junior-activity-gym-...
Gives people kittens when she is running along the tow path, including walking up to the edge and looking into the water, but she has been doing it on and off all her life (now 2.5 yo) and she's yet to fall in. Plus I am watching her 100% of the time.
The only thing she every really hurts herself on is the corner of the kitchen table because its at head height.
Looks like your steps are wood and or plastic rather than stone, so not going to be as hard an edge, and you have a plant pot on the hard corner of the upper patio, if not a huge amount of grass. So broadly I am also in the camp of 'see how it goes' because they are surprisingly good at mitigating obvious danger, maybe throw some plants in the bed. Nature includes 18inch drops in the evolutionary learning process, for me its 'unexpected' things like exposed electrical connections or rotating machinery you have to watch.
That said, we have spent the last two and a half years thinking 'how the hell do they manage' every time we see people twins and think about having a pair of them to look after once, especially as you say when there is one parent and two toddlers for a day. So if a 3ft fence along the edge of the raise bed and a corner protector on the edge either side of the steps gives you a bit mo rest bite, then by all being go for it!
Let them explore the garden, and see what causes the most issue and or parental anxiety and make modifications to suit.
And get a small slide or little tikes cube, and a (pair of) swings? Facebook marketplace is your friend here!
https://www.smythstoys.com/uk/en-gb/outdoor/swings...
https://www.littletikes.co.uk/junior-activity-gym-...
Gassing Station | Homes, Gardens and DIY | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff