Stairgates - question for (relatively) new dads
Discussion
You have a choice of attaching it via pressure or via drilling in to the wall. The definition of making it safe means you'll be exerting a lot of pressure in to the wall!
This is our stairgate of choice. It's easy to remove temporarily...
This is our stairgate of choice. It's easy to remove temporarily...
We use these. Says ideal for slim staircases but also ideal for overwide which is what we have. Normal stair gates don't touch the sides in our house.
http://www.johnlewis.com/230130957/Product.aspx
http://www.johnlewis.com/230130957/Product.aspx
Edited by Olf on Thursday 6th November 21:28
We have a lindam screwed to the wall at bottom of stairs, another one at top of stairs, and a pressure fit one in the kitchen doorway. I wouldn't trust pressure fit where stairs are concerned and therefore will happily fill in the half dozen holes once the gates are removed rather than have the gate fall out of the stairway.
gti tim said:
We have a lindam screwed to the wall at bottom of stairs, another one at top of stairs, and a pressure fit one in the kitchen doorway. I wouldn't trust pressure fit where stairs are concerned and therefore will happily fill in the half dozen holes once the gates are removed rather than have the gate fall out of the stairway.
Exactly. Especially in modern houses. Having said that in our old house they are no good either because we have a free standing banister.Edited by Olf on Thursday 6th November 21:31
Don't use one.
Look at it this way - you will, one day, forget to close it, what will happen then?
Best way, and I speak from experince, is to teach them to deal with the stairs, teach them to crawl up and down.
Trust me it works.
There is nothing funnier than them bouncing down the stairs on their nappy padded bum one step at a time.
Never forget that your little one is very clever.
Look at it this way - you will, one day, forget to close it, what will happen then?
Best way, and I speak from experince, is to teach them to deal with the stairs, teach them to crawl up and down.
Trust me it works.
There is nothing funnier than them bouncing down the stairs on their nappy padded bum one step at a time.
Never forget that your little one is very clever.
skeggysteve said:
Don't use one.
Look at it this way - you will, one day, forget to close it, what will happen then?
Best way, and I speak from experince, is to teach them to deal with the stairs, teach them to crawl up and down.
Trust me it works.
There is nothing funnier than them bouncing down the stairs on their nappy padded bum one step at a time.
Never forget that your little one is very clever.
Look at it this way - you will, one day, forget to close it, what will happen then?
Best way, and I speak from experince, is to teach them to deal with the stairs, teach them to crawl up and down.
Trust me it works.
There is nothing funnier than them bouncing down the stairs on their nappy padded bum one step at a time.
Never forget that your little one is very clever.
There are times when you absolutely need a stairgate - like at night when you're alseep! Or in the shower with a toddler running around upstairs with you and you just can't get to the stairs quickly if something goes wrong (and it does!)
Steve - thats fine surely BUT my little one knows how to go up, but what if he slips? one wrong footing and its a long way down for a baby. I show him to go up and down when i am with him, but if i am not then how could i stop him falling? I shall stick with the gates personally, at lweast until he is competent on his own.
skeggysteve said:
Don't use one.
Look at it this way - you will, one day, forget to close it, what will happen then?
Best way, and I speak from experince, is to teach them to deal with the stairs, teach them to crawl up and down.
Trust me it works.
There is nothing funnier than them bouncing down the stairs on their nappy padded bum one step at a time.
Never forget that your little one is very clever.
Blimey mate - I'm the biggest critic of over-zealous H&S clowns but even I've got stairgates & one into the kitchen. At 12 months old, my little fella can climb the stairs no problem, yet he sees coming down as a reverse of going up - i.e headfirst. Gate into the kitchen purely as he's worked out how to open doors & having fed the dog a kilo of biscuits I decided it's safer & cheaper than latches everywhere. Pressure mounted one at the bottom of the stairs & a wall mounted one at the top as it has no bar along the bottom on which to trip over. Think they're Lindam as someone else has said above.Look at it this way - you will, one day, forget to close it, what will happen then?
Best way, and I speak from experince, is to teach them to deal with the stairs, teach them to crawl up and down.
Trust me it works.
There is nothing funnier than them bouncing down the stairs on their nappy padded bum one step at a time.
Never forget that your little one is very clever.
Not sure what ones we have in the house (the wife will probably post here in a minute with the correct details as I'm unfortunately working away atm), but secure does mean getting the drill out, but I've found the pressure ones can damage the surfaces anyway, so better to have to use a bit of filler and a paint brush when you finally remove the gates.
The mechanism for the Lindham (press larger picture in the Argos link)looks exactly the same as the one I have. The paper template that comes with the gate is a god send, so don't throw it away. Anyway the white plastic hinges that come with the metal gate aren't too visually intrusive when the gate is taken away. The metal does mark the white plastic, your kid is going to write on the walls with the edge of a coloured wooden brick anyway, so why worry for the next 16 or so years ;-) .
The gate is pretty easy to use with your foot under the middle of the gate and pushing the catch with one hand. So far our toddler hasn't worked out how the gates (we have three of them) work. Pushing the catch isn't enough it needs pushed up from the middle, and normally they can't work it out until a bit later (4 year old niece has no problem).
Edited to add: My daughter is getting plenty of learning on the stairs, both up and down, but the gates are staying until she is a good deal bigger and is less likely to be pushed over by the dog and is less gung-ho and a bit better balanced coming down the stairs - wants to walk rather than slide on her bum.
The mechanism for the Lindham (press larger picture in the Argos link)looks exactly the same as the one I have. The paper template that comes with the gate is a god send, so don't throw it away. Anyway the white plastic hinges that come with the metal gate aren't too visually intrusive when the gate is taken away. The metal does mark the white plastic, your kid is going to write on the walls with the edge of a coloured wooden brick anyway, so why worry for the next 16 or so years ;-) .
The gate is pretty easy to use with your foot under the middle of the gate and pushing the catch with one hand. So far our toddler hasn't worked out how the gates (we have three of them) work. Pushing the catch isn't enough it needs pushed up from the middle, and normally they can't work it out until a bit later (4 year old niece has no problem).
Edited to add: My daughter is getting plenty of learning on the stairs, both up and down, but the gates are staying until she is a good deal bigger and is less likely to be pushed over by the dog and is less gung-ho and a bit better balanced coming down the stairs - wants to walk rather than slide on her bum.
Edited by thepeoplespal on Thursday 6th November 22:06
northwest monkey said:
skeggysteve said:
Don't use one.
Look at it this way - you will, one day, forget to close it, what will happen then?
Best way, and I speak from experince, is to teach them to deal with the stairs, teach them to crawl up and down.
Trust me it works.
There is nothing funnier than them bouncing down the stairs on their nappy padded bum one step at a time.
Never forget that your little one is very clever.
Blimey mate - I'm the biggest critic of over-zealous H&S clowns but even I've got stairgates & one into the kitchen. At 12 months old, my little fella can climb the stairs no problem, yet he sees coming down as a reverse of going up - i.e headfirst. Gate into the kitchen purely as he's worked out how to open doors & having fed the dog a kilo of biscuits I decided it's safer & cheaper than latches everywhere. Pressure mounted one at the bottom of the stairs & a wall mounted one at the top as it has no bar along the bottom on which to trip over. Think they're Lindam as someone else has said above.Look at it this way - you will, one day, forget to close it, what will happen then?
Best way, and I speak from experince, is to teach them to deal with the stairs, teach them to crawl up and down.
Trust me it works.
There is nothing funnier than them bouncing down the stairs on their nappy padded bum one step at a time.
Never forget that your little one is very clever.
Have read a couple of reviews of the Kiddyguard gate (the rollerblind type) and apparently they don't last that long and the mechanism is quite noisy. Think we will opt for a couple of Lindams and make good any marks on the walls after the gates are removed.
Oh and northwest monkey - your little fella sounds like great fun, loved the bit about feeding the dog a kilo of biscuits, haha!
theturbs said:
Hi - my baby daughter is now old enough for stairgates to be required. Any recommendations for a stairgate that will not put depressions/marks in the walls, but will be secure?
Thanks very much
I looked for ages for a decent gate, that would last a few years, but eventually bought a pair of Wickes steel garden gates, one for the top, one for. They look the part, good and solid, and are gloss black.Thanks very much
skeggysteve said:
Don't use one.
Look at it this way - you will, one day, forget to close it, what will happen then?
Best way, and I speak from experince, is to teach them to deal with the stairs, teach them to crawl up and down.
Trust me it works.
There is nothing funnier than them bouncing down the stairs on their nappy padded bum one step at a time.
Never forget that your little one is very clever.
Totally agree. We never installed a stair gate for that very reason. Instead we tought our son to negotiate the stairs. He has never fallen down the stairs & has never had a fear of stairs.Look at it this way - you will, one day, forget to close it, what will happen then?
Best way, and I speak from experince, is to teach them to deal with the stairs, teach them to crawl up and down.
Trust me it works.
There is nothing funnier than them bouncing down the stairs on their nappy padded bum one step at a time.
Never forget that your little one is very clever.
theturbs said:
northwest monkey said:
skeggysteve said:
Don't use one.
Look at it this way - you will, one day, forget to close it, what will happen then?
Best way, and I speak from experince, is to teach them to deal with the stairs, teach them to crawl up and down.
Trust me it works.
There is nothing funnier than them bouncing down the stairs on their nappy padded bum one step at a time.
Never forget that your little one is very clever.
Blimey mate - I'm the biggest critic of over-zealous H&S clowns but even I've got stairgates & one into the kitchen. At 12 months old, my little fella can climb the stairs no problem, yet he sees coming down as a reverse of going up - i.e headfirst. Gate into the kitchen purely as he's worked out how to open doors & having fed the dog a kilo of biscuits I decided it's safer & cheaper than latches everywhere. Pressure mounted one at the bottom of the stairs & a wall mounted one at the top as it has no bar along the bottom on which to trip over. Think they're Lindam as someone else has said above.Look at it this way - you will, one day, forget to close it, what will happen then?
Best way, and I speak from experince, is to teach them to deal with the stairs, teach them to crawl up and down.
Trust me it works.
There is nothing funnier than them bouncing down the stairs on their nappy padded bum one step at a time.
Never forget that your little one is very clever.
Have read a couple of reviews of the Kiddyguard gate (the rollerblind type) and apparently they don't last that long and the mechanism is quite noisy. Think we will opt for a couple of Lindams and make good any marks on the walls after the gates are removed.
Oh and northwest monkey - your little fella sounds like great fun, loved the bit about feeding the dog a kilo of biscuits, haha!
Don't know how old yours is, but I can recommend 100% a thing called a "Learn & Groove" http://www.leapfrogshop.co.uk/leapfrogshop/learn_g...
It's fantastic for popping them in for a few minutes for when you need a brew or to answer the door etc. Bit steep at £80 but seem to sell on ebay afterwards for £50-£60 so not too bad. I couldn't do without it although the missus seems to cope ok
northwest monkey said:
The dog definitely thinks he's great fun mate - wont leave each other alone now
Don't know how old yours is, but I can recommend 100% a thing called a "Learn & Groove" http://www.leapfrogshop.co.uk/leapfrogshop/learn_g...
It's fantastic for popping them in for a few minutes for when you need a brew or to answer the door etc. Bit steep at £80 but seem to sell on ebay afterwards for £50-£60 so not too bad. I couldn't do without it although the missus seems to cope ok
We have one of these, highly recommended. our little boy is now 13 months and walking so we have put it away in case we have anotherDon't know how old yours is, but I can recommend 100% a thing called a "Learn & Groove" http://www.leapfrogshop.co.uk/leapfrogshop/learn_g...
It's fantastic for popping them in for a few minutes for when you need a brew or to answer the door etc. Bit steep at £80 but seem to sell on ebay afterwards for £50-£60 so not too bad. I couldn't do without it although the missus seems to cope ok
Turbo5 said:
northwest monkey said:
The dog definitely thinks he's great fun mate - wont leave each other alone now
Don't know how old yours is, but I can recommend 100% a thing called a "Learn & Groove" http://www.leapfrogshop.co.uk/leapfrogshop/learn_g...
It's fantastic for popping them in for a few minutes for when you need a brew or to answer the door etc. Bit steep at £80 but seem to sell on ebay afterwards for £50-£60 so not too bad. I couldn't do without it although the missus seems to cope ok
We have one of these, highly recommended. our little boy is now 13 months and walking so we have put it away in case we have anotherDon't know how old yours is, but I can recommend 100% a thing called a "Learn & Groove" http://www.leapfrogshop.co.uk/leapfrogshop/learn_g...
It's fantastic for popping them in for a few minutes for when you need a brew or to answer the door etc. Bit steep at £80 but seem to sell on ebay afterwards for £50-£60 so not too bad. I couldn't do without it although the missus seems to cope ok
Gassing Station | The Pie & Piston Archive | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff