Thursday, August 24, 2006

Trapped!

Some time back Carl and I investigated baby gates for the top of our stairs. We purchased one plus an extension and bought it home - we discovered it didn't fit! So we tried a different sized extension and it was too big. Problem!

The solution was to attach a post to the wall opposite the post at the top of the bannister. We needed help to do that, as neither of us are comfortable with wood and tools! Fortunately Carl's father is very handy with power tools and he, with Carl's help, whipped up a post in no time.

Carl painted it to match the bannister and we screwed it to the wall last weekend. Voila!


It's much better now, as we don't have to drag furniture across to block off the stairs from young Romily, who just loves climbing up the stairs, but has no idea yet how to get down!

6 comments:

Anonymous said...

such an essential thing for children in homes with stairs. When we moved into our house 5 years ago, the previous owners had installed a similar gate at the top of our stairs and I was so thankful. Even though my children are now 5 and almost 8, we have not gotten rid of it.

Unknown said...

We moved to our last house when DD1 was only three weeks old - to get to know people I joined the National Childbirth Trust which held 'Mum and Baby' coffee mornings - before very long I joined in with hosting them and so had stair gates into place well before I actually needed one for Sarah - you really don't realise until they start quite how quickly small people can get up those stairs even if they don't have mountaineers for fathers!!!

Patti said...

Oh yes - I remember those days very well! First we used the gates to block the stairs. Much, much later we used them to block a puppy into the kitchen. Unfortunately the puppy figured out how to jump over them within 2 days - amazing since they were at least 4 times taller than he was!

WendyAs said...

I too remember those days. My kids are now 5 and 7 and navigate stairs sucessfully. Sigh....I miss those days.

Unknown said...

Ah I'm glad our little miss is safe, my sister love to play on the stairs, she would think it was a game when we tell her NO and then get her little nose out of joint...she was funny when she was little. Were ten years apart so I was little mother...Hugs Tina

Judy said...

That's probably a very good solution anyway, because the wall probably wouldn't have supported the stress of those tightening buttons things and pressed into the wall board. The nice wood looks like it will be much tougher.

My mother has three steps that go down into her den. We have taught every neice and nephew how to get down those steps! It's always been so fun to teach them to crawl over to the steps, turn around butt first, back up, and see them stick that leg down and reach for the first step. They never seem to believe that they will get to the step, then they do and figure it out. 2 more times and they are convinced how fun it is and all of them have done it over and over!!

But going up is always more fun!!