As I mentioned last week, our Biscuit is on the move now. And he's getting faster and more skilled every day. Trying to get him to hold still for a diaper change would work a lot better if they made itty bitty straightjackets!
So Jeff and I have been spending a lot of time lately walking around behind this little crawling man. Every so often, he turns around to make sure we're still back there. Then he turns back and heads on his way.
We went ahead and bought a gate for the bottom of the stairs knowing that it wouldn't be long until Biscuit found the steps. I did a lot of research on safety features and installation. Our staircase goes up in the middle of the room, so there aren't walls to connect a gate to.
So I Googled it. What did we ever do before Google?
Anyway, I found several reports of screw-mounted gates that wiggled loose with the movement of the banisters. They also left big, ugly holes in the posts at the bottom of the stairs. One dad (think Tim the Toolman Taylor) suggested that you drill holes all the way through the posts and thread larger-than-needed bolts through with big, clunky nuts on the outside. I'm no interior decorator, but I'm thinking that would not be the most attractive of living room accessories.
I found one woman who had her husband use Zipties to attach their gates. There was also a couple who said they were on the verge of building a permanent fence at the bottom of their steps that they would just step over every time they wanted to go up or down the stairs.
Apparently, my Google search included the words "crazy people" and "lack of common sense."
I changed my search a little and found all I ever needed to know about pressure-mounted gates. They're perfect for when you don't have walls near the stairs, and there's no permanent damage to the banisters. But most importantly, they get the job done. They block the stairs so Mr. Biscuit won't take a tumble.
I found pressure-mounted gates ranging from $20 plastic ones that you step over to $200 fancy scrolled wrought iron ones with a door that opens in the middle. No screws, nails, bolts or Zipties needed.
My first instinct was to go as cheap as I could and still be safe. But the more I looked and the more I thought about it, I decided, if I'm going to have to look at this thing every day for at least a few years, I want it to look nice. Also, I'm not the tallest of people, so I just imagined myself trying to step over a gate while holding Biscuit. Or even worse, I pictured me catching my foot on the top of the step-over gate and tumbling while holding Biscuit down the stairs right into the back of the front door.
That's when I decided that we'd spend more than $20 but still WAY less than $200.
So Jeff and I have been spending a lot of time lately walking around behind this little crawling man. Every so often, he turns around to make sure we're still back there. Then he turns back and heads on his way.
We went ahead and bought a gate for the bottom of the stairs knowing that it wouldn't be long until Biscuit found the steps. I did a lot of research on safety features and installation. Our staircase goes up in the middle of the room, so there aren't walls to connect a gate to.
So I Googled it. What did we ever do before Google?
Anyway, I found several reports of screw-mounted gates that wiggled loose with the movement of the banisters. They also left big, ugly holes in the posts at the bottom of the stairs. One dad (think Tim the Toolman Taylor) suggested that you drill holes all the way through the posts and thread larger-than-needed bolts through with big, clunky nuts on the outside. I'm no interior decorator, but I'm thinking that would not be the most attractive of living room accessories.
I found one woman who had her husband use Zipties to attach their gates. There was also a couple who said they were on the verge of building a permanent fence at the bottom of their steps that they would just step over every time they wanted to go up or down the stairs.
Apparently, my Google search included the words "crazy people" and "lack of common sense."
I changed my search a little and found all I ever needed to know about pressure-mounted gates. They're perfect for when you don't have walls near the stairs, and there's no permanent damage to the banisters. But most importantly, they get the job done. They block the stairs so Mr. Biscuit won't take a tumble.
I found pressure-mounted gates ranging from $20 plastic ones that you step over to $200 fancy scrolled wrought iron ones with a door that opens in the middle. No screws, nails, bolts or Zipties needed.
My first instinct was to go as cheap as I could and still be safe. But the more I looked and the more I thought about it, I decided, if I'm going to have to look at this thing every day for at least a few years, I want it to look nice. Also, I'm not the tallest of people, so I just imagined myself trying to step over a gate while holding Biscuit. Or even worse, I pictured me catching my foot on the top of the step-over gate and tumbling while holding Biscuit down the stairs right into the back of the front door.
That's when I decided that we'd spend more than $20 but still WAY less than $200.
We got this nice wood and metal gate with a self-closing door in the middle that blends in with the decor of the living room. It actually looks kinda nice, as nice as baby protection devices can look, anyway.So, I've gone to all this trouble and research thinking that I'm doing what's best for my son, only to realize after he started crawling that at least for right now, he has no idea that the stairs even exist. He gets carried up and down them but has shown no interest whatsoever in trying to get up or down them himself.
What does he notice, you ask? Well, all the things I haven't baby-proofed yet, of course.
Power cords and cabinet doors and trash cans, oh my! I guess it's back to the Google search for me.
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