Child gate, top of stairs or bedroom door?

[sophie22]

I can't decide wether to put the safety gate at the top of the stairs or on his bedroom door. When he goes in his toddler bed then in a way bedroom door will stop him leaving his room, but at the same time, if he wakes in the night I like the idea that he could get to us if he was scared etc.
I'm also in rented so I can't have a fitted stair gate, and I do t like the idea of a pressure gate at the top of the stairs, as safe as I'm sure they are I've got visions of him pushing on it and it falling! Plus they all have bars which I am likely to trip over when I'm tired. If it came to it I would just have to be careful and keep him away from the gate, although I'm sure he will want to faff with it.
When I'm upstairs with him he also likes to play between my room and his and I can't see him taking to being confined to his room, either! I just can't decide!

 

[Wriggley]

hay hun i would put it at the top of the stairs we have only ever used pressure agtes and if you fit them correctly there is no way a toddler could push it out of place x

 

[buttonnose82]

we put ours at the top of the stairs, means he can get out his room if he needs to but means he can play up on the landing while I am say cleaning the bathroom and I know he can't get down the stairs, gives him more space to run about instead of being confined to 1 room

 

[RachA]

We had both but I'm not sure what I'd do if I was only having 1. I liked having one in the door as it has taught them both that they don't need to come straight out of their room the minute they wake up. If they needed us then all they did was stand at the gate and call to us. Generally I would wake up the minute I heard then out of bed anyway.
We still have the one at the top of the stairs to stop the dog getting upstairs.

If you are more worried about your lo falling down the stairs than coming out of his room the put it at the top of the stairs.

 

[startingout]

Haven't read all the replies but I would have one top and bottom of stairs and both wall fix ones. Far safer than the pressure gates which are ok for doorways.

 

[SillyMoo1983]

We actually have 3 stair gates! One at the bottom of the stairs, one at the top of the stairs and the 3rd one we recently bought second hand will most likely go on her bedroom door. I don't trust the banister on our stairs as part of it has horizontal slats that, if she got through, would mean a horrible accident. So I don't want her wandering around the landing while I'm in the shower. We rent too so use the pressure type stair gates. They seem very secure and I check them every day to make sure they are as tight as can be. Even I can't move them.

 

[lovehearts]

We have a gate on his room and at the top of the stairs so we can cover all situations. Sometimes he needs to be in his room (if im in the shower for example) and i know he is safe in there with his books and toys. But then if im putting washing away or tidying up then I dont put him in his room and he 'helps' me so need the gate at the top of the stairs then.

The gate we have on the stairs is a pressure gate and it is secure. Have you asked your landlord about fitting a gate though? You may find they wont mind you installing one as long as you fill the holes when you leave. We have a fitted one on his bedroom door as it is too narrow for a normal pressure gate and it looks better and doesnt have the bar across the bottom.

xx

 

[special_kala]

Top of the stairs. I don't like gates on bedroom doors.

We private rent but put a fixed gate up, a bit of pollyfiller and paint and no one would know.

 

[starangel27]

We have upstairs toddler proofed and a pressure gate on the top there is no way he would be able to push it loose. when he wakes on a morning he usually just runs in out bed for a snuggle

 

[suzib76]

When jack was little we had one on his bedroom door, one at the top of the stairs, one on the living room door and one at the bottom of the stairs!!

Lana has one gate on her room and that's it, if I put it at the top of the stairs jack would probably end up leaving it open if he was up for a wee

 

[hattiehippo]

We put it on the top of the stairs. Until recently Tom's bedroom door was latched shut anyway to keep the cats out but he also couldn't get out at night. We've still shut the gate at night so he doesn't try to go down the stairs in the dark.

 

[CormacksGirl]

Top of the stairs. I don't like gates on bedroom doors.

We private rent but put a fixed gate up, a bit of pollyfiller and paint and no one would know.

Exactly what I was thinking!!!

 

[xdxxtx]

Yeah, I wouldn't use a pressure gate at the top of stairs. I know people say there's no way a baby/toddler could get through it, but I just get the feeling my kid could... Also, they almost always say on the package not to use at the top of stairs, meaning there have been kids in the past who got through them! Mine is built in, and I agree that you could fill the hole back in and re-paint the area... You could ask the people you're renting from if it's okay, though, but I'm sure if they didn't allow you to use a built-in gate and something happened, they'd be at fault.

I don't do gates at the bedroom door because I teach my son to go to the bathroom when he has to pee, and I'd rather he learn to pee in the potty than be confined to his room and HAVE to use his diaper.

 

[Mrs Doddy]

Ours is at the top of the stairs her door is closed at bed and nap time and is a circular handle so she would have to twist and pull to get out - she's done it by fluke a few times but as her room is by the stairs and the fact the door is closed it would be safe on the stairs

 

[mammy2oaklen]

We have one at the top if the stairs, bottom of stairs and kitchen door if he wasnt really good in his big boy bed and didnt stay in bed then id put one on his bedroom door too.

 

[Ju_bubbs]

Pressure fit gates are not recommended for use at the top of the stairs. I learnt why, the hard way. My eldest came crashing down along with the gate when he was little!

I have one on her bedroom door, mainly because I have 3 different stairs leading off my first landing... thats a lot of gates, with a lot of coming and going of many forgetful children! lol

 

[bumpy_j]

I thought the pressure gate thing was to do with being a trip hazard?

We have it on his bedroom door - I originally wanted it on the stairs for the same reaons you said but it was so tricky to put it on ours and after finding one that fit we lost a crucial part of it. So we got a pressure one for his doorway and it's been fine - gone from co sleeping to a toddler bed no problems. As long as LO knows you will come when they wake up they shouldn't get scared we have a couple of toys in Joels room too for when he wakes up so he'll wake us up playing (we have a little toy piano and that normally works).

 

[lindseymw]

We had one on Joshua's bedroom door. He had an obsession with trying to being in the bathroom & playing with the toilet, taps etc. His door was left ajar and he knew just to shout to us if he needed us.

 

[KayBea]

its soooo dangerous to have them at the top of the stairs, pressure fitted or fixed..

i wouldnt recommend it at all. x

 

[Pixelle]

We have a pressure fit on Kai's bedroom. Our stairs agree narrow and I haven't yet found a pressure fit that will fit.
Stairgate isnt really needed for us anyway as he knows not to go near the stairs and I'm with him whenever he's upstairs anyway.