https://boards.hellobee.com/ Pregnancy, Baby and Parenting blog, by Hellobee en Sun, 17 May 2026 18:46:41 +0000 https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/what-did-you-do-about-the-stairs#post-2596563 Mon, 01 Aug 2016 14:49:59 +0000 KayKay 2596563@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@tanjowen: yeah, i mean, now (4.25y) she gets up sometimes in the middle of the night to pee, but we probably did diapers overnight until she was almost 3? i didn't switch her until she had been dry at night for awhile, so she typically still doesn't have to. unlike her pregnant mama ;) </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/what-did-you-do-about-the-stairs#post-2596559 Mon, 01 Aug 2016 14:45:41 +0000 Tanjowen 2596559@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@KayKay: @oliviaoblivia: @tinyperson: Ok, I didn't realize that the night potty trips might not be an issue, good to know! I think for now I can put a door knob cover and close him in.</p> <p>@tlcbaby: Yeah, thankfully the neighbor was really cool about it and thought it hilarious (she has small children too). My friend was definitely not amused haha.</p> <p>@josina: That is a very good idea and probably what we will do regardless of the nighttime issue . We have doorknob covers on all downstairs doors now but he is starting to figure them out.</p> <p>@Mrsbells: In DH's words, "pain in the ass." And he thinks I'm being silly worrying about him getting downstairs. But he's starting to give on it after reading him these responses. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/what-did-you-do-about-the-stairs#post-2596473 Mon, 01 Aug 2016 13:07:59 +0000 Mrsbells 2596473@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Tanjowen:Is there a reasong he is against the gate at the stairs? I would think that something you would need anyway during the daytime. we have had a gate on the top of our stairs since LO became mobile. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/what-did-you-do-about-the-stairs#post-2596410 Mon, 01 Aug 2016 11:41:54 +0000 Mrs Green Grass 2596410@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>We never did a gate. We are in a toddler bed but he wears a pull up so he doesn't really leave his room... </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/what-did-you-do-about-the-stairs#post-2596326 Mon, 01 Aug 2016 10:25:26 +0000 oliviaoblivia 2596326@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Tanjowen: there have been a few stories in the new here about young kids (3yrs) found wandering in their neighborhoods. One of them was during a severe cold alert and the child didn't survive. I'm particularly paranoid about my oldest letting herself out of the house. She recently let herself and her little sister in the backyard through a double locked door while I was nursing the baby. We have triple locked our doors now, but I'm still paranoid. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/what-did-you-do-about-the-stairs#post-2596292 Mon, 01 Aug 2016 09:46:59 +0000 tlcbaby 2596292@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Tanjowen: The pancake story! I'm sure it wasn't funny at the time, but that is too cute. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/what-did-you-do-about-the-stairs#post-2596273 Mon, 01 Aug 2016 09:20:53 +0000 Madison43 2596273@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Tanjowen: she's not night trained yet, but she can open her bedroom door and the bathroom door herself, so it doesn't matter if I close them or not. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/what-did-you-do-about-the-stairs#post-2596254 Mon, 01 Aug 2016 08:52:34 +0000 MrsKoala 2596254@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>We have the door closed but do not have the stairs gated. He doesn't go out at night and if he does, he comes to our room always. I worried about it for a bit but he can walk down the stairs on his own so I just kind of let my anxiety about it go. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/what-did-you-do-about-the-stairs#post-2596231 Mon, 01 Aug 2016 08:22:11 +0000 josina 2596231@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Tanjowen: Oh man about your neighbors story. Maybe a good idea to latch the main doors either way? I know my DH is paranoid about DS getting outside, so we have double locks on both doors and a gate on our deck with another lock. (we live near a river and a highway so getting outside could be very bad). </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/what-did-you-do-about-the-stairs#post-2596200 Mon, 01 Aug 2016 07:29:01 +0000 tinyperson 2596200@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Tanjowen: she doesn't get up to use the bathroom overnight, except on rare occasions...and even the n she just calls for us. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/what-did-you-do-about-the-stairs#post-2596196 Mon, 01 Aug 2016 07:24:04 +0000 oliviaoblivia 2596196@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Tanjowen: my oldest doesn't get up to use the bathroom over night. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/what-did-you-do-about-the-stairs#post-2596191 Mon, 01 Aug 2016 07:08:00 +0000 KayKay 2596191@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>At least for us, it was quite awhile between initiating potty training and being diaper-free overnight. It was also quite awhile before she would get out of bed on her own (despite being able to and doing so during the day!). So if she needed us, she would just holler and we kept the monitor on. We just closed her door like usual and didn't do anything with the stairs. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/what-did-you-do-about-the-stairs#post-2596185 Mon, 01 Aug 2016 06:55:09 +0000 Tanjowen 2596185@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@tlcbaby: He handles the stairs very well. It's good to hear that maybe the downstairs won't be a temptation. I wasn't thinking of blocking it off until my best friend's 3 year old recently went downstairs at 5 am, got a stool, hit the garage door opener, and went to her neighbors to ask for pancakes. :shocked: </p> <p>@tinyperson: @oliviaoblivia: @Madison43: Thank you for your input! I'm not so worried about his safety on the stairs, but it makes me nervous to think about him having free access to the downstairs without us being awake. For those of you that shut the door, what did you do about potty training? Do they not wake up at night to use the potty? </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/what-did-you-do-about-the-stairs#post-2596065 Sun, 31 Jul 2016 20:04:25 +0000 Madison43 2596065@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Tanjowen: we have the same set up as you - I keep the top of the stairs gated and sleep with my door open. My almost 3 yo is comfortable with stairs but can wake up disoriented and on rare occasions, sleep walks. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/what-did-you-do-about-the-stairs#post-2596045 Sun, 31 Jul 2016 19:22:04 +0000 oliviaoblivia 2596045@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>We had it open until our 15 month old was climbing out of her crib.<br /> She was fine in the room with the door closed until big sister figured out door knobs.<br /> Now we have a gate. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/what-did-you-do-about-the-stairs#post-2596033 Sun, 31 Jul 2016 18:36:16 +0000 Modern Daisy 2596033@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>my son is almost 3 and I would gate the top of the stairs for him in your situation. He is able to safely go up and down on his own, but when he escapes his room after dark I would be too scared of him falling. Plus he LOVES to play on the stairs so we have to just make them completely off limits. Good luck! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/what-did-you-do-about-the-stairs#post-2596031 Sun, 31 Jul 2016 18:21:06 +0000 tinyperson 2596031@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>We have a gate at the top of the stairs. She doesn't focus on stairs and is often distracted, and we have marble floors at the bottom with a big window right in front so it would be bad if she fell. Her door is usually closed at night. She's 3.5. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/what-did-you-do-about-the-stairs#post-2596011 Sun, 31 Jul 2016 16:37:45 +0000 tlcbaby 2596011@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Does he do fine on the stairs normally? If so, I would probably forgo the gate on the stairs. We have a similar set up and LO does sometimes walk down if we are still down there, but only cause we are there. If you aren't downstairs, there probably isn't much motivation to go down there. :) And if he doesn't usually fall on the stairs you shouldn't have much to worry about. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/what-did-you-do-about-the-stairs#post-2596007 Sun, 31 Jul 2016 16:12:53 +0000 Tanjowen 2596007@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>So we are switching my 2.5 year old to a toddler bed. He has never tried to climb out of his crib and we shut the door to his room at night. </p> <p>I anticipate potty training in the next few months, and our upstairs layout is our room, his room, bathroom and then the stairs to the main level. My thought was to leave his door open with access to the bathroom and baby gate the stairs, but DH is putting up major resistance for some reason and instead wants to put top latches on the doors downstairs to just be sure he can't get outside if he wanders at night. </p> <p>What did you do at this stage? I'm open to all suggestions. </p>