https://boards.hellobee.com/ Pregnancy, Baby and Parenting blog, by Hellobee en Thu, 30 Apr 2026 23:05:50 +0000 https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/when-did-you-trust-your-kids-on-the-stairs#post-2658142 Mon, 28 Nov 2016 15:18:39 +0000 snowjewelz 2658142@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I think I've trusted DD since 22 months? She's about to turn 2. When I don't go down with her she'll usually slide down step by step... She is a very cautious child! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/when-did-you-trust-your-kids-on-the-stairs#post-2658122 Mon, 28 Nov 2016 15:01:50 +0000 Mama Bird 2658122@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Around three, because before then DS was too wild and would run at the landing full tilt, stop at the edge and laugh. Though maybe it's a little early to trust him... a little while ago he told me he wouldn't carry a baby walker up and down the stairs, did it anyway as soon as my back was turned, tripped on it, and fell down a full flight of stairs (at least that's what he says...) Thankfully he wasn't hurt. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/when-did-you-trust-your-kids-on-the-stairs#post-2658021 Mon, 28 Nov 2016 13:28:39 +0000 MrsSRS 2658021@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>My 18mo is probably more reliable than my 3.5yo 😂 </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/when-did-you-trust-your-kids-on-the-stairs#post-2657955 Mon, 28 Nov 2016 12:30:17 +0000 alphagam84 2657955@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>My daughter is one and can navigate the stairs really well. She's been climbing up then since 8 months (?) with supervision. In the last month or so I let her go up them without supervision/me standing behind her. She can go down them either backwards with her belly facing the stairs or by stepping her feet down then sliding her bum down to the next step. I normally hold her hand (she wants it) for stability when she goes this way. She knows she can't get down by herself so she's been great at not trying. We have a gate at the top and you have to step over a small part when it's open and that small part makes it too tall for my daughter to navigate the top step. I'd imagine she'll be fine on the stairs completely by herself well before age 3. We have carpeted stairs with a landing and turn halfway down so it's 8 steps down, landing, 6 steps down, floor. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/when-did-you-trust-your-kids-on-the-stairs#post-2656907 Wed, 23 Nov 2016 23:20:06 +0000 PawPrints 2656907@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I don't remember exactly, but she's been confident up and down stairs since about 14 months I think. Our stairs are carpeted. I think it makes a big difference if kids get used to someone holding their hand on the stairs, versus always being used to scrambling up and down on their own. DD is 19 months and it doesn't worry me to walk away from her when she's near the top of an ungated staircase. She knows what to do. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/when-did-you-trust-your-kids-on-the-stairs#post-2656816 Wed, 23 Nov 2016 19:49:25 +0000 Woolly Mammoth 2656816@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>We moved to this house when DS was 18 months and we took the gates down before he was two. The stairs are carpeted and have a landing but I think he would be fine on wood stairs at this point. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/when-did-you-trust-your-kids-on-the-stairs#post-2656757 Wed, 23 Nov 2016 17:58:43 +0000 oliviaoblivia 2656757@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I trust my almost 23 month old. She's been safe on stairs for a couple months now. She's very capable physically and has never really had any injuries. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/when-did-you-trust-your-kids-on-the-stairs#post-2656751 Wed, 23 Nov 2016 17:49:54 +0000 AprilFool 2656751@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>We moved into our house with stairs when LO was 20 months and have trusted her since then. She's had maybe 2/3 tumbles in 2 years. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/when-did-you-trust-your-kids-on-the-stairs#post-2656726 Wed, 23 Nov 2016 16:42:37 +0000 Pumuckl 2656726@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@winniebee: this makes me feel better about letting my now 22m old up and down the stairs since she was probably 18m also.<br /> Mind you we still have a baby gate in place but she definitely navigates the stairs by herself. DS started navigating stairs at the same time too. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/when-did-you-trust-your-kids-on-the-stairs#post-2656696 Wed, 23 Nov 2016 16:01:30 +0000 hony bologna 2656696@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I think it totally depends on the kid and the stair setup. We have a straight staircase that's carpeted, and we've trusted our toddler on there alone from about 20 months. She has a very cautious personality though and can focus even if she's excited and will put down things she's holding to go up and down the stairs. But I wouldn't trust her on my brother's house's stairs (slippery hardwood, tall steps - my dad even fell down them one time). It varies so much, you'll know when he's ready! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/when-did-you-trust-your-kids-on-the-stairs#post-2656688 Wed, 23 Nov 2016 15:38:23 +0000 Chillybear 2656688@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Our first house had a straight set of wooden stairs and she wasnt allowed to go up or down without assistance or being watched... we moved when she was 2.75 years old </p> <p>in the new house the steps are broken up by a landing and they are carpeted. she's allowed to go up and down as she pleases </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/when-did-you-trust-your-kids-on-the-stairs#post-2656633 Wed, 23 Nov 2016 14:28:35 +0000 winniebee 2656633@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Errrr, 18 months with DS2? He's super physical and active and could crawl stairs by 8 months and go up and down by 18 months.</p> <p>DS2 was more cautious and we lived in a one story home so I don't think he had much experience with stairs until more like 27-28 months. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/when-did-you-trust-your-kids-on-the-stairs#post-2656574 Wed, 23 Nov 2016 13:10:15 +0000 Freckles 2656574@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>We've trusted DS since he was maybe 20-21 months old. I think we had removed the gates earlier. He goes up and down on his own without supervision. Every time he is about to go down the stairs i remind him, "bum bum" so it has been ingrained into his head. He has had a couple of falls (just a few steps) but nothing major. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/when-did-you-trust-your-kids-on-the-stairs#post-2656543 Wed, 23 Nov 2016 12:48:38 +0000 MrsRoo 2656543@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>We moved into a house with stairs when dd1 was 2.5 and trusted her from day one. Maybe she would have been fine earlier, but I couldn't say since we didn't use stairs regularly Proust to moving. She was walking at 10 months, and isn't generally accident prone, so I'm sure it all depends on the kid. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/when-did-you-trust-your-kids-on-the-stairs#post-2656539 Wed, 23 Nov 2016 12:47:30 +0000 peachykeen 2656539@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>We've trusted DD since she turned 2 (currently 2y3m) but she's very cautious and we make sure she holds the balusters. If she's wearing socks I make her hold one of our hands to go down, though (hardwood floors/stairs). She's actually really good about waiting at the top when she has socks on and telling us she needs help. We'll see how long that lasts :wink: </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/when-did-you-trust-your-kids-on-the-stairs#post-2656446 Wed, 23 Nov 2016 11:02:15 +0000 LBee 2656446@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I trust my LO (2 yrs, 3 months) to go down stairs, but he's good about holding on the rail. It makes me sound like a bad parent, but he has become a lot more cautious after falling down a few times (fully carpeted). He now often tells us, "hold the rail or will fall and need bandaid!" </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/when-did-you-trust-your-kids-on-the-stairs#post-2656440 Wed, 23 Nov 2016 10:54:41 +0000 psw27 2656440@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I "trust" LO (2 years, 3 months) but I'm always watching him because he usually has 3 things in his hands or he gets distracted. He's totally capable but it just takes one mistake and he's down a flight of hard wooden stairs onto tile - eek! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/when-did-you-trust-your-kids-on-the-stairs#post-2656414 Wed, 23 Nov 2016 10:20:30 +0000 ShootingStar 2656414@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@tinyperson: This sounds like DS. Physically capable, yes. But he walks into things and doesn't pay attention to what he's doing. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/when-did-you-trust-your-kids-on-the-stairs#post-2656396 Wed, 23 Nov 2016 10:06:53 +0000 catomd00 2656396@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>DD has been going up and down the stairs on her own since probably 15 months or so? She was a steady walker at 10 months. We have never had gates in the house and she would always just stay upstairs playing while I showered. One day she went downstairs on her own. It took me by surprise for sure, but we just went with it since she had the confidence to do it. She's been doing it ever since. I think it depends on the kid, too. She's very capable physically and very cautious. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/when-did-you-trust-your-kids-on-the-stairs#post-2656394 Wed, 23 Nov 2016 10:05:35 +0000 tinyperson 2656394@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I still don't trust my nearly 4yo...she's so distracted and regularly walks into large poles and stuff and is more interested in the toy she's got in her hand than where her feet are...I let her go up and down on her own, but I watch her. DH doesn't want to let her go without holding someone's hand 😊</p> <p>ETA: her eyes are fine, it's a focus thing </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/when-did-you-trust-your-kids-on-the-stairs#post-2656390 Wed, 23 Nov 2016 10:02:44 +0000 Adira 2656390@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I think it probably depends on the kid! At 3, we trusted Xander to go up and down the stairs on his own. He's generally pretty cautious though, so I think that's part of it. Logan is only 2 but is already showing signs of being more reckless (his method of going up the stairs on his own gives me a heart-attack), so I'm not sure if he'll be as trustworthy at the same age! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/when-did-you-trust-your-kids-on-the-stairs#post-2656387 Wed, 23 Nov 2016 10:00:05 +0000 ShootingStar 2656387@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I'm curious at what ages everyone felt confident in their kids' ability to navigate a set of stairs by themselves? DS is 3 and is physically able to go up and down by himself. And for small sets of stairs (like 3 steps off the deck or steps on play equipment) we let him go by himself. But I'm not sure when I can trust him in our house. </p> <p>Our main set of stairs is a straight staircase with wood floors. DS can be accident prone and doesn't really pay attention to what he's doing sometimes. For example, he'll pay more attention to trying to grab the bannister before he can reach it, and practically falling off the first step. </p>