https://boards.hellobee.com/ Pregnancy, Baby and Parenting blog, by Hellobee en Sun, 03 May 2026 21:58:36 +0000 https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/where-are-your-baby-gates-and-why#post-2613951 Wed, 31 Aug 2016 11:05:36 +0000 Boogs 2613951@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Gates to block off the kitchen area. The rest of the house we can just close doors as needed. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/where-are-your-baby-gates-and-why#post-2613631 Tue, 30 Aug 2016 19:45:17 +0000 schubr03 2613631@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>We have ours blocking off our kitchen from the rest of the living area. TBH, we are just too lazy to police the kitchen. Also, we live in an apartment and cannot put locks on our cabinets because they don't have pulls and we can't screw into the wood. So gate it is. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/where-are-your-baby-gates-and-why#post-2613620 Tue, 30 Aug 2016 19:34:50 +0000 BSB 2613620@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>3 gates. 2 of them to keep the dogs out of the nursery and kitchen. 3rd one near the hallway to keep the babies away from the box fan when it gets hot. It's actually nice because it keeps the dogs in one half of the house. I don't have to worry about the dogs getting into something. </p> <p>We live in a ranch so no stairs! Woohoo! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/where-are-your-baby-gates-and-why#post-2613604 Tue, 30 Aug 2016 19:00:21 +0000 Littlebit7 2613604@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>(17 month old). We used to have two. One gating the second bath which houses the cat litter and is near/in our main living space (I could see iPhones and keys being thrown into the toilet). Our second used to live in the long hallway that blocked off her nursery and our master. But then I was like duh. Just close our door. So her room is baby proofed and on the video monitor. Our door stays closed. I can tell you how many times a day she goes in her room to read or play by herself. (She's been doing that for the last six or seven months!!)</p> <p>Eta: our now spare baby gate travels with us now. It's great to have </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/where-are-your-baby-gates-and-why#post-2613595 Tue, 30 Aug 2016 18:33:41 +0000 PawPrints 2613595@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Top and bottom of almost all stairs, and a long gate that folds flat against the wall when not in use, that expands out to create an enclosed "yes space" separating the living room from the kitchen/dining area. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/where-are-your-baby-gates-and-why#post-2613545 Tue, 30 Aug 2016 15:41:59 +0000 PinkElephant 2613545@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@WyattnewbabysMama: Haha! :) We don't have pets so this (and @oliviaoblivia: 's mention of cat litter) didn't even occur to me! Gross :)</p> <p>@oliviaoblivia: I'm so glad I'm not the only one who uses gates for sanity/mess control as well as safety. Though one could argue that having kiddie crap scattered everywhere is a safety hazard! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/where-are-your-baby-gates-and-why#post-2613534 Tue, 30 Aug 2016 15:21:02 +0000 WyattnewbabysMama 2613534@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>We are in an apartment and I have a baby gate across the front hall entrance. It has a dog door in it so my small dog can go back and forth. We have it to keep my 1 year old son from playing in the dog food/water and from playingwith our shoes (which we take off when we come insidet the apartment) or the stroller tires. Why are the grossest things the most appealing to toddlers?! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/where-are-your-baby-gates-and-why#post-2613530 Tue, 30 Aug 2016 15:09:50 +0000 erinbaderin 2613530@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>We have one at the top of the stairs on the second floor, and one in the hallway outside the kitchen/living room area. We now have one on my son's room as well but that's to keep him in his room now that he's in a toddler bed and less for safety. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/where-are-your-baby-gates-and-why#post-2613517 Tue, 30 Aug 2016 14:55:52 +0000 snowjewelz 2613517@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>We currently have 2 at the top of 2 staircases.</p> <p>When #2 is of crawling age, I'll take back out the play pen and gate off the living room; my would be 2.5 year old should know how to get in and out of there by herself (and hopefully not let sister out!)</p> <p>But even with 20 mo old DD currently, we rarely have her out of out sight. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/where-are-your-baby-gates-and-why#post-2613514 Tue, 30 Aug 2016 14:46:17 +0000 maddyz 2613514@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>We have a small two bedroom and use a baby gate sometimes to keep lo out of the kitchen it stuck in the main room. Dh users it more then me because he's often up early and "sleeping" obj the sofa while lo plays. I use it when I really need to empty the dishwasher with out help. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/where-are-your-baby-gates-and-why#post-2613513 Tue, 30 Aug 2016 14:45:52 +0000 Mrsbells 2613513@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@PinkElephant: we just moved so we havent set up the gates yet but previously our gates were at the kitchen and top of the stairs. The kitchen is full of potentially harmful appliances so we definitely didnt want LO to be able to get in there. Our old stairs were pretty steep so we have a gate at the top </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/where-are-your-baby-gates-and-why#post-2613488 Tue, 30 Aug 2016 14:21:14 +0000 catlady 2613488@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>We have a townhouse with 3 floors, so ours are at the top and bottom of stairs. Actually, we haven't used the ones at the bottom of the stairs for awhile, so we really only close the top ones these days (LO is almost 3 though so we definitely used both sets for awhile). Our stairs are steep and narrow, and the handrail is high (and non-existent in some places) so I don't like her going down stairs without us even now. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/where-are-your-baby-gates-and-why#post-2613459 Tue, 30 Aug 2016 13:52:44 +0000 oliviaoblivia 2613459@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>We have five.<br /> One at the top of the stairs. It's th most recently added when DD2 moved to a big girl bed and DD1 learned how to use door knobs.<br /> Two on the main level. We live in a four square and they have access to three rooms. Cuts down on racing around the house which drives me insane. Also keeps them away from the front door.<br /> Two in the basement. One blocks off the laundry room/cat litter boxes. The other at the bottom of the stairs. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/where-are-your-baby-gates-and-why#post-2613455 Tue, 30 Aug 2016 13:49:31 +0000 Adira 2613455@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>We just have gates at the top and bottom of the stairs. Mostly so no one falls down the stairs, but also so that I know where everyone is. If we're hanging out downstairs, we keep the bottom gate closed so no one can disappear on me! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/where-are-your-baby-gates-and-why#post-2613453 Tue, 30 Aug 2016 13:47:44 +0000 skipra 2613453@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>We are expecting our third soon too so I've also been thinking about putting them back up eventually. Right now we just have one at the top of our stairs where the bedrooms are. It's hardly ever latched but the area at the top is narrow so I worry about someone falling down. We are getting ready to move LO2 out of the crib so we will start latching it at night again then. We will also put one at the bottom of the stairs when the new baby becomes mobile. Our basement is finished and we've recently made it more liveable plus the laundry is down the but out of sight of the stairs so I will want one at the bottom. We have a regular door at the top of those stairs. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/where-are-your-baby-gates-and-why#post-2613445 Tue, 30 Aug 2016 13:35:54 +0000 PinkElephant 2613445@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>With #3 on the way in 9 weeks or less (when did THAT happen?!?!), and a new home purchase on the horizon, I'm thinking about potential ways to gate off our living space. I think there are various way that gates can keep kids of all ages safe from household hazards, safe from each other, and can help keep me sane in terms of containing mess.</p> <p>Currently I only have one baby gate - it's in the doorway from my kitchen to the stairs, which go down to the bedrooms/main entrance to the home (we live in a 2-family brownstone, so layout is a little atypical). Originally it was there to prevent my younger DD from going down the steep stairs by herself and falling, but now I use it to keep both girls (2 and 4 years) from hauling their stuff up and down stairs from their bedroom to the living room without permission, and from coming back into the kitchen/living room when they're having trouble staying in bed at bedtime. I may add another gate between the kitchen/family room when the baby arrives so that I can safely use the bathroom/turn my back and the older girls cannot access their sister. In some of the new homes we are considering, I might gate off the living room as a play area, in hopes of containing the toys to one room.</p> <p>Where in your house do you have baby gates, and what purpose are they intended to serve? </p>