Watching a baby grow is a blissful experience until they turn into a toddler. Now, you have to do hundreds of things to babyproof your home.
When your bundle of joy suddenly starts walking and climbing, you will indeed feel terrified thinking about their safety. Within seconds, you will find them climbing on the gate to escape nap time.
If you are stressed about what to do to stop your toddler from climbing the baby gates, let me assure you that more than half of American parents are doing the same. However, the great news is that we have the solutions to this problem that jeopardizes your sleep.
Professional parenting coaches and interior designers shared some of the most effective tips on keeping toddlers from climbing over baby gates.
Why baby gate is essential
Like any other gate, baby gates work as a barrier to keep your all-trouble-making toddler within a safe space. Typically, baby gates are placed on the doors or at the stairways so that your kids cannot roam around and get into trouble.
It’s pretty common to put gates in the kitchen to avoid any injuries to the baby. When I kept my daughter upstairs, there was a baby gate at the staircases to prevent any rolling down.
Baby gates work as an excellent aid for working parents, especially during a meeting or conference call. You must have seen that clip where a toddler simply stepped in a while his dad was in an interview about the global economy. Quite funny for the audience, huh!
How to keep toddler from climbing over baby gate
Most parents don’t realize that they can use consequences to keep their toddler from climbing over a baby gate. However, this is a crucial factor to avoid.
By using these tools, parents can keep their toddlers contained and teach them the value of respect and boundaries. They will be able to recognize when they’re not following the rules and will be less likely to climb over the gate. A toddler shouldn’t be tempted to jump over the gate.
Baby gate at the door
Putting up a baby gate on the door is a great idea. Even if it’s not very appealing, this will prevent your toddler from climbing over the gate.
The gate can keep your child from climbing over it when installed correctly. Using a baby gate is not hard, and it creates a safe environment for your child. Just remember to keep the door locked at all times.
Gate at the stair
Moreover, placing a baby gate at the top of the stairs will prevent your toddler from reaching it. Alternatively, you can install a child gate several feet away from the top of the stairs. Using the steps as a base for the gate can also help keep your child from falling.
As long as you’ve installed the gate correctly, your toddler should have no problem reaching it. Just remember to supervise them at all times.
Limiting the room entry
Putting a baby gate on the room door will keep your toddler in the room. At night, toddlers tend to wander around the house and surprise you, so it’s best to put one on the door.
But most parents have found that their toddlers can climb over a baby gate, so there’s no need to worry. If you want to avoid your child from getting out of the crib, you should use a baby gate.
Another tip for keeping your toddler from climbing over the baby gate is to keep him in his room. Most parents have discovered that the first few months after installing a baby gate are the most difficult.
Keeping your toddler inside the room
If you’re worried that your toddler will climb over it, put a baby gate on the door. Otherwise, your toddler will be able to climb over the gate without any assistance. An excellent solution to this problem is to install a high-quality extra-tall baby gate.
In addition to putting a baby gate on the door, parents should also keep their toddlers in their room. The last thing they want is for their toddler to climb over the gate.
The baby gate is an essential part of the safety of your child. If it’s not installed correctly, your child can easily open it. If your toddler is older than two, you should consider removing the infant’s baby gate.
Ways to make the baby gate more effective
We have talked with several baby gate manufacturers and interior designers specialized in babyproofing to get some tips on making a baby gate more effective. Surprisingly, they come up with a few simple but functional steps to ensure most use of the baby gate while keeping your toddler safe.
Pick the right gate
You get either a pressure-mounted or hardware-mounted baby gate. They have their particular advantages for different settings. If you are thinking about putting a gate at the stair top, a hardware-mounted gate will offer better safety.
However, pressure-mounted gates are perfect for limiting your kids getting into the kitchen. Thus, you need to pick the right gate according to the requirements.
Don’t make a DIY gate
Yes, Pinterest ideas are innovative and they can inspire you to make aesthetically pleasing gates and other baby items. However, those DIY stuff may not meet all the safety standards.
So, you may end up putting your little one at risk or injuries. Besides, DIY gates are not durable enough to withstand all the thrashing of your active toddler.
Read the installation manual first
Baby gates may look like a simple device but only the proper installation can ensure the maximum safety. Therefore, you need to go over the installation manual before setting it up.
DIY projects can be great fun when you are in the garage or outdoors, but following the instructions while setting up the baby gate is a must. And there is no scope for any innovation.
Screw it into the wall
Pressure-mounted baby gates come with plastic plugs to attach the gate with the wall. They are convenient but not sturdy enough to endure all the moves and twists of the gate.
Think how innovative your baby can get to overcome the gate hurdle. Plugs simply can’t bear that impact of innovation!
It’s better to use screws and fix the gate with the drywall. Attaching the gate with a wall stud will be the most effective. However, if not then you may have to build a frame and fix the gate on it.
Get some butterfly anchors to fix the frame with the drywall. You may have to make some small holes on the wall. But don’t worry you can fill them up anytime.
Avoid gate stacking
It’s tempting for any parent to stack two gates one over another. They may look like a solid and sturdy barrier but perhaps you are compromising the safety. Unless the gates are designed to stack, it won;t be a good idea to make a tall gate by stacking.
Ask professional help
What if you have to fix the gate on a glass wall or steel railing? Well, I was not sure what to do when I set up the baby gate on our porch entrance So , I called a baby proofing expert to install it for me.
If you are not sure how to set up a baby gate, don’t take any risk. Ask for professional help. It may cost you a few extra bucks but think about the pace of mind you will get-that’s priceless!
Put the gate at the base of the stair
It seems a solid option to fix the baby gate at the top of the stairs. However, it will make your kids interested in both the stair and the gate on the top. So, they will be more tempted to climb the stairs but won’t be able to get down.
Baby proofing professionals recommend you put the gate at the base of the stair so that the child cannot climb the stairs in the first place.
When is the best time to remove baby gates
Almost 60% of children under seven years old get injured by falling down the stairs. And nearly all the incidents are related to baby gate collapse, or simply the gate being open.
Between 1990 and 2010, around 38,000 kids younger than 7 have been involved in baby gate related accidents. Looks like the gates are causing more trouble than keeping your babies safe after a particular time.
A vague rule of thumb says that once a child’s chin is at the same level with the baby gate top, it’s time to remove the gate. Because that gate is able to retstainr your baby from getting out of the room anymore.
Takeaways
There is no limit of methods on how to keep toddler from climbing over the baby gate. HOwever, only a handful of them really work and we have rounded up all of them here.
You need to ensure that you have picked the right gate and fixed it properly.
