NikkiSmith Report post Posted September 30, 2005 Help me! My 3yr old son (known as Houdini) has worked out how to throw himself over our stairgates and even worse is the one on the landing, as he climbs up on to the banister rail and then leaps over the gate (but has almost fallen down the stairs twice in the past hour!) He is covered in bumps and bruises, but don't feel the pain, so it doesn't put him off. What am I supposed to do? I have to have some way of blocking off areas of the house as he has no concept of danger or the word no. He loves setting things on fire with the gas hob and flooding my bathrooms, but just laughs and laughs. I don't want to live in a prison, but feel like I don't have any choice at the moment. Anyone got any solutions to this one? All ideas appreciated! I'm getting desperate. Nikki. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
mel Report post Posted September 30, 2005 A friend of mine built a wooden gate for his son, it blocked 3 quarters of the way up his bedroom door. i dont know if this is any help. to keep his son away from the cooker he attatched a fireguard to the wall around it, his son couldnt reach across to unlatch it from the wall. its all i can think of, sorry. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
phasmid Report post Posted September 30, 2005 Is there anyway you can panel the bannisters so that there are no handholds/footholds for him to use? I also had to build my own stairgates as commercial ones were simply not wide enough to fit. The advantages were two-fold. I could make them as high as needed and put the framework on the opposite side to the one that could be got at (if you see what I mean). Have you tried for an OT assessment? They may be able to provide something that will help. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
NikkiSmith Report post Posted September 30, 2005 Thanks for the ideas, I have just been talking to dp about how we could fit permanent, no going-over gates where we need them and it might be possible - at the moment we have several of the rollerblind-type ones as the openings are at angles or too wide for metal gates. The little darling uses his toes on the "twiddly-decorative" bits on the spindles to climb up (same as he does with my kitchen cupboard doors!) but I think we will have to do something to deter him........ Out of curiousity - what does an OT do? I wouldn't have thought they'd be able to help with this challenge, but am I wrong? Keep them coming, ideas aren't my strong point when I'm exhausted! Nikki Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
katkin Report post Posted September 30, 2005 Hi, OTs should be able to help you in this case. I know of parents who have applied for modifications to their house and been sucessful. You can have stable doors fitted to the bedroom and kitchen, these are obviously more solid than stairgates. Is it possible for you to have doors at the top and bottom of your stairs? I think it's a good idea to panel in your bannisters. I know this all sounds a bit extreme but it honestly doesn't look as bad in reality. Hope this helps, I am in your area if you want to know more pm me. love kat Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
lisa Report post Posted September 30, 2005 Your son sounds exactly like mine at that age. We ended up putting two stairgates, one of top of the other (opens a bit like a stable door!) to stop him. It worked for a while but he then learned to scale them both and squeeze through the small space at the top!! We also had bolts on every door at the top, although he then learned to climb up and open them too! I couldn't even leave him to go to the toilet. He used to climb on the fireguard, up onto the mantlepiece, run along it and jump off the other side. He was a real Houdini. He could manage to undo his carseat and pram straps from a really early age, even if you put the buckle at the back or turned it around he still managed to get it open and then he'd climb over into the boot while I was driving. He used to drive me crazy. He's 11 now and still regularly frightens the life out of me. He scales the hallway wall like Spiderman and lays spreadeagle flat on the ceiling waiting for unsuspecting victims to walk underneath him. Because we have quite high ceilings you don't see him until he's above you. It's no wonder my hair's going grey!! I swear that boy has suckers on his fingers and toes. Lisa Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
lisann Report post Posted October 12, 2005 Charlie too could do saftey gates from a really early age about 18 months.He even claimed the six foot back fence once.Locks, straps,handles everthing he can figure out in no time.We tried the dog gates these are a lot higher than the normal childrens ones but it only took him three months to figure if he got something to climb on he could reach the catch.Have to say when we took the safety gates down he was a lot better he didn't seem to go looking for trouble as much.But I do have to watch him 24 / 7 cause he's a little ######!! Lisa Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
