Baby Gates

The stairs in our house here are curved and completely open.  With Kaleb now very mobile we need to do something about protecting him from falling.  He loves to climb the stairs and does a really good job going up.  He holds onto each step.  Because the stairs are open, he can grab on to each runner.  Still, I insisted that we get gates for the stairs.

Well, easier said than done and the gates we brought over from the States do not work.  The challenge is that the stairs have a solid wall on only one side.  A normal gate attaches on both sides by screwing or pressure latch to the walls.  The other difficulty is that the stairs have round, metal banisters.  There's nothing for the gate to attach to. 

We have been searching for a gate that will work for several months with no luck.  I knew there must be something out there.  We just couldn't find it.

Finally, after buying one that we were just going to have to bungee or zip tie to the banister, I came across the perfect gate.  It was a huge discovery!  Here it is...we have one at the top and bottom of the stairs.

It involved having someone come and drill into the concrete walls.  And, changing plans as to which gate was going to go where, but finally....Kaleb is safe and the boys can open and close the gates.  Kaleb is happy with his limited freedom as before he had to be confined to the dining room/living room/kitchen area with the doors closed.  Suddenly he can move a little more freely through the lower level.  He would much prefer if we just let him climb!  When we get to the second level he closes the gate himself....very cute:) 

Kaleb knows the sound of the gate opening and closing and is quick to try to take advantage of someone leaving it open!  Thankfully that doesn't happen very often.  The boys are good about closing the gate.

The step is just the right height to sit on!