There’s no getting away from using electrics and electrical appliances in the home, but with a baby or toddler around the place you need to pay particular attention to this aspect of everyday life. Plug sockets, electrical power cords and lamps are just some of the things that can cause your little one harm.

To avoid shocks, burns and other injuries from electrics, parents should adopt a few habits concerning the use of electrical equipment as well as introducing some essential electrical safety products.

Plug socket safety

Plug sockets, or power outlets, are one of the primary danger spots for children. Thousands of injuries every year are caused by unprotected plug sockets. To prevent curious fingers poking into places where they shouldn’t, install plug socket covers to every power outlet in the home.

Plug socket covers should be designed to be tamper-resistant as recent studies have found that toddlers aged 2-4 were still capable of removing basic covers. Choose socket covers that have a twist and pull mechanism or ones that require the plug to be used as a key for removal.

BabyDan Twisting Plug Socket Cover

Clippasafe Plug Socket Covers

There are of course some appliances that need to remain switched on (i.e. fridges, freezers, computers) for permanent or prolonged use so a socket cover isn’t practical. However, this doesn’t mean that the socket and inserted plug can’t be protected.

To prevent your tots from turning off these essential appliances and exposing the socket, install universal socket covers that provide a complete boxed cover to both plug and socket but with a simple tamper-resistant release mechanism for when you need to gain access.

Universal Single Socket Cover

Universal Double Socket Cover

Electrical cord/cable safety

We’re a long way from technology and appliances being truly cordless so until that day comes electrical cords and cables represent a real danger to your baby or toddler. Wherever possible, hide cords and cables so your infants can’t see them, chew them, pull them or trip over them.

Ideally, cords and cables should be out of reach and hidden because babies in particular are prone to chewing anything they can get their hands on (and chewing through a power cord will result in shock or a nasty electrical burn).

Cords and cables can also be pulled which may result in toppling over a lamp or other appliance bringing it crashing down on top of your tot. Children playing with cables and cords are also at risk of accidental strangulation and a stray cord or cable laying across the room is a trip hazard to your infants and everyone else in the house.

To keep your longer cables safe and tidy, use a cable shortening product to lessen the length of cord. This baby safety essential will help to keep long dangling electrical cords out of reach.

Clippasafe Electrical Cable Shortener

Electrical appliance safety

Children are endlessly fascinated with opening fridge doors or playing with the knobs and switches on electrical equipment. Always supervise your infants when they are close to electrics and fit safety devices that will help to prevent them getting access to or putting fingers into electrical appliances.

For the kitchen, use a locking device that fits to the side of your fridge/freezer to prevent your toddler from opening the door.

Clippasafe Fridge Lock

Kids love DVD players and satellite/cable digiboxes. The lights, switches and mechanisms are too tempting to leave alone but these devices are not only fragile (and therefore breakable) but also an electrical danger if handled incorrectly.

A shield over these devices means that your infants can’t have access to them, however your remote controls will still continue to work.

Clippasafe DVD and DigiBox Protector

Video recorders (or VCRs) may be being phased out but many homes still have them – much to the joy of babies and toddlers who like to play with the opening flap and stick their hands where only video cassettes should be!

Fortunately, the video locking device is a product that is still available and used by many parents with infants in the house.

BabyDan Video VCR Lock

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Whether you’re a stay-at-home parent looking after your baby or you have a curious toddler exploring the house, the kitchen represents a dangerous environment for your tot. However, with some common sense and practical safety products you can help to ensure that accidents are avoidable. Here, we take a look at safety planning advice for your kitchen and some equipment to keep your little one secure.

Kitchen Safety

The kitchen is central to family life and is the part of the house we all spend plenty of time in. The kitchen can also be a challenging area to make safe for your baby and toddler with plenty of dangers that are obvious, and not so obvious. Just a few simple changes to your kitchen and some useful safety devices will help to eliminate many of the dangers facing your infant.

Glasses and breakables

Items made of glass or your favourite china dinner set should ideally be stored high up and out of reach. If you’re using a glass or dinner plate on the kitchen surface or dining area, keep it well back from the edges so your child can’t see it or grab it. Try to avoid putting glasses and plates on placemats as your child can pull them, and their contents, down onto themselves.

Kitchen Cupboard/Drawer Safety

Cupboards and drawers are most intriguing places for babies and toddlers but there are hazards to your infant from both the cupboard/drawer itself and its contents.

Consider what you keep in a kitchen cupboard and drawer – food blenders with sharp blades, other sharp kitchen equipment, chemical-based cleaning materials etc. And then there’s the possibility of your child trapping their finger in the cupboard/drawer itself.

When you’re supervising your child in the kitchen, consider having a cupboard that they can open and explore. Place safe items in the cupboard such as wooden spoons, empty plastic containers or light saucepans. Having one cupboard like this should detract them from opening others. Just be mindful of them playing with the cupboard itself to avoid trapped fingers.

For all other cupboards and drawers, fit locks and latches to ensure they can’t be opened. Locks and latches come in a variety of designs. Adhesive locks are simple to fit to any cupboard and there’s no need to screw them in. The simple design prevents doors being opened by children but easily for adults when they need to reach the contents inside.

BabyDan Adhesive Cupboard/Drawer Lock

Clippasafe Self Adhesive Locks

For a permanent solution, go for magnetic locks that can be hidden inside the cabinet.

Emmay Care Magnetic Lock

Kitchen Oven/Hob Safety

The oven and hob are serious hazards to the safety of your child and that of your home. The intense heat from an oven, a lit gas hob or red-hot electric hob can cause serious injuries not to mention the hazard of a saucepan containing boiling hot food or liquid being pulled down onto your child.

If you’re cooking on the hob, try to use the back rings whenever possible. If you’re using all four rings, make sure any saucepans at the front have their handles turned toward the back.

The door of your oven can become extremely hot and is usually at the perfect height for your baby/toddler to lean against. An oven guard attaches to the front of the oven door and is designed to help prevent burns to your little one’s hands by reducing the surface heat by 50% to a moderate heat.

Clevamama Transparent Oven Door Guard

A stove guard is a clever adjustable barrier that helps to prevent fingers going near hot flames or boiling hot saucepans on the hob. This device is easily attached and removed when no longer needed.

Prince Lionheart Stove Guard

The knobs on a gas or electric oven/hob can be easily turned into the on position by a toddler whether they’re attached to the front of the hob/oven or on the top. Fortunately there are gas/electric knob covers for both styles of kitchen that will discourage your children from playing with them and potentially hurting themselves or causing a serious fire.

Stove Knob Covers

And for further peace of mind, fit a lock to your oven and microwave to prevent curious fingers becoming trapped.

Clippasafe Microwave and Oven Lock

Kitchen Fire Safety

We hope that you never have cause to tackle a fire in your home as it can be a distressing and stressful event especially when you have children to think of. However, you should be prepared for such a situation and the kitchen is a high risk area of the home for fires.

Ensure you have a fire extinguisher and blanket installed in your kitchen. You should only attempt to put out a fire if it is small and containable.

First Alert Multi-Purpose Household Fire Extinguisher

First Alert Fire Blanket

Remember! - Even small fires can spread quickly so use your extinguisher as a means to help you escape. Never tackle a fire yourself unless you can be sure it is manageable (such as a chip-pan fire).

Kitchen Fun

The kitchen doesn’t have to be a no go area for children. The kitchen can be a great place for tots to interact with mum and dad while cooking, baking or cleaning.

A decent high chair is an essential for busy parents so your baby can sit and watch as you go about your daily tasks. You should never leave your child alone in their high chair and ensure you buy one with a safety harness to prevent them wriggling out.

Tippitoes High Chair

For toddlers who want to interact and play, a FunPod or Learning Tower provides a safe and secure platform to get your child to the same height as the kitchen worktops.

Little Helper FunPod

The Learning Tower

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Colic is a common condition for newborn babies but despite being harmless, it can be distressing to both baby and parent. A colicky baby can prove to be an overwhelming experience for first time parents as the frustration of constant crying and exhaustion from lack of sleep proves too much to handle.

With some simple tips and a few useful baby products, you and your baby can get through this difficult time.

What is baby colic?

Colic typically affects infants under the age of three months. About 20% of babies develop colic and the term describes a pattern of crying that is uncontrollable, even when the baby appears in good health and is well-fed. While frequent crying is commonplace with babies, a colicky baby can be difficult, or near on impossible, to pacify.

A baby with colic will reach an intense stage at 6-8 weeks diminishing as they reach three months of age.

How do I know if my baby has colic?

On average, a baby will cry for about two and half hours a day but a baby with colic will cry for three or more hours a day, typically for three or more days per week. Colic usually starts at 2-4 weeks of age and can continue up to three months-old. In rare cases, it can continue up to 6-9 months of age.

The frequency of crying isn’t the only sign your baby has colic. A colicky baby will look uncomfortable as they cry and may extend their legs or pull them up as they try to pass wind. The time of day that your baby cries can indicate colic. Although your baby may cry uncontrollably during the day, colicky babies are generally worse in the evening between 6pm and midnight.

Why has my baby got colic?

What causes colic is still something of a mystery. Many experts believe it is due to digestion problems while an immature nervous system and temperature may also be to blame.

Gastrointestinal problems show little evidence of triggering colic but temperature is thought to make a baby sensitive to their environment and therefore likely to react against it. With such a young nervous system, once the crying starts a baby can find it difficult to control. Babies exposed to smoke can also be more likely to develop colic.

The mother’s diet has also been linked to colic. If you breastfeed, dairy products have been known to cause colic as have spicy foods, vegetables (such as broccoli, cabbage and cauliflower) and wheat products. Other irritants include alcohol, caffeine and garlic.

Certain formula milk has been known to cause colic too. If you bottle feed your baby, try switching to a different formula to determine if that’s the irritant.

How can I help a baby with colic?

First of all, colic isn’t a serious condition and the only harm caused is upset and tension for both baby and parent. If you are concerned about your baby’s health, it is advisable to seek a medical opinion to rule out any other underlying problems (for example a hernia).

Your baby should continue to feed properly despite having colic and will continue to gain weight. However, you’ll want to try and ease their crying so everyone in the house can feel a bit more relaxed and hopefully get some much needed sleep.

Here are a few tips for helping a baby with colic:

With such a fragile nervous system, your baby could be reacting to all the stimulation around them and may need some reassurance.

Your baby may cry less if placed in swaddling. By preventing their arms and legs from flailing, they are less likely to become upset. Swaddle wraps can soothe and calm your baby and while they may cry at first, they’ll soon begin to settle.

Kiddopotamus SwaddleMe MicroFleece

Many babies respond positively to movement and vibrations. A warm front carrying baby carrier will keep baby close to you while you go for a walk. Your heartbeat and the motion of walking can help to ease colic symptoms.

CClippasafe Front Carrier

For home, recreate movement by using a baby rocker. A comfortable rocker will gently ease and relax your baby helping them to calm down and drift off to sleep.

Concord Rio Baby Rocker

Given that temperature may be a trigger to colic, making sure your baby doesn’t have a fever and that your home is at a comfortable temperature can help toward easing your baby’s cries.

An ear thermometer is the easiest and quickest way to measure your baby’s temperature while a nursery room thermometer allows you to monitor the ambient temperature so it’s kept within a safe range.

Summer Infant Digital Ear Thermometer

Grobag Egg Nursery / Room Thermometer

When in the womb, babies are comforted by the sound of the fluids moving around them. Once out of the womb, those noises are no longer present which can cause baby distress. By recreating this “white noise”, a baby gets the reassurance of being back in the womb again which will go some way to helping ease their colic.

There are a number of products that can mimic the noises a baby would hear when in the womb (such as the mother’s heartbeat). These sleeping audio aids also play sounds such as spring rain or ocean waves which are similar to the “white noise” heard in the womb.

Sleep Sheep - Baby Sleeping Aid

Other Top Tips for Colic

1. Your baby may be reacting to their diet. If using formula, try switching brands to see if that helps.

2. If breastfeeding, your diet may be affecting your baby. Cut out known irritants to colic such as alcohol, caffeine, wheat products, dairy products, broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower and spicy foods.

3. If bottle fed, make sure your baby isn’t swallowing air from the bottle.

4. Burp your baby frequently after feeding, even if breastfed.

5. Look after yourself. If you’re tense, your baby will sense this and react. Give yourself a break and ask for help from family and friends so you can take some time out.

6. Use a dummy or your fingers for baby to suck on. This can help calm baby down.

7. A gentle massage can help calm a baby.

8. If you haven’t got an audio aid for your baby, create some “white noise” by detuning a radio or turning on a fan.

9. Gently rock your baby and make gentle shushing noises. The motion and noise can calm a baby.

10. If you are at all unsure about your baby’s health, consult with your healthcare provider.

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Making your home baby proof requires attention to detail - the sharp edges, trapped fingers in cupboards, trip hazards etc. However, you should also consider the house and its overall safety for you and your baby. Could there be a more serious threat to safety in your home than a fire?

We don’t think so, that’s why with these tips on fire prevention and a great range of fire safety products you can make all the necessary precautions to prevent your family being harmed by fire.

Current statistics show that on average 35 children die in house fires each year and over 1,000 are injured by fire. By making a few changes to your home you can reduce the risk of your baby becoming one of those terrible numbers.

Smoke alarms

Did you know that one in five homes still don’t have smoke alarms fitted? These units are cheap to buy and easy to install. The majority of smoke alarms use Ionisation technology meaning they detect flame fires (they typically sound when you’re cooking because of the smoke). Look for an alarm that meets the British Standard 5446 part 1 and carries a British Standard Kitemark or PCB ‘Horseshoe’ mark.

First Alert Smoke Alarm

At least one of these ionisation alarms should be fitted on every level of the house - even better is to fit one in every room of your house. Smoke alarms come fitted with a test button and you should test the alarm once a week to make sure it’s in good working order. Also ensure you replace the battery every year (pick a date that is memorable e.g. a birthday). The Fire Service recommends you replace the entire unit every ten years.

In the event of your electrics shorting out from a fire, your home could be plunged into darkness hampering any effort to escape. A smoke alarm fitted with a safety light is ideal for the hallways in your home helping to guide your family to safety.

Smoke Alarm with escape light

Another threat to your family’s safety is from carbon monoxide poisoning. Carbon monoxide (CO) is known as ‘the silent killer’ because you can’t see it, hear it or smell it. This deadly gas is caused by incomplete combustion from a faulty gas appliance (boiler, hob or fire). If the gas can’t escape from the home it will poison you and your baby. Fifty people die in the UK every year from carbon monoxide poisoning.

Some modern smoke alarm units now come fitted with carbon monoxide detectors and to avoid confusion will sound a different alarm to indicate if there is fire or CO detected.

Smoke and Carbon Monoxide Alarm

Fire Extinguishers

Any family with a newborn baby in the home should consider fire extinguishers as an essential part of their fire safety precautions. These lightweight units are ideal for small kitchen fires or to help aid your escape.

Remember! - Even small fires can spread quickly so use your extinguisher as a means to help you escape. Never tackle a fire yourself unless you can be sure it is manageable (such as a chip-pan fire).

You should keep a fire extinguisher on every level of your home. Extinguishers should be suitable for electrical fires and all types of material fires including:

A - Wood, Paper, Cloth, Plastic
B - Flammable Liquids, Petrol
C - Gaseous Fires

First Alert Fire Extinguisher

Also consider a fire blanket which is particularly beneficial for small chip-pan fires. These blankets can be easily fitted to a wall in your kitchen and pulled into action should the need arise.

First Alert Fire Blanket

Escape Ladders

Should the worse case scenario happen whereby you and your baby are trapped in your home, have you considered how you will escape? People who live in two or three story houses may well find themselves in a bedroom with their only means of escape being out of the window.

In the event of the Fire Service not getting to you in time, you’ll need a safe exit from these upstairs rooms and an emergency escape ladder is the ideal solution. Available in two or three story options, an escape ladder needs no assembly and can attach to most windows quickly. It is also compact making it easy to store.

Emergency Escape Ladder

We hope that you’ll never find yourself in a situation whereby you’ll need to use an extinguisher or escape ladder. Doing everything you can to prevent fires in the first place will significantly reduce the chances of having to escape your home.

Other fire safety products

Fire Guards

Everyone loves the look of a hearth with an open fire or the added heat generated by an electrical heater but for a home with a newborn baby or toddler the risks are great. To ensure your little one isn’t harmed by one of these appliances use a fire guard to protect them.

Extending Fire Guard

Fire Safety Tips

Even with all these great products in your home you should still have a fire plan or escape plan if a fire occurs. Make sure everyone in the house is aware of the plan (even visitors) to ensure nobody panics if an alarm goes off.

Fire Plan

Plan your escape route and keep exits clear - It’s easier to have a route planned out then to think of one at two o’clock in the morning when the smoke alarm goes off.

When the alarm sounds, leave the house - Gather everyone together, taking extra care of babies, children and the elderly, and get out.

Stick to your route unless fire prevents you doing so - Sometimes you won’t be able to leave via your pre-planned route so consider having an “escape room”. This should be an ideal room in the house in which you could survive.

Ensure the room has a properly closing door.

The room should have a window big enough to escape out of or for a Fire-fighter to get in (keep your escape ladder in this room if it is upstairs).

Your escape room should be at the front of the house where possible so the Fire Service can see you when they arrive.

A room that has grass below it or a porch to climb onto from the window is ideal (if it doesn’t, have your escape ladder in this room).

Keep keys to doors and windows handy - And make sure everyone knows where they are.

Quick Fire Safety Tips

- Avoid lighting candles in a room unless you’re always present
- Ensure cigarettes and cigars are properly extinguished (even better, don’t smoke indoors)
- Keep matches and lighters out of the reach of children
- Chip pan fires are among the most common type of fire. Consider buying a deep-fat fryer
- Don’t overload wall sockets
- If electrical cables become frayed, have them repaired or buy a new appliance
- Unplug electrical equipment when not in use
- If you use an open fire, have your chimney swept regularly
- Keep flammable objects away from sources of heat

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One of the joys of a newborn baby is watching them sleeping peacefully in their cot. However, as many parents will testify, getting a baby to go to sleep and then making sure they stay asleep through the night can cause plenty of problems and have a major impact on the rest of the family.

Good news for mum and dad is that there are some great products available to help give baby a safe, comfortable and good night’s sleep.

How do I get my baby to sleep through the night?

Newborn babies typically spend 17-18 hours sleeping during the first few weeks reducing down to 14-15 hours by their third month. However, baby will only ever be asleep for three to four hours at a time whether it’s day or night. This translated means that when baby sleeps at night, you’ll get a chance to sleep and when they’re awake at night you’ll be feeding and changing them.

A newborn will sleep when and where they choose so it’s difficult to establish a regular sleeping pattern but there are a few things you can do to help calm them down and make them comfortable.

Creating a safe, comfortable and warm sleeping environment for your baby

Nursery / Room temperature - Before putting baby down to sleep you’ll want to ensure their environment is warm and comfortable. Keeping the room where your baby sleeps at a temperature of 16-20°C reduces the risk of cot death. The Grobag Egg nursery thermometer is the ideal tool for the job. Not only does it display room temperature, it also glows different colours to ensure parents have a visual aid to monitor that the temperature is within a safe range.

Grobag Egg Nursery / Room Thermometer

During the winter months, central heating and double glazing keeps the home environment warm and safe for baby. However, artificial heat also reduces moisture in the air affecting humidity levels. Maintaining the level of humidity in the nursery can help prevent dry skin, respiratory conditions and itchy eyes while having the benefit of aiding a restful night’s sleep.

HouseTech HouseHeat

The most respect and hi tech solution currently on the market is the housetech househeat.  New to the UK, hundreds of thousands sold throughout out Europe.  A great device to control room temperature while saving energy and cutting down bills

Nscessity Cauldron Humidifier

Baby sleeping bags / swaddling - For sleeping at night, you’ll need to be put baby into a swaddling wrap or a baby sleeping bag. Swaddle wraps recreate the soothing feeling of being in the womb and can also reduce the symptoms of colic. The Kiddopotamus SwaddleMe wrap can be adjusted as baby grows and is easily accessible for when a nappy needs changing.

Kiddopotamus SwaddleMe

Using a swaddling wrap for the first 3-4 months can make the transition to a sleeping bag or ‘grobag’ a little easier. Sleeping bags keep baby at a comfortable temperature through the night and, like duvets, have a tog rating - the higher the tog rating the warmer the sleeping bag.

Grobag Sleeping Bag

Baby sleeping position - Once baby is ready to be put down, you’ll want to ensure they maintain a safe and comfortable sleeping position in their cot. Keeping baby in the right position will improve the quality of sleep and lessen the possibility of injury. The ‘feet to foot’ position is believed to reduce the risk of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome, also known as ‘cot death’. Sleeping positional aids can also help with reflux and digestion problems and the fabrics are designed to reduce overheating.

Delta Baby Supreme Sleep

Baby sleep assistance - Eventually your baby will need to learn to fall asleep without your assistance (rocking, singing etc.) but they’ll still require reassurance to do so or if they wake in the night and you’re not in the room. Using a sleep assisting toy is the perfect way to soothe your baby to sleep on their own.

Sometimes referred to as a ’sleep pacifier’, ‘transitional object’ or ’security object’, this can be something as simple as a blanket but a stuffed toy is best and can become a cherished object for your baby. Keeping the toy with you during time together with your baby will add your scent to it. The smell of your scent can be extremely reassuring should baby awake in their cot and you’re not around.

The latest sleep assisting toys make natural soothing noises until baby falls asleep. The Slumber Bear for example has been clinically proven to have a calming effect on newborn babies by playing comforting sounds that baby would have heard in the womb in the four to five months prior to birth. Should baby wake and begin to cry, sound and motion detectors re-activate the sounds to soothe baby back to sleep again.

Slumber Bear Plus

Once baby is snuggled up and ready for bed, night lights and audio sleeping aids can lull them into a sense of calm which will help them fall into a natural sleep. Night lights can be simple plug socket lights that radiate a warm glow in case your infant is scared of being in the dark or they can project images onto the ceiling and play gentle lullaby songs to soothe them off to sleep.

TOMY Starlight Dreamshow

Other baby sleeping tips

Sleeping cues - Watch for cues from your baby about when they’re feeling sleepy. A baby can go from sleepiness to being alert very quickly. Should they fall asleep while being fed or carried put them down in their designated sleeping environment (cot, Moses basket etc.). When they’re awake and alert, be active with them. Baby will then begin to distinguish sleeping periods and wakeful periods and associate sleep to their designated sleeping environment.

Separate naps from bedtime - At first, your baby will confuse nighttime with daytime but over time your baby will sleep longest during the night and you can help them make the distinction. Creating bedtime patterns such as baths, getting changed into bedclothes, dimming the lights, cradling etc. will help them learn about nighttime hours and the longer sleeping periods.

Nighttime feeds - Newborn babies require feeds throughout the day and night but you can make changes to their feeding routine during the night to help them distinguish them from daytime feeds. Night feeds should be quiet while day feeds can be more sociable and active. When feeding at night, don’t turn on the lights or talk and be quick to feed the baby before he/she fully wakes up i.e. when you hear a whimper, go to them straight away and get the feed over with before they fully awaken.

Quick Tips:

- Place baby on his/her back for sleeping, never the front or side

- Baby’s feet should be close to the end of the cot to prevent them wriggling down under the blankets

- Keep room temperature between 16-20°C

- You can check baby’s temperature by feeling the stomach. If they feel too cold add a blanket, too hot remove one. Hands and feet are not good indicators of temperature so use their stomach instead.

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Dressing your baby for bed (swaddling & sleeping bags)

It is an unfortunate reality, but very few holiday companies cater for young toddlers who are starting to explore the world around them. More understandably but still no less of a concern, is that the homes of families and friends will almost certainly not be prepared for your little one’s inquisitive ways. An unguarded stair case or sharp edge at toddler head height, will be something overlooked by your hosts, but a potential danger to your child.

Tips

1. Explain to your hosts your concerns; whether this is the holiday company or your friends or families. By simply moving a glass table for a couple of days, or putting expensive and heavy vases out of reach, you will ensure a more relaxing a safe holiday for everyone.

2. Pack a travel stair gate. You can control the movements of your child with greater ease, and as at your own home, there is no greater danger to a small child first finding their feet, than the stairs.

3. Consider taking a few cabinet safety locks. Most kitchen cleaning fluids as well as bathroom toiletries are kept in cupboards with dual handles that can be locked together. These are non permanent locks and will provide peace of mind as your child is exploring the new environment.

Product Recommendations

BabyDan Gate to Go

This portable stair gate comes in its own shoulder carry bag, weighs less than 5KG and will open up to be installed in any gap between 71 and 92cm. This should work for nearly all doorways, stair openings, and hallways; ideal for controlling the movements of your child.

Double Cabinet locks

These economical locks are easy to loop over cupboard door handles restricting access to cupboards containing potentially dangerous contents, and easy to operate. When it is time to leave simply unhook and remove.

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Our hearts leap with pride and joy as our little one learns to crawl for the first time. We sit and stare in wonderment as they take their first independent steps. Then if we are not prepared it can suddenly dawn on us that we have so little control over where they decide they want to explore!

Where should I install gates?

Stair gates are designed to assist parents and carers in taking control over the movements of their little one. We can prevent access to the potentially dangerous areas of the home, particularly the stairs.

As an absolute minimum, parents should install a stair gate at the top and bottom of each flight of stairs. As young children are learning their first independent movements, they are top heavy; the centre of balance is in the top half of their body. This leaves a child particularly prone to falling backwards as they attempt to stand up straight. At floor level this will result in little more than a ‘whoopsadaisy’ from mum, a quick kiss better and we’re off trying that new move again. If a child is left unsupervised to climb unprotected stairs the idea of them falling backwards does not bear thinking about.

The second point to consider is; which areas of your home are unsuitable for young children? The kitchen is the single most dangerous room in the house for a young toddler. Until your child is old enough to be taught and understand the important rules needed to stay safe in the kitchen, if it is possible to use baby gates to prevent access to the kitchen, use them.

Make a plan. Spotting the areas of potential danger first and restricting access is the key to creating a safe environment. Each home is different so there is no set solution. One home may have an open door that leads to a flight of stairs to the basement; another the newly refurbished dining room with sharp edges on the corner of the dining table; and another the open access to the office area with all the loose cables and electrical equipment. For the first few months while your child is learning rules of behaviour which will eventually lead them to spot their own danger signs and understand the meaning of the word, make sure they can not gain access to any area you are not sure is 100% safe.

Which Stair Gate do I choose?

Once you have identified the areas of your home you would like to install stair gates, however narrow, wide or irregular the gap is, there is a stair gate available to solve the problem. Stair gates have now been designed to be installed in a variety of different ways: in a straight line and auto close after use; to be mounted diagonally if you do not have opposite fixing points; even multi panel configurations which can go around an open staircase or section off a corner of the room if required.

Purchasing a stair gate no longer means turning your once perfectly presented ideal homes into a mini prison. Manufacturers of stair gates have now woken up to the reality that although safety is the primary concern of any parent when choosing a gate, a colour or wooden finish that compliments their home interior is also desired. Stair gates are now available in: white, silver, black, beechwood, mahogany, oak, even gum tree.

Pressure Fit or Screw Fit?

Pressure fitted stair gates are the most popular type of stair gate. With a pressure fitted gate there is no need to test your DIY skills or to drill holes into your walls or banister posts. Many pressure fit gates have an auto-close/auto-shut facility which negates the possibility of a gate being left open due to forgetfulness. Other pressure fitted gates come with an indicator built into the gate which visually displays when a gate is installed correctly and alerts you to a gate being nudged out of alignment.

It is important to note that all pressure fitted gates have a trip bar. This is the bar that runs along the bottom of the gate and sits on the floor when the gate is mounted. In most situations this is not an issue as it is something you get used to very quickly. However, to have a trip bar at the top of a flight of stairs; particularly when you will be carrying your baby up and down the stairs; is a big safety hazard and should be avoided if possible. Some manufacturers sell additional step plates to convert the trip bar into a slight ramp, which is definitely advisable if you are to install pressure fitted gates.

The main advantage of a screw fitted gate is that it will be installed without a trip bar. The gate will sit on screw fittings and open much like a barn door without the need for the horizontal bar to stay in place. Although both pressure fitted and screw fitted gates sold by reputable stores in the UK will all have been rigorously safety tested, the nature of a screw fitted gate is that it will provide that additional level of stability. Regardless of a screw fitted gate being knocked against or leaned on, once the fittings have been screwed into the wall, the gate should not move a millimetre and not need readjusting. Many screw fitted gates now come with quick release fittings. This enables parents or more commonly grandparents or carers to remove the gate when not in use, leaving only the small wall fittings in place. When the grandchildren come back for another weekend, you simply slot the gate back into the fittings.

When should I install them and for how long?

The simple rule for when to install stair gates is the same for all areas of baby proofing; it is best to have everything installed before you need it, than frantically rush around trying to find the right safety products when your child is on the move. A typical age for most children to start independently moving is approximately six months. The amount of time you will need stair gates again depends on your child. As your child becomes fully confident in their walking ability, and as they have learned the lessons you have taught them regarding potential dangers, it is time to remove the gates.

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