Child Safety Gates

If you're a new parent, watching your baby learn to walk can be an exciting time. However, it can also be stressful, as the little one can now go wherever he wants on his own. Prepare for this stage by installing child safety gates to keep babies from accidentally wandering where they shouldn't. You'll have peace of mind as your child learns to blaze a trail on two feet.

Temporary Or Permanent

There are two basic categories of child safety gates, pressure-mounted (or temporary) and hardware-mounted (or permanent).

Pressure-mounted gates: The more temporary choice, offering easy installation with sliding panels that press between a doorway.

Hardware-mounted gates: The permanent option, at least until your child is old enough to understand the hazards of walking on his own. (Most safety gate manufacturers recommend having a gate up until the child is at least two years old.) This gate is much safer, as it cannot be knocked over by children. These types of gates also have dual-action locking latches to open and close a "door" within the gate, so you don’t have to strain yourself by constantly stepping over it.

To install the hardware-mounted gate, you must drill into the doorframe or wall and attach its sides with screws or nails. Follow the installation instructions carefully. If you're concerned about making holes in the doorframe or wall, a little wood putty filler will eventually take care of them. With a small child learning to walk, your first concern will be on safety.

Gate Placement

Think about the areas in your home that present the biggest safety concern. The most important is at the top of a stairway. Children need to be watched closely as they learn to descend a staircase, so a gate at both the top and the bottom will prevent them from doing it unsupervised. It is recommended to use a hardware-mounted child safety gate here since these gates are hardier and safer than pressure-mounted ones. Remember that the latched "door" to a gate should swing away from the stairs, not over them, for maximum safety.

Beside the stairs, other areas to gate off include:

• Kitchen
• Fireplace
• Laundry room

With either type of gate, make sure you mount them no more than three inches off the ground to prevent kids from trying to slide under them. To keep children from climbing over them, make sure the height of the gate is at a minimum of three-quarters of the height of the child.

Before You Buy

Take all measurements of the area you wish to gate, and have them on hand to compare how different models cover the space. Be sure to include your child's height with these dimensions. Also, you should only purchase those gates with certification from the Juvenile Products Manufacturers Association, a safety organization that has tested and approved the gate’s construction for household use.