Steps
I didn’t allow GlitterGirl anywhere near steps for probably a lot longer than was necessary. In my defense, she did a lot of stumbling over nothing because of her sensory stuff, and I was just terrified of her being even close to steps much less actually on the steps. Plus, her depth perception was messed up, which also did not help the matter any. We did let her climb them and go down them, it’s not like we always carried her, but she wasn’t allowed to do it without someone holding her hand.
Now she runs up and down them and I still find myself constantly reminding her to hold the rail or to slow down. Or both.
I’m taking a different approach with TwinkleToes. I taught her to go up the steps in a crawl, like a mountainclimber. I go behind her to make sure she doesn’t fall backwards. When we first started it she couldn’t make it to the top, she’d go up a few steps and then turn around with arms up for me to carry her the rest of the way. Now she makes it to the top of the stairs. She does the Rocky thing when she gets to the top - raises her hands and struts around. I have no idea where she picked that up, but it’s very cute.
And coming down the stairs I taught her to sit on a step and put her feet on the next step, sit on that step and put her feet on the next step, etc. I hold her hand when she’s doing this for safety.
And, of course, there are sturdy baby gates at the top and bottom of the steps to make sure TwinkleToes stays off of the steps when we aren’t there with her.
I still dislike the idea of my girls on steps, but it’s not like I can keep them from stairs for the rest of their lives, so I have to teach them how to navigate them.
I’m not going to like the idea of them getting their driver’s license, either. That terrifies me way more than steps.
But I do love to stand behind TwinkleToes and watch her scramble up the steps. Cute does not even begin to describe it.
June 19th, 2007 at 10:40 am
And I thought I was the only stair watcher! I still get momentary panic when I see my 6 year old flying down our really tall staircase! LOL
June 19th, 2007 at 3:15 pm
Also a stair watcher-used to terrify me. My son did the bottom on the stairs going down. Now when he’s at Grandma’s house, I have to watch him because he likes to slide down the railing with his cousin and compete to see who can jump down over the biggest number of steps-ugh! I do see an ER trip somewhere down the line! I love the “Rocky thing” she has going-sounds too cute!
Lauree
LID 12/5/05
June 19th, 2007 at 3:17 pm
I too have a two year old. She can run up and down the stairs, but I hold her hand and watch her like a hawk.
I taught her to crawl up the stairs and then down on her butt. I figured that if for some reason she HAD to go down the stairs by herself, then she could do it in a safe manner.
Thanks RQ for creating this site. We are new parents (our little one has been with us for about 6 months now), and I am glad to be able to chat with other parents about the things our children do.
Cheers!
~NEM
June 19th, 2007 at 3:43 pm
When my son was a toddler, we were at my mom’s house which, at that time, was a split-level. Wouldn’t you know it– he went head over heels (literally, it looked like he bounced off of his head!) down the 6 steps from the living room to the front door. It was like it was happening in slow motion with me standing at the top and unable to do anything. I have never been so scared in my life! At first I was frozen. But then he looked at me, sort of wimpered, and that was it. I couldn’t believe it! Even though he was perfectly fine, I felt so guilty.
clem