Stair Climbing
Printed From: OHbaby!
Category: Have A Baby?
Forum Name: First baby? Second or more?
Forum Description: Want help? Need support? Want tips? Men and women share advice and tips in this supportive community
URL: https://www.ohbaby.co.nz/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=38105
Printed Date: 25 August 2025 at 7:00am
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Topic: Stair Climbing
Posted By: bopmum
Subject: Stair Climbing
Date Posted: 21 February 2011 at 8:08pm
So we have a two storied house, the stairs are from the garage up to the living areas - and we do all our living upstairs as it's only the garage and front door down. DS is fine climbing up them but not too sure how to go about teaching him to climb down. He can climb down off beds and couches fine (turning round to go down backwards) but with the stairs, he just wants to go by himself walking down like we do. He is a determined little fella and wants to do eveything himself!! How did you go about teaching your little one to climb stairs? Thanks  ------------- http://lilypie.com"> 
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Replies:
Posted By: Kalimirella
Date Posted: 21 February 2011 at 8:16pm
Kiara goes down steps (not quite stairs these are wider) head first onto arms then legs sideways. We left it up to her to experiment, just sat below her in case we had to catch her  ------------- Kiara is 3 and Teagan is 2, now we're expecting our long awaited 3rd! http://lilypie.com" rel="nofollow"> 
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Posted By: pudgy
Date Posted: 21 February 2011 at 8:21pm
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I used to turn them around at the top and then just sat there in case they needed catching. I still often have to remind DS to turn around and come down backwards but both kids have been able to go up and down our stairs by 9 ish months ------------- http://lilypie.com">  http://lilypie.com">
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Posted By: crafty1
Date Posted: 21 February 2011 at 8:33pm
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We have steps between our living areas so had to teach Jasper as soon as he could crawl. I turned him around at the top and said go backwards and kind of pulled him down. It took a few weeks but he now has it sussed and knows to go down all heights backwards. I think though if they are walking before they learn this it is really hard to teach that way. Some people then teach them to go down on their bum but that is hard for our age! ------------- http://lilypie.com">  
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Posted By: busymum
Date Posted: 21 February 2011 at 9:00pm
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We had to keep turning them backwards to crawl down too. Kaela really really wants to walk down them like us too - and she can do it if we hold her hand. Then she stretches up to her full height so she can hold the bannister like us too. Though, stretched that far, it's actually more dangerous than helpful!
Our outdoor stairs have a lower handrail - it's like a centre rail not really intended for hands - so she can walk up and down that. But otherwise she usually goes down forwards on her bottom. -------------  |
Posted By: High9
Date Posted: 22 February 2011 at 11:23am
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Lily isn't walking but has been climbing the stairs since about 10.5-11months old. She climbs up fine but I was told you should teach them to climb off backwards... Hard one to teach, Lily is very determined to turn around and sit on the stair, use her calves to pull her bum to the edge and then 'plop' down to the next level etc... We always just go with her in case an accident does happen but yeah... Hoping she learns to go backwards! ------------- http://lilypie.com"> 
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Posted By: SquishysMum
Date Posted: 22 February 2011 at 1:21pm
| I taught my 2 to go down backwards, to lie down and slide. I would follow them, and every time they turned around I would turn them back and say "turn around and go down backwards". Took a while, but they got it! I also had safety gates at the top and bottom of the stairs, so they couldn't get to them without supervision. |
Posted By: High9
Date Posted: 22 February 2011 at 5:36pm
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Squishy, that's our plan, to get safety gates! Keep meaning to but keep having one expense after the next but REALLY need to get on to it! ------------- http://lilypie.com">
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Posted By: bopmum
Date Posted: 22 February 2011 at 7:17pm
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I really should have taught him earlier but coz we only use the stairs when we go out, I didn't really think about it till he started walking. We have had the safety gate at the top of our stairs before he could crawl so no worries about him going down by himself.
Thanks for the tips, will have to try a combo of the all. Today when I put him down to go up them, he was too interested in trying to unlock the front door! ------------- http://lilypie.com">
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