Stair Safety for Children

Stair Safety for Children: 5 Stair Safety Measures Every Parent Should Know

Stair-related injuries are common in children. The Center for Injury and Policy estimated that between 1999 and 2008, about 93,000 children were treated for stair-related injuries yearly. Although the design of stairs has changed drastically over the years, children’s inquisitive nature remains the same. While you may see a flight of stairs as a means to get to the upper floor, children see a playing ground that they need to explore. As such, stair safety for children is crucial in every home. Luckily, stair-related injuries can be prevented with a few modifications to your home and educating children on the dangers of playing on the stairway. Read on to learn more. 

Importance of Stair Safety for Children 

Most homes have stairs; although most people take these as standard home features, the stairs are only sometimes safe. Unwary children may trip and fall and have severe injuries unless you take the necessary preventative measures. 

Why observe stair safety for children at home?

  • Unlike falling on the floor, falls on the staircase often lead to fatal injuries. The child will tumble down a bumpy surface with sharp or hard edges. The normal flat-surface falling reflexes will not help the child minimize injuries. As such, falls may lead to broken bones, concussions, and even death. More than 12,000 people die yearly from staircase fall-related injuries in the US. Protect the young ones by observing stair safety for children. 
  • Children are curious to take on new challenges. They will want to count the stairs, run down them, and throw things while standing at the highest point in the staircase. You could tame their curiosity, but they will climb up or down the stairs when you are not looking. 
  • Although there are guidelines on the design of safety stairs, not all designers follow these guidelines. Classic homes, for instance, may not follow the set guidelines on star safety. The slope, materials, railings, and grab bars may need to be more child-friendly. As such, always assume that the staircase in your home is unsafe and observe stair safety for children at all times. 
  • Children may need to follow the general guidelines for safety on the stairs. As an adult, you must climb the stairs carefully while avoiding distractions. You need to have the proper footwear and ensure no tripping hazards. These guidelines may sound complicated to children whose minds are easily distracted. 
  • Monitoring Development: Being aware of a child’s developmental milestones can help parents understand when a child might be ready to navigate stairs safely

The first step in stair safety for children should be buying or building a home whose staircase follows the set safety guidelines. Staircases that follow set guidelines are relatively safe even if you do not install stair gates. 

Tips to Ensure Stair Safety for Children

Assess fall hazards on the stairs to enhance stair safety for children at home. Assess the design of the stairs to see if more handrails will be necessary, and check the steepness, the lighting, and the nature of the floor. By assessing the design of the staircase, you will identify hazards that need to be addressed. 

If you find the staircase floor slippery, find a carpet and recommend footwear with enough tread. If the handrail is not child-friendly, you must perform simple modifications to improve it. Create a list of all the hazards on the stairs and set out to make changes. Even if the stairway looks safe for children, you should only allow them to climb up and down the stairs supervised once they are at least five years old. Here are tips to promote stair safety for children at home. 

Childproofing Stairs at Home

Childproofing the stairs should start when the baby is six months – just before they start crawling. Starting early gives you enough time to pick the best products, such as baby gates, to enhance safety. All stairs in your home need babyproofing. Even if you only have one step that leads into a room, you should babyproof it. Babyproofing involves limiting access to the stairs from the bottom to the top.  

  • Install a Baby Gate for Stair Safety for Children

When installed at the bottom and top of stairs, baby gates keep your toddler away from the stairs. Baby gates are available in different designs, each for a specific part of the home. For instance, you can install inflatable gates in areas with only one step leading into and out of a room. 

For the top of the stairs, use a hardware-mounted gate. These gates are secure enough that the child cannot push through them. Pressure-mounted gates are ideal for the bottom of the stairs. If the gate needs to go around uneven molding and odd-shaped areas, purchase gate extenders that guarantee a safe fit. Ensure the space beneath the gate is small enough so the child does not crawl under. Once the child is big enough to open the gate or try to climb over it, remove it. Again, avoid accordion-style gates as they may cause strangulation. 

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  • Install Banister Guards

Toddlers can easily slip through the spaces in your railing. To ensure that doesn’t happen, install banister guards. These guards are available in several styles, and although they may not look fashionable, they are better than leaving the child exposed to the risk of injuries. The guards are easy to install, but you must test them before allowing your child to walk down or climb the stairs. 

You need to install one if the railing is missing, as might be with some basement stairs. Again, if the railing is weak, you may need to replace it with a new one. 

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  • Install Non-Slip Treads

If the stairs are built of wood or other slick materials, employ carpet or non-slip stair treads to improve traction and lower the chance of slipping.

Teaching Stair Safety to Children

If you do not teach your kids how to climb up and down the stairs, they will find a way to learn independently. At first, the wobbly toddlers may not like the idea of stairs as it is tiring, but after practicing for a few weeks, they will initiate the practice sessions. Training them on safely using the stairs is to make the process less terrifying and reduce distractions when climbing. 

According to the CDC, a child is ready to climb up the stairs at the age of two safely. However, they should hold on to your hand or the railing. By age three, they should climb up without holding onto the handrail, but you should still recommend that they hold onto the rail. Alternating their feet as they climb up the stairs is a skill that will help them stay stable as they climb the stairs. 

Children need to learn basic stair safety guidelines. For instance, they need to learn to:

  • Take one step at a time 
  • Hold onto the handrails at all times  
  • Walk slow when climbing up or down 
  • Keep your eyes on the steps 
  • Do not carry toys or any other items when climbing the stairs 
  • Do not play while on the stairs 
  • Avoid the stairs when there is no adult in the house to supervise
  • Make sure the child is in your arms and not in a stroller or carriage while on the stairs

You can teach these lessons in the form of a song. The Stairbuilders and Manufacturers Associated composed the Stair Safety Song with Stacey the Squirrel to teach children how to stay safe on the stairs. You can download the song and let your children sing it while they learn. Better still, the association developed a guidebook for kids with coloring and reading activities to enhance stair safety for children further. 

Even as you hold hands and teach children how to walk on the stairs, you must set an example for your kids. Some of the accidents that occur on the stairway involve an adult carrying a child. As such, you need to follow the same stair safety for children guidelines that you set. Always have one hand on the rail even if you do not need it, as this will encourage the children to imitate. You should never run down or up the stairs and do not leave clutter on the stairway. 

Creating a Safe Stair Environment 

Keeping children away from the stairway is only one of the options for stair safety for children. As the children grow, they learn how to open the stair gate and sometimes try climbing over it. When that happens, you will need to remove the gate. It is time to make the stairs safe for the children and guide them on safety. Here are some tips to enhance stair safety for children:

  • Building Codes: If you are building a home, enhance stair safety for children from the start by observing set guidelines on stair safety. You can also modify the stairs to ensure your home is up to code if you live in an older home. Building codes set the basis for safer stairs but are not the final solution. The codes set the recommended slope, riser height, banister specifications, and other details to significantly reduce the likelihood of a fall and an injury from a fall. 
  • Install Child-Friendly Handrails: Properly installed handrails with narrow spaces between the railings will enable children to climb the stairs safely. Building codes and regulations stipulate the dimensions of handrails but, as a rule of thumb, ensure a toddler cannot fit between the rails. Consider installing a guard if the spaces between the fence are large. 
  • Install a Stair Carpet: Slippery staircases are a hazard for children and seniors at home. You can install a carpet to make the floor less slippery, but the wrong carpeting can also increase the risk of tripping. To enhance stair safety for children, ensure the carpet is in good condition and attached to the floor so it doesn’t slide out of position. Because of the exposed angles and the high traffic along the stairway, you need to staple the carpet into position. The carpet wears off fast, and you may need to replace it often. Instead of carpets, you can use runners, oversteps, and carpet stair treads. These options add grip and pad the surface to keep your children safe. If you have hardwood floors and want to maintain their look, opt for anti-slip paint or stain to add grip to the wood. 

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  • Light the Stairs: Keep the stairs well-lit, especially at night. Children are curious and will want to run down the stairs – ensure they can see where they are running to, whether during the day or at night. Several lighting options include rope lights, baseboard lighting, and pinlights. After you install lights, ensure you have switches at the top and bottom of the stairs. 

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  • Declutter the Stairs: The stairway is supposed to be free of clutter. Ensure children do not leave toys and clothes on the steps, as these can be tripping hazards. Make a rule in the house that no item should be on the steps, and if someone has to leave an item, let it be on the sides. 

Supervision and Parental Responsibilities 

Children know less about the dangers of falling down a flight of stairs. As such, you must always keep an eye on them. You may have set rules, but because they may have yet to see an injured person or know the cost implications of injuries, they will overlook most of what you teach them. Again, young minds love to explore, which is a danger to stair safety for children. As they get more mobile, the kids get more adventurous. They will be gone before you can stand up from the couch. As such, as a parent, it is your responsibility to ensure that kids are within your sight at all times. 

  • Actively Supervise the Children: Active supervision involves constantly watching and listening to the child and keeping them within reach. This allows you to reach them when they intend to climb the stairs. It is also a great way to spend quality time with the kids and learn what they are capable of.
  • Know Your Child: Knowing what your child is capable of is the first step towards adequate supervision. Children need safe spaces to play and learn, something that active supervision can stifle. As such, learning how naughty the children can get and what they are physically capable of will help you determine how much supervision they need for stair safety for children. For starters, you need to provide them with play items to engage them in games that do not require them to go up or down the stairs. Know their size against the handrail spaces, know how far they can reach with their hands, and understand how confident they are to try climbing the stairs. 
  • Set Rules for Stair Safety for Children: As you supervise the child, you will have a great chance to reinforce the importance of stair safety rules. Make the time you spend with the kids fun so they do not need to run off and try some naughty activities. 

Stair Safety Products for Children

Several products can help you enhance stair safety for children. These include:

  • Security cameras – Security cameras can provide parents piece of mind by enabling them to keep an eye on their kids’ activities, including using the stairs, from outside the house, even if they have nothing to do with stair safety. 
  • Banister guards – In order to lower the risk of falls or accidents, banister guards can be fitted along the railing to keep kids from slipping through or having their heads caught in the spaces between balusters.
  • Childproof stair gates – In order to keep young toddlers from entering staircases unattended, stair gates are a need. Gates come in several forms such as hardware-mounted gates and pressure-mounted gates, and they need to be installed firmly at the top and bottom of stairs.
  • Stair carpets – Carpet installation on stairs can improve traction and lower the chance of slipping, particularly on tile or wooden staircases. Additionally, carpets give a softer surface in the event of a fall, acting as some cushioning to lessen damage.
  • Non-slip mats at the staircase landing – When kids go to the bottom of the staircase, placing non-slip mats on the landing or at the bottom of the steps can help them stay upright and provide them extra traction.
  • Non-slip socks and slippers – To enhance traction on smooth surfaces—such as stairs—and lower the likelihood of accidents, parents should encourage their kids to wear non-slip socks or slippers with grip soles.
  • Staircase rope lights – Rope lights installed around the edges of steps can help children safely walk the stairs by improving vision, particularly at night or in poorly lit locations.

The type and number of products you install will depend on how safe the stairway is and your child’s capabilities. For instance, children over three years old do not need a childproof gate but banister guards. 

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) 

  1. At what age can children safely use stairs without assistance? 

Children between ages two and three can climb the stairs without your assistance, but they must hold on to the handrails. By age four, children can walk the stairs without the need for handrails, but you have to supervise them. At five years old, children are ready to use the stairs independently. 

  1. Should I use baby gates or stair barriers at the top and bottom of the stairs?

Immediately, the baby starts to show signs of crawling; you must install baby gates at the top and bottom of the stairs. These barriers keep the child off the stairway until they are old enough to walk up the stairs.

  1. How can I teach my child to climb stairs safely? 

After ensuring the stairs are safe for children, by installing carpets and banister guards, hold your child’s hand and teach them to take one step at a time. As you do that, teach them the rules of climbing the stairs, such as not carrying toys while on the stairs and holding on to the handrails. 

  1. Are there specific stair safety rules for toddlers and preschoolers? 

Yes. You can download the Stair Safety for Children guidebook by the Stairbuilders and Manufacturers Association for these rules. These are the same basic rules that adults should follow, such as not running while on the stairs, holding on to the handrail, paying attention to the steps, and not carrying items. 

  1. What are the most common stair-related accidents for children? 

Falls are the most common accidents on the stairs for children. These can result in minor or major injuries, depending on the nature of the fall. 

Conclusion

You will enhance stair safety for children under two by limiting their access to the stairway. You have to make the stairs safer for children older than two so they can learn safely. Children older than three need to learn how to stay safe on the stairs – at this age, the children need supervision. You must pick the right safety products, such as baby gates, banister guards, and many more, and ensure their effective installation. Whatever safety precautions you take, observe the child to know when more measures will be helpful. 

Also Read:

  1. Child Safety Hazards to Address in 2023
  2. Kitchen Safety for Children: Explore 10 Essential Tips
  3. How to Create a Safe Home Environment for Babies

 

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