Watching your baby grow and hit major milestones is a beautiful thing, but it also means needing to be prepared for each stage of your baby’s development ahead of time to ensure they have a safe environment in which to flourish in.

One of the first safety measures parents should invest in is a sturdy child safety gate or baby barrier. Most babies start with exploring floor space and rolling around at about four to five months, and some babies as early as 3 months so knowing when to install your baby gate is just as important as knowing how to install it.

Once you notice your baby beginning to move independently or crawl you should begin to consider installing a child safety gate, or baby barrier, to keep curious minds at bay. There are many types of child safety gates to choose from so work out what is going to best work with your current home set-up and lifestyle dynamics. Households with pets for example may need to separate them from a baby and therefore require a baby gates as early as possible for additional safety.

So which one to choose? Retractable baby gates, pressure mounted baby gates or hardware mounted baby gates. Retractable mesh accordion gates are  great for areas where easy removal is required, and they work well for pets too. Pressure mounted baby gates are perfect for those in rental homes with no permanent fixtures required, and hardware mounted gates for areas that require to be heavily guarded. You may consider installing multiple gates in your home is a larger dwelling.

Tips: All households with stairs should be equipped with a as soon a baby gate for safety. In the U.S. a child is treated every 6 minutes for injuries caused from falling down stairs not equipped with a safety gate.

How Long Do You Need A Baby Gate?

Baby gates are recommended safest for children between 6 months and two years old depending on development milestones and behavior. As much as a safety gate provides peace of mind, it can also become a restriction, even a hazard as a child gets older. It is important to observe your child and their interactions with the safety gate as they age. The most common sign is when toddlers begin to discover their climbing abilities which then leaves you with a potential escape artist on your hands, and more risk of becoming injured from falling or getting limbs stuck in the gate. Also note if your child is banging on the gate with more strength than usual as this can give them the ability to knock it down.

Here are a few tips to consider to prepare your child for when you remove the baby gate.

• Teach your child safety methods and precautions when approaching stairs
• Slowly introduce your child to independently moving around the home
• Introduce your child to new sections of the home with supervision

Be sure to teach your children the proper safety precautions that pertain to your home. Once it’s time to remove your baby gates you’ll then feel more confident allowing your child to explore independently.

Monitoring your child’s behavior will help determine what further steps you will need to maintain their safety in the home. Install Perma Child Safety gates and baby barriers in your home and give yourself peace of mind, you won’t regret it!