Really?Climbing over the gates!

Please tell me you ladies have some trick up your sleeve for kids climbing over gates! My boys started climbing out of their cribs at 13 months and by 18 months I had to switch to toddler beds. I finally got to the point where I just took everything out of the room and gated them in. I could at least take a shower if they woke up early, now I can't even cook without them tearing everything out of the cupboards. They can scale all the gates in the house in seconds, what do I do now?!

 

maybe you could use some cupboard locks to help with the kitchen cupboard and any other cupboard issues....all of mine except a few "safe" ones are locked and this really helps.
hmm...as for the gates, I don't know what to suggest (mine aren't climbers at all), can you just close the door to their bedroom while you shower? Would that be much different then gating them in anyway?

 

Mine haven't mastered the gates...yet...but my brothers were climbers. My mom used to have to put 2 gates up, one on top of the other. I noticed that my boys seem to be able to climb the gates with the plastic webbing (I don't know how else to describe it, but all the little holes), but cannot get the ones with the mesh or clear plastic. Maybe try a different gate? I do know that mine have mastered almost all other safety devices (door knob covers, drawer locks, etc), so I'm sure once they try hard enough, they'll get over gates, too. I'm not ready for it, so I TOTALLY feel for you!

 

My second child has by far been my worst climber, gate crasher (he'd just bulldoze them) to date. We finally had a dutch door (a split door - kwim?) made for his bedroom with the twist lock on the outside. We did have to remove anything he could pile up to climb on to try and get over it. So far, the only purpose my children have discovered for a sit and spin is to stand on... It has been by far one of the best purchases EVER! The twins are about to move into his "old" room because Mommy likes to be clean and hair free and insists on showering , and the dynamic duo have figured out how to work together to push over the double superyard :gah: .

I've had two mesh gates. I think they would last a couple of weeks under the onslaught, or until your boys started stacking and climbing! Unless you stacked two of those, I wonder if that would work? It would be kind of like a screen door.

 

We have this evenflo gate.Its a little taller than regular gates, hard to climb and my girls haven't figured out how to open it (you have to squeeze the end and pull back- its even tricky for me to do). The downside is its hardware mounted, so you would have to drill into your molding.

:hug: and GL!

 

For the time being, I just put the gate up a bit higher, so they can't get under it (obviously) but it is higher so they can't get their leg over it. My DD just climbed out of her crib the other day (it's already on it's lowest setting). I was in the kitchen on the phone and "thought" they were sleeping, but here she comes just wandering around the corner looking at me like "how did I do that??" I'm in trouble now! But, if you can just mount the gates a tiny bit higher, (mine are pressure mount), that may deter them for a bit longer anyway....

 

I haven't tried this myself but I have a neighbor who actually DID put a screen door on her daughter's bedroom door (with the locking mechanism on the outside). I'm not sure I would want to do that but she said she just couldn't figure anything else out and she swore by it.
Good luck! I know mine are going to figure out gate jumping pretty soon and I think on that day, I'll just have to cry - for a good long while!

 

OH NO!! Sorry you are going through that! :shok:

We have cabinet locks on our pantry & all cupboards & drawers w/in their reach. Don't know how I would live without them!
My girls aren't big climbers though, I am sure it is only a matter of time!

I think that I saw some extra tall gates in the One Step Ahead catalog or www.onestepahead.com??
Good luck!!!

 

I would say ditch the gates, lock up anything that poses a safety hazard and get tough/consistent with the redirection or 'no', they should be at an age where they can start to reason and know what they can and cannot do. Now getting them to actually not do what they know they aren't supposed to is another issue altogether