Put a TALL gate at the top & bottom. Don't let them on the stairs.

This may not be possible given the structure but a second gate that is 1-2steps up from the bottom, may work. They will get over the first gate, but not the second. And yes, if possible to let them be adventurous but perhaps teach a special “no” because it will come in handy in all sorts of places. Good luck!

A baby gate, but more importantly NOW is the time for the toddler to learn the word “NO!”

Wow, no way those stairs are to building code in the last twenty years. I’d use a taller baby gates at the top and bottom, along with supervision. It’s a pain but doable, you have to be there to direct him away from the gate. If he touches it, he gets a firm NO and redirection to something else.

Closing off those stairs will be hard to do, and not inexpensive. If you can't easily install an effective baby gate, you could install a motion alarm. We recently looked into one when my Dad was wandering at night. They're not expensive, and make a very loud noise when triggered.

I wouldn't rely on "teach him no" with that staircase.

Hello!

I too have an adventurous toddler. I think you're right to be extra cautious.

My friends were in the same situation. They installed a gate at the top and bottom of the staircase - the kind of gate that opens like a door on a hinge. It only became a hassle when the kids learned to open the gate themselves :(

I'm not sure of your budget, but perhaps you could install gates and also install a runner on the stairs. In the event that your toddler gets past the gate, the runner would provide some traction to prevent slipping and keep him/her from falling between the stairs. I'm thinking something like this:

Good luck!

dulse

Teach your toddler to use the stairs safely. Practice often. And look at Richell Deluxe pet gates on amazon.

While I know aesthetically it may not look the greatest, is there any way to attach a 1x4 or something to cover the back of each stair horizontally that you could stain and then remove when the kids grow older? Maybe screwed to each side as a riser that may not reach the full distance vertically between one step and another? Just thinking of safety for the next few years if it’s going to be an issue with curious adventurous kids. I know no matter how careful you are , they find a way to scare you. My son climbed up the outside of our banister up the stairs all the way to the second floor railings at two. He was totally fine, and scared me to death! It only takes them seconds to get into something!

How about screwing a piece of plexiglass to the back of each riser? Keep the open look but close it up...

Is the staircase in a room you can close off?

In another era, my mom might have suggested you use a light tap on the legs with a thin "switch" coupled with a stern voice "no" to train the child to stay away from the stairs -- not in 2018.

If you cannot keep the child out of the room with the stairs, I suggest you literally build a fence to block the staircase -- perhaps the equivalent of a small pet enclosure with a gate with a lock commonly used on a swimming pool gate.

Thank you for all your suggestions, we are going to get a taller stair gate for the time being but look at enclosing the stairs in the near future.

I’m all for firm parenting, but you need a real fix for this dangerous situation beyond gates and No’s. Plexiglass sounds like a good idea. But do something soon.