Girl is now about 20 months old, and she is very proficient on the stairs. She hasn't had any trouble going up, but it's not going up that I worry about. You see, she never really got into the habit of going down the stairs backwards, so she goes down on her feet (with one hand on the wall).
I tend to make a habit of going down backwards a few steps ahead of her, just in case, but sometimes... she's sneaky.
A few days ago, I went to the washroom and left her watching cartoons. I came back to find her in the exact same spot, but with a notable difference. She was now holding the banket from her bed.
I know that for the most part, she doesn't need help with the stairs, but I also know that she walked into a door frame yesterday because she figured she could see in the dark. She's a kid, she's clumsy. It doesn't take much distraction to have a slip on the stairs, but the consequences are much steeper.
I want Girl to be comfortable using the stairs, especially since her bedroom and ours are on different levels, and she won't be in a crib forever, but I don't know what to do. I'm all for the "learn from our mistakes" kind of teaching, but at what point can I decide that she is proficient enough on her own not to come running every time she wants to play in her room?
You could get her a special helmet :-)
ReplyDeleteStairs are hard. I still worry and yell out "careful on the stairs" when Cooper is near them. And if I can, I still try to stand infront while he goes down.
ReplyDeleteGood question. I guess my only advice is to always be aware. J has been doing stairs forever. He did the whole backwards thing and now goes down with a hand on the wall. But JUST this morning, he got distracted and tumbled head over heels from the very top to the very bottom. He was 100% perfect, just a bit scared and cried for 30 seconds. I, on the other hand, nearly peed myself and my heart couldn't decide if it should stop or explode. So of course, i've been on top of him all day... I still nearly wipe out on the stairs as an adult. So, I think it's just one of those things.
ReplyDeleteYeah, I have wood stairs with a turn to them, and hardwood at the bottom... I think I'd be happier if they were carpeted.
ReplyDelete