Just curious as to if mothers really feel a need for such things.

I live in a town house which meant out living room is on their first floor, so when my baby was in his walker, we had to have something covering the top of one flight of stairs because he could easily tip his walker down them. In terms of being in a *normal* house, you would be at the bottom of the stairs when he is in the walker, so it wouldn’t really cause a problem? Maybe once he starts walking because he could go up a couple of stairs and then fall off, but that’s if you let him out of the room on his own?

We also had one across the top of the flight of stairs where the bedrooms are, once he started walking, so he wouldn’t fall down there should he get up in the night. I didn’t put it across the front of his room, so he could come into our room, next door, or the bathroom, so the went with the top of the stairs. But I’d go with something over the top of the stairs for nighttime, because half asleep kids get confused at times.

I never had anything to cover radiators, didn’t no there was such a thing. I agree with those things you put in plug sockets so they cant stick their finger in is a must because in a walker they’re at the perfect height.

I never blocked him out of the kitchen either, we just had a rule of staying over a line in the flooring when mummy was cooking. But that’s more due to my kitchen layout, but again teaching them "no" has to start somewhere. Never had cupboard locks or anything like that either, but they exist too.

Anyone have a specific suggestion for a gate that we can use? We don’t want one of the swinging ones that you screw in, because we want to be able to shut the bedroom door at times. So we just want one of the portable ones – strong enough to withstand a growing baby, short enough to let the kitten get around. We’re in Toronto in the Bathurst/Wilson area, so stores anywhere around there, or Canadian Tire, would be great.

thanks!
to respond to people’s answers:
the baby is always supervised, but if my back is turned for a moment it’s dangerous for her to have any kind of access to cat food and kitty litter.
we’re in an apartment, so there’s no other room available for the cat’s stuff, and we can’t put in cat doors anywhere.
the one recommended baby gate screws into the wall, so we wouldn’t be able to close the bedroom door – not doable.

can you raise the gate a little off the floor so cat can crawl under?

or, put food and litter up high, like on a table. as long as you have a chair for the cat to jump from, he will use it.

or, this is a lot more work, buy a cheap door, install pet door, keep door closed. cat gets in and out, baby cant.
when you move, put old door back on.

i think i found what you are looking for,

http://www.improvementscatalog.com/home/improvements/792926911-extra-tall-extra-wide-walk-through-pet-gates-small-door.html

If it is portable he can not deny you its use, however, if you damage anything with it you need to pay for it.

would a bar gate be better than a net gate?
Net gate type – http://www.southportforums.com/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=97328&stc=1

Bar gate type – http://www.argos.co.uk/wcsstore/argos/images/49-3763461MMA70UC516646M.jpg

I’m assuming the niece is visiting in which case a net gate will do as you’ll be having a close eye on her anyway. For a more permanent setup the bar gates are more secure (especially for the top of the stairs) but take a bit more effort to put in. Also check the width of your stairs, especially if they are on the narrow side if you do go this route.

Oh, she also can unlock and open her door, plus she freaks out if we shut it anyway…

Our daughter’s room is upstairs, and ours is down, so I feel your pain! We use a tension-set gate in the doorframe of her room. She isn’t able to get it open, and she’s never tried to climb it. It comes up to probably just at her shoulders. She’s 3. We still keep her gated in, not because of the stairs, but because we have a loft, and are afraid she might try to climb up to look over the loft wall to see the living room or something and could fall. That, and because she can unlock and open our front door!
Could you try a tension set gate, but put it several inches off the ground to make it higher? Not enough off the ground that she could slither under it, but maybe a few extra inches would help?

http://www.argos.co.uk/static/Browse/c_1/1|category_root|Nursery|14417537/c_2/2|14417537|Baby+monitors+and+safety+gates|14417612/c_3/3|cat_14417612|Baby+monitors|14417613/p/1/pp/Show+all/s/Price%3A+Low+-+High.htm

Cheers x

i never used a baby monitor i just kept a close watch over my baby instead of trying to rely on one of those things i find it to be the best way since you can hear as well as that machine and that money can be better put toward something more necessary.