Parents want to keep their babies safe and secure. So they depend largely on the baby gate. This gate is a good option to keep your baby safe from unwanted dangers.
But while installing it in your home, you must follow some particular baby gate safety tips. Otherwise, it can cause a safety hazard for your child.
The important safety tips are selecting the safest baby gate, installing the gate on a solid surface, checking the JPMA approval seal and having no threshold in the gate. Moreover, there are some do and don’t lists that you must follow in using your baby gate.
Throughout today’s guide, we will explain all these safety tips in detail, including dos and don’ts. So, without a pause, keep reading this guide till the end.
Baby Gate Safety Tips – Effective Ways of Keeping Your Baby Safe
When your baby starts crawling and moving here and there in your house, you must be cautious about him. As a parent, your most important responsibility is to keep your baby safe.
However, your home’s most dangerous place is a stairway. Your babies may find the stair exciting and can quickly face an accident or tumble. So to prevent your babies from such an accident, we recommend you follow the safety tips below:
1. Choose The Safest Baby Gate Type
For your home’s tops of stairs, the safest solution is the hardware-mounted baby gates. Compared to the others, this gate offers more security and safety. You must use the permanent screws and hardware to install the gate into a solid door frame, wall stud or wood bannister.
A gate at your stair’s top that isn’t hardware mounted creates the risk of being pushed over by your child. And ultimately, it can cause injury to your baby. When installing a gate at the stairs top, you must ensure the gate is a swing toward the landing.
2. Install the Baby Gate On a Solid Surface
Always select a solid surface to install the stairway gates. The solid surface can be wood or anything else. However, we don’t recommend mounting the gate into the drywall. Rather a stud in a wall or a wood door frame is ideal.
When you eventually remove the gate, it will require some woodwork touch-up. A little wood putty or little spackle, followed by your paint color or stain, will take your surface to its previous pre-gate condition.
3. JPMA Approval Seal
While shopping for a new baby gate, we recommend you select the one with the JPMA Certification Seal. JPMA stands for the Juvenile Products Manufacturers Association.
This association has developed the juvenile product’s stringent safety certification program in today’s marketplace. The certification from JPMA assures that the product meets the USA Federal Laws & Voluntary ASTM’s all standards.
These laws and voluntary standards outline all the performance and safety requirements. But it is not limited to the material’s strength, slat openings, bar size, minimum height and latch security.
However, independent third-party labs must provide the testing and annual verification for the certification program.
4. No Threshold & No Tripping
Finding a no-threshold safety gate even further minimizes your stairway falling chances. The hardware-mounted gate with no threshold to step over accommodates most wide stairways.
This type of gate also has a stepping mechanism which won’t allow your baby gate to swing out over the stairs. Moreover, the extra tall gate added additional security.
5. Parent’s Perfect Supervision & Gate Maintenance
Undoubtedly the baby gates are best to prevent accidents for your baby. But we bet parental supervision is the best way to take care of your baby. However, if you need to stay outside your home for your job or any other work, the baby gate is the best option.
If you want to use the baby gates, we recommend installing them before your baby becomes too mobile. Advance installing will enable you and your baby to accustom to it through seeing and using the unit. Also, install the gate earlier to ensure it is securely and correctly mounted to the wall.
For proper installation, you must adjust and tighten the hardware. If you install it correctly, you will know your baby is safe. Safety is definitely your priority. But you should also clean and maintain your gate regularly.
While thinking about cleaning and maintenance, you must consider its materials, colors, etc. Select a baby gate that will look like the home décor in your home. However, gates of different heights and weights accommodate many openings and stairways. So buy that gate that is easy to install and clean.
What Are The Do’s & Don’t In Installing A Baby Gate?
To keep your baby safe, you must follow some safety tips. There are also some dos and don’ts related to your baby gate. So now take a look below regarding what you should do and what you shouldn’t. However, in using a baby gate, the do’s and don’ts are the following:
| Do | Don’t |
| For the top of your stairs, select only the hardware-mounted gates. Install your baby gate so that it doesn’t swing over the steps. Rather swings open over the floor. | At the stairway’s top, don’t use the pressure-mounted gate. Easily this gate can cause a tripping hazard or become dislodged. |
| Put the gate at the bottom of your stair. Quickly your baby can climb up the stairs and fall. | By installing the gate too high, avoid creating an entrapment risk. The required space for the baby gate is less than 3 inches. |
| Install the gate hardware onto the solid wood or on the wall stud. | Avoid installing hinge or latch hardware into the uneven or round banister posts. It can cause your gate’s improper latching. |
| Use the JPMA-certified baby gates for your children. Don’t use that gate for your baby that is designed for the pet.Or avoid modifying your gate for the use of your pet. | Avoid dislodging the gate accidentally. Ensure your baby isn’t climbing over your baby gate. |
| Do keep your baby gate latched and closed. It prevents damage and injuries both to your baby and the gate. | If possible, arrange adult supervision for your child because it is the best.Even if you have a baby gate, we recommend watching your baby every few minutes. |
End Note
Hopefully, this guide on baby gate safety tips has been helpful to you. Throughout this guide, we clearly explained the safety precautions you should follow. We have also explained what you should avoid using a baby gate.
A baby gate is an effective way of keeping your baby safe. But if you fail to follow the safety tips, it can cause your baby danger. So to avoid all types of risk, follow our safety tips mentioned above.
However, after reviewing the above article, you can comment if you want to add a point to our discussion. As soon as possible, we will provide you with a reply.
