A CHILD safety pro has given her expert opinion on baby gates, including the one parents commonly use but should avoid.
Holly, who runs a baby and toddler safety TikTok account, said she regularly sees mums and dads choosing to install pressure mounted baby gates at the top of the stairs – a decision she describes as a huge mistake.
In a video on her profile @safebeginnings titled ‘Something I would never do as a baby and toddler expert’, Holly explained why it could spell danger for your little ones.
She said: “I would never put a pressure mounted gate at the top of the stairs.
“And, trust me, in reality, I see this all the time in people’s homes.
“And it’s something you really don’t want to do.”
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Holly continued to inform her 16.6k followers: “Pressure mounted gates can easily be knocked down – even by small babies.
“And if they knock them down, the first place they’re going is with the gate down the stairs.
“Unfortunately, if you want to use a pressure mounted gate it can’t be at the top of the stairs – it needs to be at least three feet back, like somewhere in the hallway.
“Because if the gate comes down, we don’t want the child going down after it.”
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But that’s not the only thing to bear in mind when choosing which gate to have and where to put it.
Holly added: “Pressure mounted gates only work because they’re held together by a bar at the bottom – that is a huge tripping hazard.
“That is the last thing you want to do when you’re carrying a child down the stairs.”
Instead, Holly said she believes a hardware mount gate that is screwed in to be the number one option.
However, she said pressure mounted gates to have a purpose in the home – just not at the top of the stairs.
Holly said: [They’re] perfect for dividing two rooms on the same level.
“So if you need to block access to the kitchen or bathroom, that is a great option for using a pressure mounted gate.”
After Holly shared her views on the do’s and don’ts of baby gates, many parents took to the comment section to say they had no idea and couldn’t thank her enough.
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One wrote: “I’m actually about to baby proof my home (mine doesn’t crawl yet) so I’m glad I saw this.”
A second said: “Thank you would not have considered this have just bought a wall fixed one.”
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