How to Teach a Toddler to Use Stairs
Your toddler is mobile and inquisitive, and every staircase she finds is likely too immense a temptation to resist. While she might be fascinated with the potential challenge, accidents can happen quickly, particularly when she doesn't know how to negotiate the stairs properly. You can help your toddler learn about safe ways to ascend and descend the stairs so you can rest easier, but continue to keep an eye on her explorations until she's a bit older.
Things You'll Need
- Hardware-mounted safety gates
Instructions
Introduce the stairs from the top, down -- or at least from up to down. Instead of starting off by helping your toddler climb up the stairs, begin a few stairs up from the bottom and show him how to descend the stairs on his hands and knees, facing backward. Demonstrate the movement and then stand behind him to prevent a fall while he gives it a try. Stick to the bottom three steps until he̵7;s comfortable and stable. Practice with your toddler on a regular basis and then move up a few stairs and let your toddler crawl backward down the stairs from there as you stay a step or two behind her in case of falls. Demonstrate how to walk up the first few stairs while holding onto the banister, and then let your toddler try it out on the bottom three stairs while holding your hand, too. Let him continue to practice his ascent up the bottom three stairs, following your example, and then practice his backward crawl to the bottom. Move the bottom safety gate up three stairs and let your child practice descending those three stairs often. Stay with your youngster in case she loses her footing. Tackle further up the staircase when he̵7;s mastered the bottom three stairs. Remind him about the importance of holding onto the railing and stay one to two steps behind him all the way up. Show your toddler how to go down the stairs on her bottom while facing forward. This maneuver takes a little more balance than the backward crawl descent because of the tendency to lean forward.
