I'm hoping that some of you triplet moms with older children can be of help. My 1 year old triplets are on the move, and with 3 of them crawling around, safety gates are non-negotiable. I put a very secure, hardware-installed gate at the top of the stairs heading down to my basement (playroom), which is a very busy intersection in my house. It is difficult for adults to open (huge pain in the neck) and impossible for my 3 year old twins to open. I tried a pressure-mounted gate at the bottom of the stairs on the main floor - this one is a bit easier on the adults but still impossible for my twins.

Now I have two problems. 1- the gates are making my twins miserable. They can't get anywhere without screaming for help and they now refuse to play on their own in the playroom since they can't get back upstairs freely. 2- Even worse, one of the twins pulled the pressure-mounted gate down on himself when he got frustrated this morning. So even if I would buy the one gate that I believe the twins could open on their own (The First Years Hands Free), it's only pressure-mounted, which is dangerous for the babies (who frequently line up at the gate and pull on it together!).

Suggestions??? I am really at my wits end with this problem.

Nicole
Adam 5lb2oz & Joseph 4lb4oz 36w3d 9/25/08
Ezra 5lb4oz, Grace 4lb11oz & Lily 3lb3oz 36w 3/16/11

I don't know of any product that would contain the 1 year olds, while allowing freedom to the 2 year olds.

We have a Dream Design Baby Gate in extra tall and really like it. It is hardware mounted and keeps a high-traffic hallway off limits to our now 5 year olds.

Sheila
GGB 10/29/06 (33 weeks)

We've got a "first years" baby gate -- it's got a handle to open and close...by now four year old has been able to open this gate for many months...it might be worth looking at something similar.

http://www.amazon.com/The-First-Years-Everywhere-Gate/dp/B0000DBHHR

Our neighbour fashioned a gate for his stairs -- he used a system that functions just like a garden gate - hinges and a latch. It works great - little one's can't open it -- bigger ones can.

good luck - hope you find a solution!

Janet
G - 12/07 35 weeks
GGG-04/10 30 weeks

I have two pressure mounted gates. One is an evenflow and the other is a dream baby. They are the walk through gates. Both have been terrized by the kids and the kids can now open both gates with no help. The even flow the kids hang on and it pops open for them and the dream baby they just push up on it and it opens. You can show the twins how to open the gates and it might help. My kids are 2 1/2 and I watch a 3 and 4 year old too. The 3 year just turned 3 last week and he has been able to open both gates since he was a little over 2. The gates do keep babies out and all of the kids know that they cannot open the gates unless they are told to do so.