Stair climbing
Been meaning to post for bout a week now, just don’t seem to be getting any time at present (with the exceptionally hot weather and all – causing particular problem at sleep times…).
Anyhow, Hannah has been able to scale the stairs (on her own) for a just over the past week. It’s great walking up behind her (making sure that she doesn’t fall) immensely proud of this little girl as she musters all her strength and coordination to clamber up these massive obstacles (at least they seem enormous if your only 14 and a half months old..).
Only problem now is that we need to make sure that we close the bottom stair gate when down stairs.
Otherwise, you end up in the situation I found myself in the other day. Before leaving the lounge and heading up stairs to prepare for bathing her and putting her to bed. I leave Hannah in the lounge while I nip into the utility room, to get the clean clothes that need to be taken upstairs and sorted. On my way back into the hall, I shout for her to leave whatever she’s been playing with (in the lounge) and join me for the trip up the wooden hill. But, there’s no reply!
Now I’m concerned!
As I turn to look at the stairs, all I see is the bottom stair gate is open! My heart in my mouth, I turn a few more degrees, only to see the “cheeky one” at eye level with me, with a big smile. Now, I’m 6’1″, so she’d managed to paddle out of the lounge and made it over half way up the stairs, after only about 10 seconds of being left on her own.
Think it was the fastest I’ve moved for about 15 years, getting up onto the stairs behind her, to make sure that she made it safely to the top! There was a bit of laundry that was lost in the panic, but I managed to retrieve this later, without Mum finding out (otherwise I’d be in trouble).
It is possible to control the climbing behaviour, through hobbling Hannah with one of several pair of trouser, that fits in such a way as to ensure that she cannot get her leg high enough off the ground to climb-up! But, that’s not a much fun as watching her learn how to get upstairs under hear own power!