How to Safeguard Your Child's First Climbs

As a natural sequel to taking her first steps, a child will soon aim to get on items higher from the floor, be it stairs, stools, sofas, boxes and such alike. She does this out of inquisitiveness and to find her ways around her world. When she finds her parents doing things apparently out of her reach, she tries to climb on to objects to extend that reach.

This phase of childhood creates stress for the parents as they feel the need to always keep an eye on the child. Even a momentary inattention may result in her causing damage to objects or worse, getting hurt by falling. The parents often try to hold her back out of such fear or because they think that she is not yet ready for such activities. But such intervention against her natural urge may cause annoyance and displeasure to the child and the parents need to find ways to soothe her or divert her attention elsewhere.

A child who learns to climb up soon learns to climb down also and may start getting out of her crib when the parents thought that she was safely ensconced there. This has come as an unpleasant surprise to many parents who left a sleeping child to attend to other work, only to find the child out of bed and moving around.

As you cannot keep a child confined, you can do better by taking measures to keep her safe while she goes through these steps. Keep areas around her bed clear of items over which she may stumble. Put gates at stairways and keep those closed when you are not present to watch over her. A night lamp will enable the child to find her way around if she wakes up at night gets out of her crib. When you think she can do her climbing safely, you can do away with the crib and provide a bed for her.

You can even encourage her exploration by making things easier and enjoyable for her. She may be given a suitable low stool which she can use to reach higher. An indoor slide helps her to learn climbing safely while she plays with it. You can also put low platforms near windows for her to climb and see outside. Sofas bereft of cushions or a mattress on the floor can be something to climb or jump upon safely.

Your child can have a great time climbing up and down if you take her to places with children's playing area. Many restaurants, shopping complexes etc. have such facilities where she can learn safely in company with other children.