Stair Safety With No Stairs At Home
"Will my child learn how to be safe on stairs if we don't have them in our house?"
Answer: This is such a common question and a great one! First, yes! absolutely. When it comes to stairs, I think of it like this - there are TONS of opportunities in daily life that replicate stair climbing and the strength/coordination needed for it.
For example, stepping up onto a stool to wash your hands or brush your teeth, standing on one leg to kick or get dressed, and stepping up and down a curb. Then even simpler things like navigating uneven terrain outdoors, jumping, running, etc!
All of those activities help strengthen the legs, encourage body and spatial awareness, and ultimately will help your child figure stairs out when they ARE exposed to them! So don't worry, stairs or no stairs, most kids will figure it out just fine when the time comes!
WANT MORE?
For developmental questions, tips and guidance related to milestones about tummy time, rolling & sitting, crawling and walking, check out KC’s developmental Masterclasses linked here.
KC is a pediatric doctor of physical therapy, wife and mom of three! She has spent her career working with children and young adults of all ability levels, and currently specializes in birth to three years.
