Climbing! Are you prepared?

As your baby’s physical skills develop you might notice that they are interested in climbing. Exploring climbing also helps them to develop their body awareness. They receive signals from their joints as they push and pull to climb up or over an object and begin to link what they can see and feel as they position their hands and feet, ready to start their ascent.  

Hot drinks alert! Check what's within their reach

You might not want your baby to have a go at a climbing wall just yet, but now's a good time to think about safety at home again. Your baby will be eager to climb so think about what they can reach, make sure hot drinks are well out of the way and that there is nothing that they could pull over onto themselves if they tried climbing.

Consider the stairgate

If you have a stairgate, it might be time to take it down (depending on the ages of other children in your home, of course). Once your baby is able to climb over a stairgate it is recommended that you no longer use them.   

Stay close

Also remember that although your baby might be interested in climbing and developing their physical skills, they might not have the cognitive skills to judge risk yet, so they will need you to be close by to help them judge if somewhere is a safe place to climb.