When do you need a gate at the top of the stairs?

I don't let Ellie crawl upstairs on the second floor yet so we don't have one so far, but I saw Marcie's post and was wondering when did you install one? and why?

Re: When do you need a gate at the top of the stairs?

I put one up the minute she started crawling b/c we are always playing upstairs and I didn't want her falling down the steps...

Re: When do you need a gate at the top of the stairs?

I installed all of our gates before Andrew was born. I did the one at the top of the staires because I let Andrew crawl around upstairs from room to room.

Re: When do you need a gate at the top of the stairs?

I don't let Gianna crawl/walk around upstairs in the hall. We don't have one and I don't plan on it just yet. Honestly, I don't really want one at the top, I would rather not let her walk around in the hall.

Re: When do you need a gate at the top of the stairs?

Re: When do you need a gate at the top of the stairs?

As soon as she was moving around, since I knew there was no way I'd be able to stop her from wandering around as she got older.

Re: When do you need a gate at the top of the stairs?

The reason I am thinking of getting one is that she is walking around and lately I would like to get things done upstairs and what I have been doing is shutting the bedroom door and letting her roam around in the room that I am in.
And then onto the next room when I need to do things in the next room.

Its funny - cause she is basically trained to go from bedroom to bedroom or bedroom to the bathroom (for her bath) she never goes by the stairs.

But I am getting to the point where I think she needs to learn that the stairs are there (cause she is going to realize it sooner or later).
So we decided that we will get a gate for the stairs - better safe than sorry