Parenthood makes you remarkably inventive.

You learn to improvise a changing station from the contents of a boot bag, retrieve a lost dummy without waking a sleeping baby and somehow prepare dinner while holding a toddler who has decided the floor is unacceptable.

So when you encounter a baby-proofing problem, the instinct to find a clever workaround is completely understandable.

An awkward staircase? Perhaps the gate could be adapted.

A toddler who has started climbing? Maybe two gates would make a taller barrier.

Only passing through for a second? Surely stepping over the gate is quicker than opening it.

Unfortunately, when it comes to safety equipment, a clever hack isn't necessarily a safe one.

A safety gate is designed, tested and supplied to be installed and used in a particular way. Once we start changing that arrangement, we can introduce risks that weren't part of the product's intended use.

Here are five baby gate “hacks” that might seem like a good idea at the time – and what to do instead.

1. Stacking two baby gates to create a taller barrier

Let's start with one we've actually seen people try.

Your toddler has become an enthusiastic climber, the existing gate suddenly looks rather low and you have an ingenious thought:

Why not install a second baby gate above the first?

Please don't.

NHS-backed child-safety guidance specifically warns against fixing one stair gate above another to create a taller barrier because doing so can cause serious injury. The same guidance advises against adapting safety gates in an attempt to defeat a child's new climbing abilities.

It also creates a completely different arrangement from the one the individual gate was designed to be used in.

There is another issue that becomes particularly apparent when you look at the installation from a toddler's perspective: climbing.

The additional structure can introduce more areas for little feet to interact with rather than simply solving the problem of height.

What should you do instead?

If your child has reached the stage where they're attempting to climb over a safety gate or can operate it themselves, don't automatically respond by making the barrier taller.

Instead, reassess whether the gate remains appropriate for your child's stage of development.

NHS-backed guidance recommends thinking about removing a gate once a child begins trying to climb over it or can open it, while taking account of whether they can manage the stairs safely and follow instructions around hazards.

In other words, two gates aren't the answer to outgrowing one.

2. Modifying the gate to make it fit an awkward space

Beautiful homes aren't always blessed with perfectly straightforward staircases.

You might have unusually positioned newel posts, wide openings, narrow openings, skirting boards or walls that aren't quite where you'd ideally like them to be.

And when a gate almost fits, it can be tempting to make it work.

Perhaps you could drill another hole into the gate.

Remove a component.

Add an extra piece of timber.

Use a different extension.

Change the latch.

The problem is that once you modify safety equipment outside the manufacturer's instructions, you no longer know that it will perform as designed.

NHS guidance recommends choosing a safety gate that complies with BS EN 1930:2011 and installing it according to its instructions. 

What should you do instead?

Start with the opening rather than the gate.

Measure carefully and check the manufacturer's stated fitting range before ordering.

Then look at what you'll actually be fixing the gate to on both sides.

If your staircase has an unusual configuration, contact the manufacturer rather than inventing a solution yourself.

Sometimes the answer may simply be that a particular gate isn't suitable for that particular opening – frustrating though that can be.

Safety equipment is one area where almost fits isn't good enough.

3. Using the wrong type of gate at the top of the stairs

This one can be particularly tempting if you already own a gate.

You move house, rearrange rooms or suddenly need another barrier and think:

“We've already got a baby gate – we'll just move this one upstairs.”

But where a gate is being installed matters.

NHS-backed guidance says that a safety gate at the top of the stairs should be screw-fixed and should not have a bottom bar to trip over. 

RoSPA likewise recommends wall-mounted safety gates restricting access to both the top and bottom of stairs for children under 24 months. 

That means a pressure-fit gate with a bottom bar shouldn't simply be moved to the top of the staircase because it's available and happens to fit the width.

What should you do instead?

Choose the gate according to where it will be installed, not just the dimensions of the opening.

At the top of stairs, look for a wall-mounted design suitable for that position, without a bottom trip bar, and always follow the manufacturer's installation instructions.

This is one of the reasons The BirchBaby Scalloped Gate is screw-fit and designed without a bottom bar. It can also be configured for one-way opening where required, preventing the gate from opening out over the stairs.

The details that can initially feel relatively insignificant when you're shopping for a gate become much more important once you're walking through it several times a day.

4. Stepping over the baby gate instead of opening it

We've all done the parent calculation:

Baby gate closed.

Hands full.

Destination approximately three metres away.

Opening the gate feels disproportionately inconvenient.

So you step over it.

The trouble is that safety gates are supposed to help reduce access to a fall hazard – not introduce another opportunity for the adult carrying a baby, washing basket or armful of toys to fall.

NHS-backed guidance explicitly recommends opening and closing the gate rather than climbing over it. It also makes another very good point: your child is watching what you do. 

Toddlers are remarkably enthusiastic students when the lesson is something you'd rather they didn't learn.

What should you do instead?

Use the gate properly every time.

If opening your current gate is so inconvenient that your household constantly climbs over it, that's worth considering when choosing your next one.

Think about everyday usability alongside safety: how the latch operates, how wide the opening is, whether it can be operated by an adult with one hand and how naturally it works with the flow of your home.

The best safety product is one that works with family life rather than constantly encouraging you to find ways around it.

5. Assuming “it's fitted” means you never need to check it again

This isn't really a hack – but it is an easy mistake.

You install the baby gate carefully, give it a good shake and mentally tick that particular baby-proofing job off the list.

Done.

Except the person on the other side of that gate is about to spend the next few months pulling, pushing and rattling absolutely everything they encounter.

NHS-backed guidance recommends regularly checking that a safety gate remains firmly fixed and can withstand the attention of a toddler.

RoSPA also emphasises the importance of appropriate wall-mounted gates around stairs. 

What should you do instead?

Make checking your gates part of your normal home-safety routine.

Look at the fixings.

Check the latch.

Make sure nothing has loosened or shifted.

And if something doesn't seem right, stop relying on the gate until you've checked the manufacturer's instructions and resolved the problem.

It takes considerably less time than installing it in the first place.

When it comes to safety, clever isn't always safer

There is something very satisfying about finding an ingenious solution to a problem.

But baby safety equipment isn't the place to experiment.

Safety gates designed to comply with BS EN 1930:2011 are intended to be used in a particular configuration and according to their fitting instructions. NHS guidance recommends gates meeting that standard once babies begin crawling and gaining access to stairs. 

So if you find yourself about to modify, stack or improvise with a gate, stop and ask a different question:

Is this how the manufacturer intended this product to be used?

If the answer is no – or you aren't sure – find out before going any further.

At BirchBaby, we believe baby-proofing products should work beautifully within your home. That's why we created The Scalloped Gate to combine considered design with the practical details we wanted from a safety gate: a screw-fit installation, no bottom bar, one-handed adult operation and a design intended to belong in the room around it.

But beautiful design never comes before using a safety product correctly.

Because when it comes to keeping little ones safer, the best solution usually isn't a hack.

It's choosing the right product for the space and using it exactly as intended.

Explore The Scalloped Gate, or visit our Measuring Guide to find the right size for your opening.