Tips on getting kids downstairs safely (Live in first floor flat)

[TabbyTuTu]

I know this is something that will come up at my pre-reg, I have a few ideas but any suggestions or opinions would be great :)

I guess it all depends on the age of the child, my own two year old will happily walk down by herself, holding onto my hand - This would give me one hand for a baby or toddler. I will probably use a sling to take a baby downstairs, I did this when my daughter was small and it was faffy but safer, which gives me two hands to support two toddlers, meaning of course one would be supporting themselves by wall instead of the handrail. If I take them down one by one, as in, strap a baby in sling, leave oldest mindee in my living room with gate shut, take my own daughter down, then get back for mindee. This means I would leave a mindee alone, upstairs for around two minutes. Swings and roundabouts...

[Maza]

I'm in the same boat as you. It depends on the ages of the child. I have left one in my flat before - in a jumperoo type of thing. It depends on the layout of your flat/communal areas. I could easily hear them whilst I was strapping the first child into the buggy in the hallway (kept my door wide open) and could see them as I was walking down the stairs, so it was literally a matter of seconds when I couldn't see a child. Our building only has three other flats and so there was never any stranger danger to take into account because I would hear the front door open if anyone else was coming in and so would wait with the child downstairs if that happened - never much human traffic in the day though. I asked at my pre-reg and the inspector just shrugged and said it was down to common sense. When they are older and are walking I always insist on walking in front of them so that if they fall they fall into me. Just teach them to walk down safely, always holding onto the hand rail etc. If they are not holding my hand they walk in single file next to the rail, not the wall.