Baby gates, walk through,total 33-43 inches wide. Wooden and no bar on the bottom where you walk preferable. No etsy handmade. Any ones you like?
We used this to barricade the cats we babysat from one of our aggressive cats. Obviously, with cats, it involved tying some stuff to the top to prevent jumping over.
It is width-varied, so might work for your situation.
1 Like
Night one of the long weekend of babysitting Little Miss Mess… 
Bedtime is always a struggle with her! One down… three more days to go. I’m going to get a ton of exercise!
10 Likes
I’m glad your son will do well and they were successful with the pregnancy. It was 30 years ago when I was working in a hospital. I m ntioned to my patient that he could have his sperm saved. Two years later, he let me know that he and his wife were expecting.
It made me feel good that I gave him the suggestion, and he followed through.
13 Likes
We used a mesh retractable gate back in the days for the dogs, which worked great for visiting toddlers. We moved from that house before the GKs were born. Something like this one, although there are many brands out there:
https://a.co/d/ix7VmZ6
This article might help: The 7 Best Baby Gates, Tested and Reviewed
I personally would not want a gate with a bar across the bottom; it is just something to trip over or stub a toe!
1 Like
I think the gates with no bar on the bottom is VERY important. My friends have gates to keep one of their dogs out of certain rooms have the bars, and I trip on them EVERY time. At passover, I said I couldn’t help serve anything because of the tripping danger.
2 Likes
My brother and niece have mesh screens around the perimeter of their swimming pools to keep people and pets from falling into the pool. So far it’s been very successful!
In florida, people have to tent/screen the entire pool area to keep bugs - and alligators- out of their pools.
2 Likes
Surviving day 2 of babysitting a very busy toddler. She had a long nap, so that was helpful. Mr. hightailed out of the house to some event at the B-school, so it is just me and Miss Mess. 
8 Likes
lol. Kid texted her dad a very stern message, “Dad, how could you bail out on mom and leave her alone to babysit Bebe?” Bebe was fine! She had a single meltdown… otherwise, she was a little angel. I simply told Miss Mess that “Nana doesn’t do whiny, but if we eat dinner, we can both watch Moana.”
We managed to watch the entire movie in 20 minutes or so (I fast forwarded it, ).
9 Likes
@BunsenBurner This reminds me of a dear friend and her 2 yo GD. GD is well behaved when with my friend and sleeps later in the morning when with her. When her parents are around, she is headstrong, stubborn and wakes in the morning at 5:30. Friend told me GD showed up for Easter with a pair of pants under her dress that friend bought. Parents said GD insisted on the pants and threw a fit, refusing to take them off. Friends said to GD she might get hot with the pants on, so GD promptly took the pants off!
Kid has her parents number! They are in for a surprise when #2 arrives in 2 months!
8 Likes
Words to live by!
6 Likes
My grandkids know ‘Nana is serious’. I look them right in the eye. They know I love them, but they also know “be good, behave”.
There are times for fun, and there are times when the time is for bed or other scheduled things. Getting ready on time for leaving the house.
Asking questions can be a help with breaking up their thinking. Also delaying something - “you can have that toy later” - when they want to leave the house with something that needs to stay home.
Sometimes parents believe in ‘negotiating’ and try to reason when the child is too young to reason.
My sister is able to get all her gkids to nap. She’s loving but consistent & firm. They know her house, her rules and they all follow them, even when they’re not inclined to follow rules in their own homes.
4 Likes
Because all my grandchildren are monkeys an won’t stop climbing (and breaking) in the hibiscus bushes, we now have an official climbing tree in the yard…
(Please note the crash pad at the base of the tree. All 3 grands, including the 2 year old, got “how to fall safely lessons” from mom, who is an avid climber, before they were allowed to play unsupervised.)
A 6 foot high geodesic climbing structure is on order and eagerly awaited.
20 Likes
You are a wonderful grandmother!
D and SiL have decided to put their condo on the market and will try and buy a house in the same area. Part of their thinking is they want a yard for GS. Unspoken is another bedroom for possible child number 2.
Their agent is optimistic that their condo will sell quickly
11 Likes
Followup on trying foods for GS while parents gone for a few days. They did have opinions on what to give him and approved the rice crackers that he loved. Then they went to the pediatrician 9 mo old check up and shots. She told them to start to push foods more. He also loves oranges and eggs and peanut butter.
He was just starting to pull up after crawling and is babbling. Sooo cute of course.
9 Likes
Every night GD2 (7 months) eats with the family. She gets grilled vegetables (pepper, cauliflower, brocoli, string beans) and meat. They are all cut such that she could pick them up easily. She started just sucking on them, but now she is actually biting some off and eating it. She enjoys to sit at the dining table with “big people.” When she is done she just starts to throw them on the floor.
10 Likes
Today GS came over and wanted a snack (10 mo). I gave him broccoli and rice and a dish of sliced strawberries. His mom started to feed him with a spoon but he just reached in with his hands and started eating. I had forgotten this stage There was a lot of rice rain.
7 Likes