Baby gate
Encyclopedia
A baby gate or child safety gate is a protective barrier
designed to prevent young children
from accessing areas of a home where they might be unsafe
, such as stairway
s and kitchen
s. Baby gates are typically constructed of metal, plastic and/or wood, and can be expanded to fit in a range of door
way widths. They may be designed for use indoors or out, and may be either permanently installed or removable. Removable gates are typically held in place via friction
with the walls on either side. Removable gates should not be used at the top of a stairway because a child may dislodge the gate. Baby gates are also frequently used to contain small pets, especially ones that are not housebroken
.
Barricade
Barricade, from the French barrique , is any object or structure that creates a barrier or obstacle to control, block passage or force the flow of traffic in the desired direction...
designed to prevent young children
Toddler
A toddler is a young child, usually defined as being between the ages of one and three. Registered nurse, midwife and author, Robin Barker, states 'Any time from eight months onwards your baby will begin to realise he is a separate person from you...
from accessing areas of a home where they might be unsafe
Safety
Safety is the state of being "safe" , the condition of being protected against physical, social, spiritual, financial, political, emotional, occupational, psychological, educational or other types or consequences of failure, damage, error, accidents, harm or any other event which could be...
, such as stairway
Stairway
Stairway, staircase, stairwell, flight of stairs, or simply stairs are names for a construction designed to bridge a large vertical distance by dividing it into smaller vertical distances, called steps...
s and kitchen
Kitchen
A kitchen is a room or part of a room used for cooking and food preparation.In the West, a modern residential kitchen is typically equipped with a stove, a sink with hot and cold running water, a refrigerator and kitchen cabinets arranged according to a modular design. Many households have a...
s. Baby gates are typically constructed of metal, plastic and/or wood, and can be expanded to fit in a range of door
Door
A door is a movable structure used to open and close off an entrance, typically consisting of a panel that swings on hinges or that slides or rotates inside of a space....
way widths. They may be designed for use indoors or out, and may be either permanently installed or removable. Removable gates are typically held in place via friction
Friction
Friction is the force resisting the relative motion of solid surfaces, fluid layers, and/or material elements sliding against each other. There are several types of friction:...
with the walls on either side. Removable gates should not be used at the top of a stairway because a child may dislodge the gate. Baby gates are also frequently used to contain small pets, especially ones that are not housebroken
Housebreaking
Housebreaking is the process of training a domesticated animal that lives with its human owners in a house to excrete outdoors, or in a designated indoor area, rather than inside the house. The pet owner's desire is to break the habit of eliminating in the house, hence the term...
.