Baby Gate?

Poor Colby is terrified of these two happy meal toys we have collected over the years. 

Understandable, I guess.

Mmmmm... I got nothin'

Well, I was getting tired of chasing Colby up the stairs and bringing him back down.  He loves going up and looking down on everyone (must be a baby thing... and a dog thing).  The only problem is our home was built in 1984 and is not up to code on the spacing of our banisters, translation:  babies and small children can squeeze through... and it's a long fall down.  Wow, that's a downer.

I had heard of a trick used with babies afraid of Tickle Me Elmo and I decided to try it with Colby ; )

Step One:  locate scary duo in toy box

Step Two:  create barricade

Check.

And it worked! (and it's only a two step process!)  Colby was deterred from going up the stairs.  I couldn't get a picture of him near them, because he wouldn't go near them!

So I had to bring them to him, you know, to prove it.

It took me awhile to realize that he was afraid of them.  I couldn't figure out what was wrong with him.

He would be playing with the toys, just fine.  Then he would start whining, and squinting his eyes, and scrunching his nose, and showing his teeth.

Day after day!

I finally figured out he was doing it every time he came across the monster or the giraffe in the toy box!

But with the continued shoving in face exposure, he started to become okay with them... see?  It's okay!

(don't mind the bed head ; )

Warning!!  Plastic toys can not actually replace baby gates!  Use under adult supervision!  Do not put baby gate at the top of the stairs!!

Thank you.