We always lived in a double story house and simply placed safety gates.

Safety gates are essential I feel – even if it is 6 steps a child can get a head injury if they fall further than the equivalent of their own height. I would never forgive myself if my baby fell from 6 stairs. There are cheap ones at most places and you can remove them when they are old enough to manage up and down without falling

I would put safety gates on the steps that don’t have a rail at the bottom of them. If you miss your step the rail at the bottom can be just dangerous to adults and the younger ones.
Bear in mind that most floors are concrete which means even more rirsk of injury. You can leave them open when the little ones are in their cot or playpen. Re: playpens make sure they cannot move them at all while they are in them. The older ones will move if the child leans against it. I have seen it happen and the results of it.

Best thing you can do is teach them to navigate those stairs safely! Whenever I have a little one curious about stairs or wanting to slide off beds, I teach them to go down slowly and backwards on their tummies. Everyone else has heart attacks watching them, but I feel comfortable because they know what they are doing. And if you teach them they are less likely to make a dash for those stairs out of mischief first chance they get – resulting in tumbles! (A good soft rug at the bottom and some rubber edging for the stairs for the first few months wouldn’t hurt either)

how did you go? get a baby gate?

great answers! i would get a baby gate or play pen

We all know babies are sponges – show them how going backwards down the stairs will get them to the bottom safely and before you know it they’ll be flying down the stairs like a pro. The only problem is when they get a little older and they think they are adults who can step up and down… Which is what I’ve just started going through with my 15month old. Accidents waiting to happen

A gate at bottom of stairs. So it’s no go for your little one.

I would put a safety gate up of possible.

I live in a two storey house and have 3 children. We taught the kids how to crawl backwards down the stairs from a young age. We never used a stair gate – had one but that was for when other people visited! None of my kids ever fell down the stairs. Think the answer is showing your baby how to go up and down the stairs/steps. Accidents happen though but if not in your own home maybe somewhere else.

I’d get a gate/2 gates for stairs area, that’s what I’d be concerned with.

we have a baby gate at the top and bottom of our staircase!

we used a play pen until they had learned to go down stairs backwards, but if you prefer a gate at top and bottom of stairs would be safest if you can fit them.

I taught my kids to go down stairs backward and we never had an accident at all.

I would look at teaching my child how to go down stairs backwards, when we where in our spilt level house master 6 moths was a pro at going down stairs backwards