WWYD to make a 2nd floor balcony safe for toddler?

[Snapdragon]

sorry that I have posted a similar question in the recent past but here t goes again w- our updated situation. We are probably moving to a living situation (with our 17 month old) where we have a 2nd floor balcony. It is kind of a high second floor- and the balcony is one of our only private outside spaces! (there is other outside space that we share but not a ton) There are plenty of nice outdoor nature-y places to walk to so I am not too concerned. But I am trying to figure out about the pretty high balcony and how to make it so I feel safe having my toddler out there.

First of all, I mean that I or another adult would always be out there with him. But still- for example, today we were at MIL's house on a much lower balcony- it has slats- 4 inches apart, and a 4 inch high gap from the bottom- and I just could not relax with ds playing on it- I had to watch and restrict him- even though I knew he couldn't fall through, it just did not feel worth the risk for him to lean into the slats or anything should one fall! So I know in the place we may move to that I would not feel comfortable just letting him relax out there while I relaxed out there- for fear that he could fall over it! Or through it- or in some way off of it. So I want to see if there is a way to toddler-safe it so I can use it as a nice outdoor relaxing space where ds and I can spend time and he can roam around on it without me hovering. It has 4 inch gaps and either a 4 or 5 inch gap at the bottom. I know he would throw things through it so I want to cover the gaps.

some people have suggested mesh but I don't know if that feels safe enough for me! DH suggested attaching some kind of baby gates all the way around?  Other people have suggested attaching some kind of wire fence on the outside, but I just don't know. Ideally I would like something that goes higher than the railing and just keeps the railing totally out of reach for ds. I would rather go overboard on safety in order to feel comfortable.

Ideas? Experiences to share? Would you even let a 17 month old out on a high 2nd floor balcony or is it just somehting we should not take him on at this age? I really do need advice on this as we are moving soon and I do feel nervous about it! Some people I talk to are so casual about it- they say, well, he can't fall through it, just relax. But I feel nervous about it and would love to make it so safe that I felt good about using it.Thanks for ideas and or shared experiences of a similar nature.

[ElliesMomma]

we have a second floor balcony. we put a sturdy wooden door at the top of the staircase. he doesn't know how to open it (yet), so it keeps him in. i have a bunch of plants out there but will NOT put a table or chairs out there this season. my toddler is pretty smart about moving furniture to climb on, and i won't take the chance. i don't think i'd put anything additional that he could climb on, ie., a chicken wire fence that the could get his toes into and use to climb, or a baby gate that he could get on top of. for me, the main thing is providing something to do out there to keep him occupied and engaged in reasonable activities, so that his mind doesn't wander to climbing. toddlers love to water plants -- so you could also use that. AND they love to "paint" -- get some paint brushes and a small tray of water. let him "paint" with the water.

just some ideas...

[swede]

what about attaching some sort of clear plexi glass in sheets?

[SynEpona]

Are you allowed to attach things to the railings? I know in one apartment I had there were pretty strict limits as to what was permitted on balconies -- to keep them A: safe, and B: all looking decent/uniform from the exterior.

I would not add anything that introduced a horizontal edge -- babygates, wire panels etc. as those are climb-able. If the building is new enough or updated to pass current building codes, I would likely only put a piece of wood at the bottom to keep toys from rolling off (with drain holes so you don't get puddling in rainy times). Toys that get thrown down are 'lost' and don't come back to the balcony, even a young child can learn that. I'm not generally interesting in child-proofing to an extreme, as the whole world is never going to be that child proof, so I'd rather teach my children to act safely.

These mesh panels are meant for exactly your situation though, http://www.onestepahead.com/catalog/product.jsp?productId=353763&parentCategoryId=85183&categoryId=85215 They are not flimsy 'mesh' like a laundry bag, but more sturdy, while still allowing airflow & sight lines.

You could put down an outdoor lounge cushion or something comfy, but not tall -- so it doesn't become a climbing hazard, but that you would have a spot to sit w/o having to get & put away a chair from elsewhere every time you went out. Small toys like a bowl of water & sponges or paint brushes mentioned above, as well as side walk chalk & bubbles are good toys for that sort of space. We limit balls, cars & riding toys on our front porch, b/c they either land on the garden or head towards the road, so nothing rolling or that is a clear throwing toy, will help keep the toys ON the balcony!

[crunchy_mommy]

I would second the plexiglass suggestion. It won't disrupt your view (though less airflow, so that's a consideration) and you can extend the height of the plexiglass higher than the railing height if it makes you feel better. The other benefit I see is that it's an extra layer of reinforcement in case the slats should fail (which I guess is not likely, but I share your fear on that one....) because you can bolt it to the outer posts.

[Snapdragon]

great ideas, thanks everyone. I think either the product SynEpona linked to oculd work really well. Plexiglass is another great and safe option- I have to look into both cost, and how much it would all take to do and also how much the landlord will be comfortable with. I will update once we have actually done something but it will be at least a few weeks. thanks

[Altair]

We cut lattice and put it up on our 4th floor balcony.  He's never out there alone, so I have no climbing worries.  Plus, it looks really, really nice.  We looked into plexiglass (with air holes so it doesn't bang all day) and it was way too expensive to get cut to fit.  We have chairs and a table and plants, but I would just never leave him out alone so he couldn't climb without my knowing. 

[swede]

Originally Posted by crunchy_mommy 

I would second the plexiglass suggestion. It won't disrupt your view (though less airflow, so that's a consideration) and you can extend the height of the plexiglass higher than the railing height if it makes you feel better. The other benefit I see is that it's an extra layer of reinforcement in case the slats should fail (which I guess is not likely, but I share your fear on that one....) because you can bolt it to the outer posts.

I thought about the air flow, too.  You could probably drill some vent holes.