We certainly aren’t expecting her to go up and down the stairs alone yet, but it is a good time to start teaching some proper techniques before bad habits form.
*Both the top and bottom of all staircases should be gated with a baby gate that is at least 22 inches high and has no more than an inch on either side and nothing nearby that baby can use to climb over the gate.
Allow her to “crawl” up the steps as you stay close behind her the whole way. Encourage her to put her hands on the higher step, then follow with her knees or feet one step behind. Climbing steps is great for core strength and leg strength development as well as whole body coordination and balance, but you need to be right behind her incase she loses her balance.
When she is coming down the stairs, you should position yourself below her, so you are always on a lower step and encourage her to go down sitting on her bottom and dropping her bottom to each lower step as she descends. This is safer at this point and she will have more coordination if she is looking forward as opposed to going down backwards. This will teach her some sequencing of extending her legs first, then dropping her hands and bottom down to the next step, while strengthening her legs and arms and it is great fun!
Practice it a few times per day and include a lot of language. Talk him through the sequence and motion and narrate his actions. Encourage him along the way and praise him when he reaches the top or bottom.
Count the steps for added language!