Kid proofing your own home can become stressful, then, when you find that you need to have an extra wide baby gate it seems to become much more frustrating.

Some of us now have open plan living. This would often result in openings and archways between areas which are wider compared to a standard doorway. If you are making an effort to baby proof then this can be slightly tricky to deal with.

You basically have three choices for an extra wide baby gate. The first is adjusting a regular gate. Many manufacturers have now accepted the need for extra wide baby gates, nevertheless they don't want to have to make and test a new product, so the basic option is to adjust a current product. The way this has been accomplished is to have panels which can be added to either side of the typical gate so that it will fit a wider area.

This style and design is however somewhat less-than-perfect. When the gate is open you have limited your opening to the equivalent of a standard door. This is not a major issue, but it may be intrusive and may not exactly add to the decor of your place.

The second kind of gate available from outlet stores is a roll back gate. This looks the same as a roller blind that is fitted on its side. The upside of this style and design is that the when the gate is not being used it may be rolled back and won't be in the way. The drawback of this design is that it is not as effortless and easy to open.

The last option which you have is to find a carpenter to create you a bespoke gate. This will seem like the ideal solution, but there are lots of parents who have tried this and found that it was a bad investment. A bespoke extra wide baby gate will be quite expensive. The biggest issue however, is the design and style. If this is your first child, then you are still be on the learning curve of baby proofing, so to make this big an investment and then realise that there is a major flaw in your design will be really frustrating.

Unfortunately there is no simple or clear solution for an extra wide baby gate. A great way to decide which will best fit you is to talk to other parents and see what their experiences are of the different types available.

The other significant thing to remember is that an extra wide baby gate is there to protect the baby, but it is the parents who have to use it. If you choose a gate which is awkward for you to use you are more likely to get lapse in closing it and then you defeat the purpose of having a gate at all.