If my 13.5 year old lab could talk, she'd say, "Why did you wait so long to get this for me?" The stair treads have done wonders for her confidence. She now goes up and down confidently again, without me having to put the leash on her and help pull her up with the harness as I had to do lately. The stair treads don't slip, but I don't know if they'd be equally effective in a family with children running up and down. An additional backing might be necessary.