In Bible times, roofs were flat and persons walked on them. Under the Mosaic Law, a man building a house was required to build around the roof a battlement or banister to prevent persons from falling off. If a man failed to banister his roof, he was held responsible for any accident or loss of life resulting from his neglect.
Similar safe guards are required in modern homes. You would scarcely build a house without a proper protection for porches and stairways where there might be danger of someone falling.
Author John R. Gunn comments that, "It is doubly important that a home have proper safety devices where there are children. Older ones may have learned to be cautious, but who would think of exposing his children to the danger of an unbanistered porch or staircase? Yet when it comes to the far more important matter of safeguarding our children against moral and spiritual peril, how poorly many of our homes are banistered. In many homes, there is no established order for government of the household. Little or no attention is given to discipline and religious teaching scarcely receives a thought. It is the sacred duty of parents to lead their children into an ever increasing knowledge of Christ and a steadfast obedience to His will; to bring them up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord."
If you are a parent, see to it that your home is well banistered with good order, proper discipline, religious instruction and prayer.