Do you trap them ...

nat8

I just wanted to know how you keep LO in their bedroom once they are in a toddler bed. DD is still in her crib but when I think about it I picture me putting her in bed and her getting up and running around upstairs. Do you close the door, put up a baby gate, what????

snicksnack

My friend said at first he locked the door but then was scared that locking was a fire hazard.  After that they got a gate.  He said at around four she learned how to climb over the gate and started walking around the house at night.  She broke the habit after about a month or so.

essey1234

LO sleeps with the door closed now , so i think that just the gate will be a bigger distraction. So i think we will go with closed door for now

lovelylinz

I prefer to call it "keeping her in a safe area".  We do our night-time routine, she hops in bed, and we close the door.  Sometimes she hops out and plays, but we always find her back in her bed under the blankets when we check on her later.  This also ensures that she will be in her room in the morning and not climbing on the kitchen countertops.  Toddlers just don't have the ability to recognize a bad idea, so she's safer when we close the door.

rebus82

He sleeps with his door closed now (loud cats) and that will continue. Once he can open the door himself (soon) we'll turn the doorknob around and lock him in. I don't find a doorknob lock to be any more of a fire hazard than a baby gate, since B couldn't, in theory, escape either without assistance. I know in an emergency I'd have a much easier time turning a knob lock than dismantling a baby gate or two. 

In face, I've heard it's better to keep kids in a room if there's a fire and you can't get to them (presuming they're not old enough to follow an escape plan on their own) because otherwise they get scared and hide from firemen. Having them in one place guarantees they'll be found, rather than looked over hiding behind a couch, or in a spare closet somewhere. 

Singingmama

rebus82:

He sleeps with his door closed now (loud cats) and that will continue. Once he can open the door himself (soon) we'll turn the doorknob around and lock him in. I don't find a doorknob lock to be any more of a fire hazard than a baby gate, since B couldn't, in theory, escape either without assistance. I know in an emergency I'd have a much easier time turning a knob lock than dismantling a baby gate or two. 

In face, I've heard it's better to keep kids in a room if there's a fire and you can't get to them (presuming they're not old enough to follow an escape plan on their own) because otherwise they get scared and hide from firemen. Having them in one place guarantees they'll be found, rather than looked over hiding behind a couch, or in a spare closet somewhere. 

Actually, my husband is a firefighter and a locked door is a major fire safety concern. Anything that would take the firefighter more time to get to your child is not a good idea and a locked door would definitely slow them down. There are door knob covers that you can buy that most children do not have the finger dexterity to operate. I would buy a door knob cover (can be found with the other child safety items) and use that on the knob inside of her room. That way, you can close the door, she cannot get out of the room, but a firefighter, police officer or yourself could easily get to your child if necessary.

SLHurst11

Singingmama:

rebus82:

He sleeps with his door closed now (loud cats) and that will continue. Once he can open the door himself (soon) we'll turn the doorknob around and lock him in. I don't find a doorknob lock to be any more of a fire hazard than a baby gate, since B couldn't, in theory, escape either without assistance. I know in an emergency I'd have a much easier time turning a knob lock than dismantling a baby gate or two. 

In face, I've heard it's better to keep kids in a room if there's a fire and you can't get to them (presuming they're not old enough to follow an escape plan on their own) because otherwise they get scared and hide from firemen. Having them in one place guarantees they'll be found, rather than looked over hiding behind a couch, or in a spare closet somewhere. 

Actually, my husband is a firefighter and a locked door is a major fire safety concern. Anything that would take the firefighter more time to get to your child is not a good idea and a locked door would definitely slow them down. There are door knob covers that you can buy that most children do not have the finger dexterity to operate. I would buy a door knob cover (can be found with the other child safety items) and use that on the knob inside of her room. That way, you can close the door, she cannot get out of the room, but a firefighter, police officer or yourself could easily get to your child if necessary.

Thank you so much for posting this.  It's so important!

water-fairy

DS can open doors. In anticipation for his toddler bed transition we have already gated his bedroom.

anabelle42

we keep the door shut now. When she's old enough to use the knob, I plan to put one of those covers on it. They'll be on other doors in the house too I dont want her getting in (basement door steps, front door, ect)

murfygirl

DS is in a crib and I will probably keep him in a crib till at least 2.

juliane2004

DD is still in a crib, but I have already bought a baby gate for her doorway when that exact thing happens. (We already close the door at night time, but I'm talking about when I want her to play in her room while I get ready in the morning or something.)

evanheuveln

I close the door on DD and we have a baby gate at the top of the stairs. 

 At her bedtime I lock her door since she's figured out how to open it and I unlock it when she has quieted down and check to make sure she's in bed and asleep and leave it unlocked after that. 

I just want her to know that when it's bed time its time for her to be in her room and she can't just come out and I don't have the energy to stand at the door holding it closed like my mother did with me.  

jamie.renee

I have always closed her door at night since I have 2 older kids and I never wanted to make them walk around on tip toes.  Now that she is in a toddler bed nothing has changed.  She can't open doors yet, once she can then I will put the knob cover on the inside of her room.