Help me toddler proof our trash

meg_2006

In the kitchen we have a large trash can with a foot pedal. DS long ago figured out the trashlid doesn't lock, it can just be lifted; so we've had it under the table for months. Now he's figured out he can drag it out. What can I do next?

Chatterbug6917

We have one from bed bath and beyond that locks.. Awesome for toddlers amd dogs

michelle7482

We don't let DD in the kitchen so its not baby proof, we have a gate, but if I go in there I sometimes let her in and just teach her no. Although she's not perfect, she's definitely picking up on what she is and isn't allowed to open or touch.

maryxc1

I have one of the appliance locks on ours. It is a strap with a little clip. I think it is technically meant for ovens or refrigerators but works great. I got it at babies r us.

unaveragejane

DS was fascinated with the lid on ours. When I took it off, he lost interest in it. It's also much cleaner now b/c the old lid was always catching nasty drips and stuff before I could get it open all the way.

Rhonda6754

I too am one of those crazy people that have locked their trash.  We have used an appliance lock on the trash in the kitchen and the trash in their bedroom for dirty diapers.  I have the same type of trash can in my kitchen with the foot peddle.  My twins have had this obsession with the trash can and pulling out trash / dirty diapers.  I tried "no" and redirection 1,000 times but one would sneak and pull out dirty diapers while I was changing the other.  After too many episodes of this and when I saw tongues going in our kitchen trash, I said no way.  We keep the kitchen trash unlocked unless the girls are up and in the area.  If they see it unlocked, they make a point to tell us it's unlocked or and try to put the lock back on.  So far, it's working for us. 

meg_2006

LalaMama81:

Crash Into Me:

Teach him no. Tell him not to play with it. Repeat yourself 40,000 times until he gets it.

This. We've never had a locking trashcan.

Also, teach him what goes in the trash. My kids loved taking trash to the trashcan by 15 months. Still do. 

I don't go crazy with baby-proofing, but I do block off things that are dangerous.  To me, a trash can is dangerous.  It's full of raw meat, spoiled food, small chokeable size things (because DS is still putting everything in his mouth), broken pieces of plastic & sometimes glass, broken pins & needles from sewing projects...and who knows what else.   

I don't always have the hands available to steer DS away from the trash can, especially when I'm trying to make dinner for us.  I have a small window to get dinner ready between when DH gets off work and DH goes to bed.  So I'm the only person around with DS.  When I'm making dinner I often have raw meat juice on my hands, or am in the middle of cooking something on the stove that will burn if I leave it.  

There's also all the times he wanders into the kitchen when I'm not in there.  I'm not going to follow him around the house like a shadow just to keep him out of the trash can.

So I'm looking for more tangible suggestions...like the poster who suggested her trash can with a locking lid.   There's lots of other acceptable/unacceptable behaviours we're trying to teach right now.  I'll leave the trash can battle for later (when he's hopefully no longer interested in it).

MNgirl326

eh, our trash can has a built in lock- so we locked it when he was small.  It wasn't that big of a deal.  While it was locked we taught him how to throw things away and would go over with him, unlock it and he would throw things away. 

Really not that big of a deal.  He still learned that the garbage is yucky, how to throw things away,  even with a lock. We stopped locking it about a year ago, so when he turned 2.   

arcook0307

Chatterbug6917:

We have one from bed bath and beyond that locks.. Awesome for toddlers amd dogs

 

Same here!  It's awesome!  She also learned from someone that the garbage can (and toilets/diapers) are "Eww!"  lol  If she does go to play in the trash after I tell her no, she knows I'll pop her hand... 

arcook0307

Oh....and to address the previous person's comment asking if we keep it locked...the answer is no.  Only if there is something really bad in there (like raw chicken or something gross) will I lock it while I finish dinner and only if she seems obsessed with it....until I can take it out shortly afterwards.