The idea of putting a lock on the inside of a childs

gracendantho26 · February 2010

door so that they stay in their room for bedtime makes me sooooo freakin' claustrophobic. If my parents did that to me when I was little I probably would have had a mental breakdown.

Don't know if this is flameful...

soontobemomma · February 2010

I know my daughter would freak! I seriously think it would cause her harm.

Mominator · February 2010

I say to each his own. HOWEVER, I agree with you 100000000% in that it is not something that I could ever do because I myself am extremely clautrophobic and I freak out if my seatbelt locks up on me Big Smile

. Plus, I want my kids to know that they can come get me if they ever need me and not have to stand behind a locked door calling my name.

MelandJeff · February 2010

You mean on the outside? So the child cant get out?

gracendantho26 · February 2010

No. One on the inside so that they cannot open the door. Isn't that what peeps do to keep their little ones from opening the door?

Ooops now I went back and read it..I don't mean lock I mean one of those childproof handle deals.

brightning · February 2010

My DD is a flight risk, so that's why she is locked in her room. She figured out the babyproofing locks, so we had to turn her doorknob around and lock her in her room at night. She has been known to wake up in the middle of the night and wander the house - totally silently - and she knows how to unlock the front door. I would never forgive myself if she got out of our house when we were sleeping (even though we have an alarm on the front door).

I still use a video monitor in her room and come when she answers, so I hope that she doesn't feel "trapped" in her room. In fact, know that she knows her door is locked, she won't even get out of her bed until I come into her room. But it's just too scary for me, knowing she could get out, especially since my DH is not home most nights (work).

gracendantho26 · February 2010

brightning:

My DD is a flight risk, so that's why she is locked in her room. She figured out the babyproofing locks, so we had to turn her doorknob around and lock her in her room at night. She has been known to wake up in the middle of the night and wander the house - totally silently - and she knows how to unlock the front door. I would never forgive myself if she got out of our house when we were sleeping (even though we have an alarm on the front door).

I still use a video monitor in her room and come when she answers, so I hope that she doesn't feel "trapped" in her room. In fact, know that she knows her door is locked, she won't even get out of her bed until I come into her room. But it's just too scary for me, knowing she could get out, especially since my DH is not home most nights (work).

Oh my goodness! Well then she needs to be contained. I don't think I would be able to sleep knowing my kid could/would bolt at any time. Sounds like you've got a good system going!

summerbrideDC · February 2010

I cannot imagine. I suppose in Brightnings case it makes sense, if there's no way of securing the outside doors of the house.

But I would be so freaked out. if I realized my parents had locked me in my room. So freaked out.

KoriBrett · February 2010

and if there's a fire and the kid is trapped in there.... ??

We like our kids to be able to get to us if/when they need us.

mamarazzi · February 2010

We gate DS1

mamarazzi · February 2010

We gate DS1 in

mamarazzi · February 2010

We gate DS1 in his room. We've caught him before at 3 in the morning on the couch watching TV with a cup of milk. That isn't such a big deal -- but it's the fact that he could do that without us knowing that freaks us out. What else could he get into? And he can unlock the doors and knows how to open the garage. What if he went outside? (I really wouldn't put it past him since our daycare provider literally lives across the street and he LOVES it there.)

He'd lose his mind if we shut the door all the way on him and he couldn't open it. I don't blame parents who *have* to go that route (like brightning), but it's sort-of excessive/almost mean if there isn't a good reason for it.

~Kat~ · February 2010

We absolutely have to put a doorknob cover inside DS's room. He leaves his room in the middle of the night and gets into stuff if we don't. We tried to stop using it a few weeks ago, but he noticed it wasn't on the door and I found him hiding under the dining room table at 11:30 at night. I still use a baby monitor with him, so if he needs me he just talks into the monitor. I wish we didn't have to "lock" him in there, but it is for his own safety and our peace of mind.

Littlejen22 · February 2010

I use a gate on DS' room too but his room is across the hall from ours so if he opens the door it wakes me up but even if I did not wake up he is literally 3 or so feet from my room so he calls our names and we are too him within 5 seconds. DD is still in a crib and does not know how to open doorknobs but we really need to get a gate for her too, my reason for using the gates initially was b/c of the stairs and even with a gate at the top of the stairs DS can open the gate and I am super scared that he would try to walk down them in the middle of the night while it is dark and he is not totally awake and he could really hurt himself. And even though we have the child-proof covers on our front door, DS started opening the front door without the covers at 15mos so I am sure if he really wanted he could figure this out now and I cannot take that chance.

CleoKitty · February 2010

In the past we have put a baby gate at the end of the hallway so that dd didn't wander the house at night. She still had access to the bedroom area of the house, including our room, but couldn't wander out towards the living room, kitchen,.etc.

I'm not comfortable with locking a child in their room, even in the examples given. It doesn't seem safe and I'd have the same concerns as Kori. I used to work in group homes with children who were severely autistic that were major flight risks. There is no way that locking them in their room at night would ever be considered safe or even legal. What we do use frequently in my line of work are alarms that can be put on a door that sound loudly if the door is opened. Depending on the circumstances they can be put on bedroom doors or exterior doors (and sometimes both.) They're inexpensive, can be purchased at Radio Shack, and IMO are much safer in the event of an emergency.

firefightersgal · February 2010

The idea gives me the creeps. (I'm also claustrophobic). That, and the fire hazard. I'm completely paranoid about anything like that.

However, I have a child who, if she gets up in the night, comes right to our room. If I were seriously concerned about her hurting herself or going outside in the middle of the night, I'd have to reconsider.

CleoKitty · February 2010

Here. They're just $10 for a 2-pack:

https://www.radioshack.com/product/index.jsp?productId=3506458

hopefulmom · February 2010

I'm surprised at the people who say it is a fire hazzard/risk. Actually it is best if the door is closed and the child stays in the room (in case of fire). That (plus the sticker on the window) allows the firefighters to locate the child. We never locked our kids in but their door was always closed all the way (best in case of a fire anyway) and they knew to just open their window and pop the screen out and throw their blanket onto the bushes (if time) and go out that way. We have a ranch home. If we had a 2 story we'd have one of those ladders that hangs over the windowsill.

Scooter359 · February 2010

In certain situations, as with sleep walkers or something I can see how it would be okay. My parents would keep their bedroom door locked so if I needed something I would knock, even when they didnt I would knock cause I never liked just going in without permission.

BubblyToes · February 2010

~Kat~:
We absolutely have to put a doorknob cover inside DS's room. He leaves his room in the middle of the night and gets into stuff if we don't. We tried to stop using it a few weeks ago, but he noticed it wasn't on the door and I found him hiding under the dining room table at 11:30 at night. I still use a baby monitor with him, so if he needs me he just talks into the monitor. I wish we didn't have to "lock" him in there, but it is for his own safety and our peace of mind.

This, exactly.

stacynikki · February 2010

hopefulmom:
I'm surprised at the people who say it is a fire hazzard/risk. Actually it is best if the door is closed and the child stays in the room (in case of fire). That (plus the sticker on the window) allows the firefighters to locate the child. We never locked our kids in but their door was always closed all the way (best in case of a fire anyway) and they knew to just open their window and pop the screen out and throw their blanket onto the bushes (if time) and go out that way. We have a ranch home. If we had a 2 story we'd have one of those ladders that hangs over the windowsill.

This exactly. I can't stand sleeping with my door open. We've always closed DS's door as well. We don't lock him in but he calls for me if he needs me. If the house were on fire I would rather he be locked in his room then wondering around a burning house.

Brewster · February 2010

We have a gate on Noah's door, but then he sleeps with his big door open. With the gate, he stays in bed all night. Without it, he would never fall asleep. And he is physically capable of climbing over, but does not even attempt at night/nap for some reason. If we forget and leave it open, he is out of hsi room within 30 seconds of us leaving. He'll even say, "you leave the gate open, so I can sneak out?" Uh, nope.

goodheartedmommy · February 2010

I can see where Maile would need this down the road, but I can't see myself doing it (another extreme claustrophobic person here). We have an alarm system that would sound if an outside door opens (or window). In the case of a child who likes to escape the house, I'd probably put an extra deadbolt lock at the top of the door, out of his or her reach. Hard to say for sure, though, because my youngest is the child I can see being like this, so we're not there yet. Ethan and Bella get up before me some mornings, and it doesn't bother me, but they're way past the age or stage of getting into things.

happy_momma · February 2010

hopefulmom:
I'm surprised at the people who say it is a fire hazzard/risk. Actually it is best if the door is closed and the child stays in the room (in case of fire). That (plus the sticker on the window) allows the firefighters to locate the child.

This is actually my concern, too. Our house is set up with our bedroom upstairs and the kids downstairs (which I hate, but it is what it is - we are trying to sell it now), and I really worry about them trying to leave their bedrooms. I want them to stay put so we know exactly where we are and can get them. (If we can't get to them by going through the house, we can go out our window and then break their windows to get into their rooms from outside the house if need be.)

LittleMamaB · February 2010

My child destroys the house in the middle of the night if there is no door knob cover. I'm much more worried about him getting into something that can hurt him than I am about a fire.

suzymarie · February 2010

My friend woke up at 5am to the neighbor ringing her doorbell, with her 3 year old in tow. Her daughter got up and went outside, then couldn't get back in, adn the neighbor found her. Luckily it wasn't in the middle of winter.

A different friend woke up to her 3 year old with the stove on, eggs out, "making breakfast". Yah, he got locked in his room after that.

camrude · February 2010

We baby gated DD in her room until she was around 3. When DS is out of his crib, we'll do the same thing.

DandR · February 2010

I can't personally do it. But M. does get up and wonder a little...usually to my room, occasionally to his sisters' room. But I'm a super light sleeper, so I always hear him.

That said...I've been tempted to put one of those door knob covers on the OUTSIDE of the girls' room because M. keeps interrupting their sleep. The girls would still be able to get out of their room, but M. wouldn't be able to get in......that would limit his wondering to just into our room, which is fine.

And as far as the fire hazard thing...I get what people are saying, but its really not any different then if it was a newborn in a crib...no way they are getting out....and I can't say that I would expect my toddler to "know" what to do in a fire situation any more than a newborn, and my mother instinct would be doing every single thing possible to save them....so I don't really "get" the fire hazard thing.

shouldbworkin · February 2010

We did this with my DS and he was fine with it. It was much better for him than a gate (which he could knock down) and much better than him roaming the house in the middle of the night. He could open every door in the house and was very quiet about it. I had nightmares of him getting out of the house and freezing to death outside. I also felt it was safer in a fire. He was 2, would he really know what to do in a fire? Did I really need him wandering the house? I felt he was safer in his room where I knew I could get to him.

And, I really cannot imagine him feeling claustrophobic in his bedroom. It's not like he slept in a closet.

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