midnight kitchen raids

[lil_miss_understood]

ds2 has taken to getting up in the middle of the night and destroying the kitchen. he pulls everything out of the cupboards, fridge and freezer, eats food he's not allowed to eat (bc they make him SICK ie coconut ice cream we keep in the house bc ds1 is dairy allergic but it gives ds2 a burn-rash for 4 days) and generally causes havoc. gates do NOT work anymore, even "doubled up"- he knows how to take them down. he has even got into my vitamins at one point.
i just dont know what to do anymore

[JessieBird]

No advice, I'm sorry. Juat a big OH MY GOODNESS.

[azdesertrn]

My only thought would be to put a baby monitor in the kitchen so you'd be able to hear him when he gets in there and help him back to bed.

And put the vitamins and any meds you have in a lock box.

Hopefully others will have good advice.

[AFWife]

I know it will sound a bit extreme...but have you thought about a padlock for your fridge and freezer? I mean, honestly, if he's eating things that HURT him...

[springmum]

There are door alarms that you can put on your/his door (does he sleep in your room or his own?), so you know when he gets out. I know you have other children, and it may wake them though

Otherwise locking the cupboards/fridge may be your last option - even just for locking at night until he's old enough to understand that he cannot do it.

That sounds really stressful

[wife&mommy]

My first thought was a door alarm, too. Good luck!

[lil_miss_understood]

Originally Posted by springmum

There are door alarms that you can put on your/his door (does he sleep in your room or his own?), so you know when he gets out. I know you have other children, and it may wake them though

Otherwise locking the cupboards/fridge may be your last option - even just for locking at night until he's old enough to understand that he cannot do it.

That sounds really stressful

Both. He sleeps in his own room most of the night then comes to sleep with us around 3 or 4am (which is when I'm guessing he runs his raid). He has recently dropped a nursing session around then so, upon thinking about it more, I'm wondering if telling him that I'll leave a snack for him in a certain place would nip this in the bud. He has a pretty high metabolism so I wouldn't find that incredibly surprising.
He has only ever looked at my supps and played mancala with them once () but yes, I know they need to be someplace he can't get them.
I was thinking a baby monitor in the kitchen as well, but my concern is that the noise from the monitor may wake up DS3, who sleeps in our room.

[ellairiesmom]

wow. and we were just complaining this mornin' about how dd1 comes into our bed at 3am & makes demands about pillows & blankets. i can't imagine her getting into the kitchen!!!

when i was 1st reading, i was thinking that maybe a snack & drink left out specifically for him would help. i am not sure how those locks for the fridge/freezer work so i can't speak to those.

it reminds me of one of my brothers...at 3/4 years old, he used to get up in the very early morning hours & let himself out of the house & walk down the road to the only other house at the time, whose children we all used to play with (it was the late 70's and our hometown was just building up a little). my mom tried everything & then my dad finally tied bungee cords all over the doors. god forbid we needed to get out quick.

that particular brother has an almost 4yo dd & almost 2 yo ds who are very mischievous. lol