2.5 year old - techniques?

[lovemyryguy]

My son is just turning 2.5 years old.  For the most part, he's wonderful, and I would never complain.  I'm a big fan of using natural consequences and usually that works.  But I'm wondering what to use when there are no immediate natural consequences.  Our biggest issue right now is opening our front door, letting himself and the dog out.  Our front yard can be dangerous, but isn't right now because our front porch is surrounded by feet of snow.  So, right now he can't go anywhere, and neither can our dog.  But, come spring its going to be a big problem.  What can I do, aside from babyproofing, to keep him from opening the door?  As a last resort I sat him in a chair and told him to stay and he thought it was a game.  He asked Daddy to come sit with him to play.  I then told him he must sit while I count to ten, and he counted right along with me.  Ugh.  

[mnj77]

If you're telling him over and over and he's not listening, babyproofing might be your best option.  When DD was about that age, she decided it was really fun to climb up on the coffee table.  I don't know why it irritated me so much, since I'm pretty relaxed about things like that usually, but it just didn't seem right to let her climb all over the table.  It was turning into a power struggle with me getting her down and her getting up again, so eventually I just said "you know that climbing on the table isn't ok.  I'm going to leave the room because I don't want to watch you do something you know isn't ok."  That worked eventually.  I don't know if that will work for you though, since you probably don't want to leave him unattended with the door open :) 

[ssh]

2 year olds do not have any impulse control and many 3 year olds still don't. They make things you can put near the top of the door that will 'latch' it shut. They aren't very expensive and even if you rent most places don't mind you adding safety devices. It sounds like you are trying to do a type of time out or maybe time in. Tine outs don't work well with small children and can actually increase annoying behavior. Time ins do work because you are right with the child and can talk about the issue. With dangerous things like climbing on the table I just told my DD it was dangerous and took her down, if it continued I took away the chair she was using to climb and said something about we had to stay safe.

[Super~Single~Mama]

Honestly, with something like an outside door that can be actually dangerous, I would just give in and babyproof.  There are times when natural consequences work, and times when they don't (like when they bolt in parking lots - we're not going to wait and see if they get hit by a car!), this is a time that natural consequences don't work.

And, you'll probably be able to take it down pretty soon, b/c once the door doesn't open any longer, it won't be very much fun.

[Aridel]

I agree with everyone else that babyproofing is the way to go.  I would also practice when you're opening the door, talk through how Mommy opens and ds waits, and have him wait for you to open it.  Or wait till you say go, or something similar.  Basically, make it a habit that you open the door (or him, once you OK it, whatever you're comfortable with) so that he gets used to it, while talking through it so he hears what's going to happen.

[lovemyryguy]

Yeah, I babyproofed it.  He brought his step stool over to get a better look at what he was dealing with and decided he can't figure out how to open the door anymore.  Sometimes I forget he's still a baby really when he seems so grown up sometimes!  Thanks for the replies!