[~PurityLake~]

Do not open the front door and leave the house without mommy or daddy with you.

 

[Mama Mko]

I put a lock at the top of the door.

 

[Drummer's Wife]

I was going to say a lock, too. Like a chain one that can be easily installed and removed later on without damage to the door.

There are also chimes that you can stick on that require zero hardware--they have strong adhesive and can be usd for doors or windows.

 

[KittyDanger]

Lock it. Triple lock it. Lock at the WAYYYY top. I firmly believe that children should be allowed to "mess up" and "break the rules" on many occasions, but not in situations where they could put themselves in extreme danger...not to mention make their mama's nervous wrecks.

 

[BoringTales]

I use doorknob covers. When my oldest figured out how to stick his fingers inside them to open the door, I cut out little cardboard circles and put them inside the covers so he couldn't get his fingers in.

If any of them figure THAT out, we'll install some kind of lock near the top of the door. We live on a lake so its VERY important that they can't 'escape' without our knowledge.

 

[Drummer's Wife]

I'm actually thinking both the chime and lock may be a good idea. I just remembered my 2nd child would push a chair over to the door, unlock the sliding chain thing, move the chair, and escape! It doesn't take my kids long to figure stuff like that out.

We live in a much different area now, and going in and out the doors is not a big concern... however, I am very happy our security system includes a chime that sounds every time a door or window is open. It keeps me aware of the situation.

 

[Ironica]

Yep yep. This is totally not a rule you can rely on teaching; you have to physically enforce it, with hardware. Ours is in the form of a barrel bolt at 6' up on the door.

Until we got that installed, we put part of our ConfigureGate across the front porch steps with zip ties holding it to the railing. ;-)

 

[mommy2abigail]

We put a chain way up high when dd invited people IN our house while I was changing dd2!!!

 

[MCatLvrMom2A&X]

Hook and eye latch at the top of the screen door. Ours is metal and glass and I put a hole in the door for it easy enough. It wont hold up to hard pushing like if there was a fire the dept could get in no problem but kids cant get out until they are old enough to learn how to take the broom and unhook it

We also have a security system that I keep on almost all the time.

Better to be safe and make sure they cannot get out than rely on the fact they may or may not remember that rule.

 

[~PurityLake~]

The doorknob covers and locks have not worked.

I can hear it, so a chime isn't necessary. My house is very, very tiny.

It only happens when I'm sitting on the toilet and am otherwise indisposed.

Opportunistic, mechanically inclined, escape artists are what I'm working with here.

I was once fully naked when I intercepted Sophia on the outside porch.

ETA: The one with a problem following this rule is the 2.5 year old.

 

[Mama Mko]

Quote:

Originally Posted by ~Purity♥Lake~ The doorknob covers and locks have not worked. I can hear it, so a chime isn't necessary. My house is very, very tiny. It only happens when I'm sitting on the toilet and am otherwise indisposed. Opportunistic, mechanically inclined, escape artists are what I'm working with here. I was once fully naked when I intercepted Sophia on the outside porch. ETA: The one with a problem following this rule is the 2.5 year old.

What if you replace your lock with a lock that needs a key on both sides? That way you have the key in your pocket and your kids definitely can't open the door.

 

[Lisa1970]

I put hooks up high on the door to keep my children from being able to open it.

 

[~PurityLake~]

Quote:

Originally Posted by rebeccajo What if you replace your lock with a lock that needs a key on both sides? That way you have the key in your pocket and your kids definitely can't open the door.

it sounds like this would work, but I didn't know such locks existed. Would this replace the entire knob set? It would have to lock from both sides and I'd have to keep the key on me. Abigail has proven she knows how to use the bedroom door key.

Is this fairly expensive ($20+) because, as always, money for us is very lacking.

 

[biochick]

Quote:

Originally Posted by ~Purity♥Lake~ it sounds like this would work, but I didn't know such locks existed. Would this replace the entire knob set? It would have to lock from both sides and I'd have to keep the key on me. Abigail has proven she knows how to use the bedroom door key. Is this fairly expensive ($20+) because, as always, money for us is very lacking.

It wouldn't replace the entire knob set, you can just add a deadbolt that locks from both sides. We have one on our front door and the door to the garage.

https://www.hardwareworld.com/Double...t-pIRUATB.aspx

 

[Rosehip]

Quote:

Originally Posted by rebeccajo What if you replace your lock with a lock that needs a key on both sides? That way you have the key in your pocket and your kids definitely can't open the door.

The only issue here is fire safety. The key MUST stay at the door somehow. Tied to a string that is too high for the kids to reach or something, perhaps, but you simply can't count on every adult having the key in hand at all times in case you need to get out in an emergency. In dark, smokey conditions you can't be scrambling for your keychain.

My parents had a lock that was keyed on both sides. We left a key in the lock and never, I mean never, removed that key. I'm not sure they even sell these much anymore. I would say avoid this and go for one of the other types of solutions offered.

 

[snoopy5386]

Quote:

Originally Posted by ~Purity♥Lake~ it sounds like this would work, but I didn't know such locks existed. Would this replace the entire knob set? It would have to lock from both sides and I'd have to keep the key on me. Abigail has proven she knows how to use the bedroom door key. Is this fairly expensive ($20+) because, as always, money for us is very lacking.

You can get a deadbolt that requires a key on both sides. I am not sure about a knob lock.

 

[Jane]

If you visit the door + door knob section at home depot, there's a ton of options, from sliding locks (ala public bathrooms, old style) to chain locks (like NYC apartments on tv) to flip down things (especially for kid retention) to actual deadbolts (as mentioned above). There's definitely options under $5. You just mount everything on the top of the door, not the side. I've found www.ebay.com is the best place to get cheap hardware.

 

[~PurityLake~]

Quote:

Originally Posted by ToastyToes The only issue here is fire safety. The key MUST stay at the door somehow. Tied to a string that is too high for the kids to reach or something, perhaps, but you simply can't count on every adult having the key in hand at all times in case you need to get out in an emergency. In dark, smokey conditions you can't be scrambling for your keychain. My parents had a lock that was keyed on both sides. We left a key in the lock and never, I mean never, removed that key. I'm not sure they even sell these much anymore. I would say avoid this and go for one of the other types of solutions offered.

If it's not one thing making me worry, it's another. I hadn't even though of the possibility of a fire and having lost the key! And we live in a mobile home, so fire is a fear I have. I *could* break a window, but I just don't even like to think about such things because fire is a huge fear of mine.

 

[Ironica]

Hm... what about an oven lock? Like this: http://www.onestepahead.com/catalog/...mSource=Search

There's various types. Also search for refrigerator lock or appliance lock.

If you *really* can't find any means to physically secure the door, then you have to secure the child. You get a harness. You explain to Abigail (who is almost four, right?) that Mommy needs to keep her safe, and that means keeping her in the house when Mommy can't come outside with her. Since she can't follow that rule on her own, whenever Mommy needs to do something like go to the bathroom, Abigail puts on the harness, and Mommy keeps hold of her.

I'm serious. The *only* choices are to secure the door or secure the child. Kids will do their best to meet our expectations. When they don't, that means they can't. She's too little to be responsible for her safety in this way. She's telling you that in the clearest way possible.

It will probably only take a week or two of doing this before she says she's ready to not need the harness anymore... but have the talk about how if she tries to go AWOL again, then you'll keep doing the harness until YOU think she's ready to go without it.

 

[tsfairy]

We have a double deadbolt on our front door. We lock it from the inside, and keep the key up very high and out of sight. (ETA for fire safety it's on a hook on the closet door next to the front door.)

DS1 figured out recently how to hang from the doorknob to pop open the doorknob covers so those aren't even a possibility for us anymore.