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O.k to lock toddlers bedroom door?

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  • 16-10-2018 7:16pm
    #1
    J6P
    Registered Users Posts: 277 ✭✭


    Hi,

    Just a quick question to find out what people's thoughts are on this.

    Our almost 2 year old was climbing out of her cot so we have transitioned to her first bed.

    My problem is now she can get out onto the landing when we are asleep and I'm worried she might climb the stair gate.

    Do people consider it o.k to lock her bedroom door in this situation?


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    #2
    Foweva Awone
    Registered Users Posts: 1,740 ✭✭✭Foweva Awone


    Doesn't sit well with me at all! :/ Could cost precious seconds for you or for emergency services in a worst-case situation.

    How about hanging wind chimes against the door so that she can't get out without waking ye?


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    #3
    hairyslug
    Registered Users Posts: 2,589 ✭✭✭hairyslug


    Have you tried a tall gate, granted they are usually used for pets but it stopped our youngest climbing over. They are a little over 1m, can be got in Argos.


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    #4
    iamwhoiam
    Registered Users Posts: 16,072 ✭✭✭✭iamwhoiam


    I definitely would never lock a child into any room . Its too dangerous in a fire for example . Could you put a stair gate across her bedroom door ?


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    #5
    kieran.
    Registered Users Posts: 1,174 ✭✭✭kieran.


    Never lock a bedroom door... what happens if the child is the only person woken by the flames or smoke and can't get out to raise the alarm or there is a fire and you can't get the door unlocked for some reason.

    DON'T DO IT.


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    #6
    Spook_ie
    Registered Users Posts: 10,896 ✭✭✭✭Spook_ie


    iamwhoiam wrote: »
    I definitely would never lock a child into any room . Its too dangerous in a fire for example . Could you put a stair gate across her bedroom door ?


    Did this ourselves and a stairgate, BTW don't forget a stairgate at the bottom for daytime if you don't want to look up one day and find the precious little ****** climbing the top one after losing sight of them for 5 nano seconds


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    #7
    ct5amr2ig1nfhp
    Closed Accounts Posts: 5,019 ✭✭✭ct5amr2ig1nfhp


    Do not lock your toddler into her room at night. Have you totally lost your marbles? Find another solution.

    Try a beam sensor that alarms if triggered. I.e someone walks past it.


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    #8
    wexie
    Closed Accounts Posts: 7,480 ✭✭✭wexie


    I think aside from all the comments here regarding fire and emergencies it's just a bad idea, it wouldn't actually change any behaviours, it'd just hide them from you.

    You could end up in a situation where she spends hours every night just puttering around in her room playing.

    She'd be safe I guess, but not well minded.

    Don't get me wrong parenting is hard bloody work, but in this case I think you'd be better off trying to adjust the behaviour than just locking her in her room.

    The alternative could be one of those sleeping bags or duvets you can zip to the bed, usually for stopping them from falling out of the bed?


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    #9
    goat2
    Registered Users Posts: 4,939 ✭✭✭goat2


    How would you like it if someone locked your door and you did not have access to the key to open it,
    it is dangerous, disturbing, and neglectful, at two could you not have the child in your room, with a child gate to stop them getting out,

    still a baby


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    #10
    uck51js9zml2yt
    Closed Accounts Posts: 18,268 ✭✭✭✭uck51js9zml2yt


    We used a stair gate on the door frame


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    #11
    siblers
    Registered Users Posts: 12,355 ✭✭✭✭siblers


    goat2 wrote: »
    How would you like it if someone locked your door and you did not have access to the key to open it,
    it is dangerous, disturbing, and neglectful, at two could you not have the child in your room, with a child gate to stop them getting out,

    still a baby

    A 2 year old should most definitely not be sleeping in the same room as their parent. The op is only looking for advice, don't be so judgemental


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    #12
    goat2
    Registered Users Posts: 4,939 ✭✭✭goat2


    siblers wrote: »
    A 2 year old should most definitely not be sleeping in the same room as their parent. The op is only looking for advice, don't be so judgemental

    To even think of locking a door, frightens me, a mother also


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    #13
    Cockadoodledoo
    Registered Users Posts: 245 ✭✭Cockadoodledoo


    I just had a flashback to the time I got locked into the bathroom and I completely freaked out! Yeah definitely not something I would do

    You can get little buzzers for the door that will ring when it’s opened.


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    #14
    drunkmonkey
    Registered Users Posts: 28,097 ✭✭✭✭drunkmonkey


    A 2yr old won't jump a stair gate and it'll hurt itself if it does and won't do it again. We use them but open them when we're going to bed in case they need us during the night. After a while they don't bother trying to get out, like the horse and the chair.


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    #15
    Sleeper12
    Registered Users Posts: 16,875 ✭✭✭✭Sleeper12


    You should never lock a bedroom door. In the case of a fire the lock may not open due to the heat. The metal in the lock can expand.

    If unsure ring your local fire station & they'll tell you quick enough


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    #16
    shesty
    Moderators, Recreation & Hobbies Moderators, Social & Fun Moderators, Society & Culture Moderators Posts: 6,893 Mod ✭✭✭✭shesty


    Stairgate on the door.Stairgate on the stairs.Groclock with a "dont get out of your bed until the sun comes up" rule.
    Would she even sleep in a completely dark room?We close the door 80% over on our two year old but she is beginning to say she doesn't like the dark.Our four year old wants the door wide open the last year.
    No way would I lock a child in.


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    #17
    m5ex9oqjawdg2i
    Closed Accounts Posts: 11,221 ✭✭✭✭m5ex9oqjawdg2i


    siblers wrote: »
    A 2 year old should most definitely not be sleeping in the same room as their parent. The op is only looking for advice, don't be so judgemental

    A 2 year old should be sleeping wherever the parents think is best for the 2 year old to sleep, in the parents room/bed or on their own ;)

    As others have said, a stair gate is your best bet OP. I know you mean well, but I wouldn't be happy locking the door.


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    #18
    decky1
    Registered Users Posts: 975 ✭✭✭decky1


    siblers wrote: »
    A 2 year old should most definitely not be sleeping in the same room as their parent. The op is only looking for advice, don't be so judgemental

    why not? Im a grandparent now but when mine were small i'd let them sleep anywhere if the result was i got a night's sleep.:D


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    #19
    J6P
    Registered Users Posts: 277 ✭✭J6P


    :o Looks like it'll be an extra tall gate on the bedroom door so..


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    #20
    ANXIOUS
    Registered Users Posts: 3,095 ✭✭✭ANXIOUS


    Are we talking closing a door or locking a door?


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    #21
    drunkmonkey
    Registered Users Posts: 28,097 ✭✭✭✭drunkmonkey


    shesty wrote: »
    Stairgate on the door.Stairgate on the stairs.Groclock with a "dont get out of your bed until the sun comes up" rule.
    Would she even sleep in a completely dark room?We close the door 80% over on our two year old but she is beginning to say she doesn't like the dark.Our four year old wants the door wide open the last year.
    No way would I lock a child in.

    Our lads like their doors closed and usually close it themselves after a few minutes of a rant at the stairgate, just on the dark thing, neither of them will sleep with the light off, one of them you can turn off his light and if he wakes up during the night it doesn't bother him, the other guy if he wakes up in the night and his light is off he'll go ballistic. Neither of them mind sleeping in our room with the light off.
    I'd like them both to sleep with the light off as I reckon they don't get proper sleep with any light on, any ideas to get them to like the dark at night.


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    #22
    Teyla Emmagan
    Registered Users Posts: 5,641 ✭✭✭Teyla Emmagan


    My parents used to lock me into my room.

    It still gets brought up (not by them, obviously).


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    #23
    Sleeper12
    Registered Users Posts: 16,875 ✭✭✭✭Sleeper12


    drunkmonkey wrote:
    Our lads like their doors closed and usually close it themselves after a few minutes of a rant at the stairgate, just on the dark thing, neither of them will sleep with the light off, one of them you can turn off his light and if he wakes up during the night it doesn't bother him, the other guy if he wakes up in the night and his light is off he'll go ballistic. Neither of them mind sleeping in our room with the light off. I'd like them both to sleep with the light off as I reckon they don't get proper sleep with any light on, any ideas to get them to like the dark at night.

    Are you talking about lamps when you say light? If so you can put in darker bulbs every few weeks without them noticing. After a few months they will end up with little more than night lights.

    Never tried this myself but think it might be worth a try. I remember as a kid being afraid in the dark. I wouldn't force it on any child. You seem to have the right attitude imo


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    #24
    Manitoban
    Registered Users Posts: 126 ✭✭Manitoban


    I have been having the same issue with my just turned 2 yr old. She could hop out of the cot in seconds so put her in a bed, disaster trying to keep her in it, she could also hop across the stair gate on the bedroom door, even when I raised it up higher. Anyway I put the cot back together and put her in one of the gro bag sleeping bags, she can no longer get the leg over the cot so can’t get out! Now she has worked out how to slither her way out of the sleeping bag but I can see her on the video monitor and intervene before she gets it off. I also put the sleeping bag on backwards so she can’t unzip it. Might be worth a try, even to keep your toddler in the bed.


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    #25
    J6P
    Registered Users Posts: 277 ✭✭J6P


    ANXIOUS wrote: »
    Are we talking closing a door or locking a door?

    I was considering locking the door as a temporary fix to prevent her roaming around upstairs while we were asleep.

    She hasn't done this yet but is only in a bed since the weekend.

    She'd most likely be straight into our bedroom if she did roam but as she was scaling out of the cot with ease i am fearful she might try to climb over the stair gate/down the stairs.


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    #26
    cruais
    Registered Users Posts: 1,559 ✭✭✭cruais


    So dangerous. I get your concerns 're your little one wandering during the night, however there are much better options.

    Our own little fella is a bit of a monkey but he is calming down thankfully. We put a regular child gate across his door when he was 2. It's gone now as he is 3 and comes into us first thing in the mornings.

    At the top of our stairs we put an extra tall child gate. I got it in Argos. He has never attempted to climb it thankfully. Yes my up stairs is like mountjoy prison but I don't care


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    #27
    wexie
    Closed Accounts Posts: 7,480 ✭✭✭wexie


    Manitoban wrote: »
    Anyway I put the cot back together and put her in one of the gro bag sleeping bags

    Amazing how quickly they learn to get up and walk in them. Even run, cutest thing ever to see a munchkin like that run around like Maggie Simpson.

    Frustrating as hell, but cute :D


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    #28
    Ghekko
    Closed Accounts Posts: 942 ✭✭✭Ghekko


    drunkmonkey wrote: »
    Our lads like their doors closed and usually close it themselves after a few minutes of a rant at the stairgate, just on the dark thing, neither of them will sleep with the light off, one of them you can turn off his light and if he wakes up during the night it doesn't bother him, the other guy if he wakes up in the night and his light is off he'll go ballistic. Neither of them mind sleeping in our room with the light off.
    I'd like them both to sleep with the light off as I reckon they don't get proper sleep with any light on, any ideas to get them to like the dark at night.

    Use a night light but please don't leave your child in the dark if he doesn't like it. I'd go ballistic and I'm in my 40's. I've had many a panic attack waking in darkness and not being able to find my bearings. We have a street light outside our house and that's sufficient, however if we stay with our relatives in the countryside I have to have the landing light on and the door ajar.


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    #29
    Kintarō Hattori
    Registered Users Posts: 14,964 ✭✭✭✭Kintarō Hattori


    J6P wrote: »
    I was considering locking the door as a temporary fix to prevent her roaming around upstairs while we were asleep.

    She hasn't done this yet but is only in a bed since the weekend.

    She'd most likely be straight into our bedroom if she did roam but as she was scaling out of the cot with ease i am fearful she might try to climb over the stair gate/down the stairs.

    I used to that, I remember it as clear as day. Cot was in my parents room and I used to wake up before them, climb out of the cot, open the stairgate (it was really basic, think the 1970s) and head down the stairs to watch some television.

    To add my 2c though, yeah locking their door is a terrible idea. Lots of good suggestions already mentioned.


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    #30
    Neyite
    Administrators, Politics Moderators, Society & Culture Moderators Posts: 25,947 Admin ✭✭✭✭✭Neyite


    Stairgate at the top of the stairs is probably what I would do. And teach her about the importance of going into your room first to find you if she gets up and to never go downstairs without one of you. She's two so will be well able to abide by that rule.

    If she needs to come into you for whatever reason you want her to be able to do that. When we were very young my sister woke me in the middle of the night as she had an asthma attack and was struggling to breathe. There's no way she could have called out for help, but she could get out of bed and shake me awake to get the parents. It was so quiet that I didn't hear her until she woke me. If she had been alone in a locked room she was screwed.

    Then there's the very obvious hazard in an emergency.


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    #31
    goat2
    Registered Users Posts: 4,939 ✭✭✭goat2


    siblers wrote: »
    A 2 year old should most definitely not be sleeping in the same room as their parent. The op is only looking for advice, don't be so judgemental

    Nothing wrong with it, all mine were in mine until age 3, they are not in any effected by it,

    Locking a baby in a room, wow


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