My 16 month old just locked me out the house

[GeorginaA]

Well that was an expensive lesson learned by all.

Popped my head out the front door to deposit a spider humanely outside, when ds2 decided it would be hilarious to push the door closed behind me. It's one of those self-locking front doors - worse, with the key in the lock on the other side, I couldn't just use a spare key to open up.

NomDePlume was a star, popping straight over (i had my mobile in my pocket fortunately) and when her coat hanger didn't result in an open door, went round to find a neighbour who was in who also gamely tried to open the door while we tried to calm a hysterical little boy through the letterbox and window.

dh came home, couldn't open it either - had now been about 40 minutes so had to call the locksmith. £100 and ten minutes later ds2 and I were reunited and he's not showing any signs of letting me go in the near future.

Moral of the story: always squish spiders, don't try and be humane.

[Lizzylou]

That is my worst fear!!!
Hope you are all ok after your ordeal....

[NomDePlume]

I did wonder why there was a glass on the path !!!!

[GeorginaA]

Bit shakey and ds2 is a bit clingy. Would have gone to pieces without NdP there though - she was a real star.

Can't believe I was so stupid Poor ds2 was so frightened and couldn't understand why I would only speak to him through the window or letterbox

[fuzzywuzzy]

no no moral of the story, take the keys with you when you go to humanely dispose of spiders.

If you lived near me I could've done the hanger trick, pretty good at breaking and entering me....just ask dp

[Springchicken]

Blimey, what a panick. I would've been a complete wreck.

Always squish spiders

[GeorginaA]

lol NdP - yes, it was a spider rescue glass!

[Pomi]

That is the reason I let the spiders play happily in my house.

[edam]

eek! Blimey, how scary is that. Hope the spider was suitably grateful.

[saadia]

Glad it's all sorted. I can totally understand your panic as a similar thing happened to me when ds1 was about 2.5.

I went in the garden to get some clothes off the line and slid the door shut as I didn't want ds to come out. He pressed the lock. Meanwhile ds2 (3mths old) was sleeping upstairs, it was summer, about 9pm and dh said he would be late back from work. Luckily the kitchen wondow was open so I somehow managed to crawl through it, but those split seconds of panic when I realised what had happened were terrifying.

[GeorginaA]

Horrible isn't it saadia

kama: not sure I'd recommend this one - was very expensive and had to take the lock out. We've called out one previously (yes, this is not the first time - but the other time we were all outside the door ) was very good as they had a gizmo to push the door handle down from the letterbox. They were Dynolock (or whoever Dynorod's locksmith arm is) and they were pretty speedy and efficient.

[GeorginaA]

He didn't have a very restful lunchtime nap Kept crying out in his sleep so think he's been having bad dreams about it

feels horribly guilty for putting him through the trauma

[cat82]

it wasn't your fault hun, don't feel guilty it was just an accident. No harm came of it (apart from financial!)

But god how scary for you {{{hugs}}}

xx

[SherlockLGJ]

I have purchased from Betterware one of those resin rocks, with a sliding base, in which you can hide a key in the garden.


It has been sitting on the counter in the kitchen ever since, you have just given me the kick up the bum I need to sort it out.

It is not unlike this one.

Istarted this post ages ago, I am in work, so apologies if I am going over old ground.

[GeorginaA]

What worries me about them though - is doesn't any burglar worth his or her salt check under rocks/plantpots first?

Wouldn't have helped me anyway - with the key in the lock on the other side, you couldn't get a spare in and turn it

[chipmonkey]

ds2 locked me, ds1 and himself out yesterday, with ds3 ( 8 months) still in the house. Luckily dh was still home but most days he would have left by that time. Must get spare key cut............

[GeorginaA]

Not a bad idea at all, Hausfrau!

[Twiglett]

how scary

I did this once when DS was a baby but luckily had left a window open, I'm sure that was a pretty sight .. my backside going through the window

Since then I have automatically put the door on the latch then even if it slams shut it never closes properly

I do it as a matter of course now .. it just takes a few months thinking about it first

hope it helps, far cheaper than new lock

[GeorginaA]

There's not really a latch on our front door - well sort of not. You push up the handle to make a bit stick out so it can't shut, but it's dead easy to knock it back down/have one of the kids grab it and shut it normally, so I don't think I'd like to rely on that.

I think I'm just going to have to make sure that to open the door I automatically take the keys out of the lock and put them in my pocket, no matter how short a time I'm out there for You're right about having to make a conscious decision to make a new habit.

I actually feel a bit tired and weepy now, and I was relatively okay at the time! Had time to think about it all now, I suppose ... all those "could haves" keep running through my head.

[mummyhill]

Happened to me when dd was 18 months old luckliy there is a large pane of glass in the door and my neighbour came round and broke it for me after we had ensured that dd was infront of telly far away from door. He then boarded it up for me. Scares the living daylights out of you though, glad you are all ok.