For the love of God somebody invent a toddler tamer!!!

[Squiff70]

My just-turned 3 year old (who has global development delay) is OBSESSED with opening and closing doors. We have two doors in our living room (one leading to the kitchen and the other the hall by the stairs). ALL she wants to do is open and close (slam) the fucking doors ALL DAMN DAY and it is driving me INSANE.

We've tried wedges. She takes the wedge out and carries on. Of course we have those U-shaped finger guards at the tops of the doors but she will stand there slamming it over and over, leading to 'bum, bum, bum, bum, bum...' as the guards stop the door closing as she reoeatedly rams it. At times we have to remove the guards to close the door properly to try and keep the heat in the room, isolate steam in the kitchen when cooking etc.

She has lovely toys and books. I rotate her toys very regularly to stimulate her. We do activities together. Playing with her dolls/toys, colouring, very quick and simple crafts and fun activities, lots of time and attention but it's not enough. It's the door slamming she wants.

We've tried distracting her, asking her to stop, saying no, positive reinforcement for the eight nanoseconds she can manage to stop for, and every other bloody thing we can think of.

Please tell me there's a product on the market to prevent small children doing this (besides a straightjacket). Right now I'd consider anything.

Use a latch on the top of the door and hook them to the wall in the open position

That might work until we need to close the doors.

Then you shut it and if the toddler can work the handle you wedge it shut at the top of the door. You end up with more work everytime you need to open of shut the door, but it saves your sanity for the 40 mins of door slamming potential in between.

Alternatively duct tape the toddler to the door (joking)

Oh we've been through this. I tried playhouses, a Melissa and Doug wooden board toy that has different latches for each door, cutting boxes into little houses with windows and doors, Lego sets with doors, books with door shaped lift the flaps. Nope. He just wanted to slam real, proper doors. Eventually he moved on but sometimes he will remember this little game and go back to it for a bit, oh joy. Fingers crossed your little one moves on to something else soon!

I would get her a toy with doors that is ok for her to open and close, or a small playhouse and tell her she can open and close that door but not the other ones.
And yes a bolt on the doors to keep them open/closed even just for a short while to break the habit

Nothing useful to add, but just solidarity. Our 2.5 year old has just grown tall enough to discover-and reach - light switches , it’s like a toddler nightclub.

Mine did that with oven grill door until it broke 🤯

I would just put a small slider bolt at a high level to keep it shut when I want it shut, and fit a hook to the wall to keep it open.

I’d bolt it too.

For DC 1 I used to wedge a tea towel in as I closed the door, up too where she couldn't reach it. Made it too hard for her to open. DC2 has just reached this same phase but we can't do it this time round because it stops DC1 from moving freely around the house.

anyone getting rid of a kitchen unit on Fb? Medicine cabinet might work too.

This too will pass. Then she'll be able to open the front door instead.