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Original poster

Do your children (teens) sleep with the door open?

39 replies

maldivemoment · 16/08/2025 07:45

This has just occurred to me whilst lying here, pondering getting up. Our children have always slept with the door open. This stems from when they were little & needed to get up during the night; ease of access to toilet, etc.
However I’ve just realised that they still have their doors open now they are teens. A few times my daughter’s door has closed over & she’s asked me to open it fully before she goes to sleep.

is this the same in your household?

OP posts:
TeenToTwenties · 16/08/2025 07:48

DD , 20, likes the door part open.
It also helps with air circulation especially in the hot weather.

I prefer door shut to stop the light in the morning (our landing curtains don't have blackout whereas bedroom ones do.)

Vintagenow · 16/08/2025 07:52

Yes, open. Our cat likes the option of where to sleep and a shut door would have her waking us up!

Sanch1 · 16/08/2025 07:53

My 12 year old has just started shutting hers for the light as we have nightlight in the hall for the 4 year old. 9 year and 4 year old have theirs ajar but I think 9 year old will start shutting hers soon for same reason. We keep ours ajar for hearing the kids but I’d love to shut it!

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DesperatelySeekingHelp · 16/08/2025 07:54

19 year old door closed because she likes total darkness. 22 year old door open. Me and DH door open mostly so we can hear when 22 year old comes home !

ishimbob · 16/08/2025 07:55

We all have the doors closed and always have.

The kids have always liked it dark and quiet to sleep and the door doesn't help with that.

SamBeckettslastleap · 16/08/2025 07:57

They used to, but then I read on here about someone being saved from a house fire because the bedroom door was shut.

We now all sleep with doors closed.

Thissickbeat · 16/08/2025 07:58

No. But the house is small so I'm not far away and could always hear if they were sick or needed me.

DongDingBell · 16/08/2025 07:58

Kids and DH all shut bedroom doors.
I'd keep it open by preference, and do leave it ajar if DH is away - I prefer the air circulation.

TheBirdintheCave · 16/08/2025 07:59

We all sleep with the doors closed as per the recommendation from the fire service.

HotTiredDog · 16/08/2025 08:00

No. Keeps out the cat & the rest of the family!

devildeepbluesea · 16/08/2025 08:00

Before DD I liked it shut. Now I prefer to hear her - she’s 12 now! She sleeps with it open.

Ohmygodthepain · 16/08/2025 08:01

My son started shutting his at about 16, DD still keeps hers open at 19, mostly because the cat gets pissed off if he can't get to his favourite human. Mine is always open and I always have the window open too.

My family originate from East London and south Essex along the Thames. During WW2 my great uncle was trapped in his bedroom after a bomb was dropped nearby which shook their house and somehow caused the door frame to completely jam with him inside. He was only little and completely traumatized - everyone on that side of my family was a doors-open household since then!

Viot · 16/08/2025 08:01

All doors closed to keep the cat out. Sorry Cat.

RussianDoll76 · 16/08/2025 08:01

My 10yr old ds has his door open always my 15 yr old dd rarely . She doesn’t like cats jumping over her in the night 😂 also my dp isn’t her father so they’re both very mindful of each others privacy . They arethe same at her father’s house. Our door is never shut so they know I’m always just a shout away.

Chocolatecraving · 16/08/2025 08:02

Doors open here as it is boiling hot.

shellyleppard · 16/08/2025 08:04

Two teens who share a room. Always have the door open and landing light on. None of us can sleep otherwise 😵‍💫 plus the cats like to visit in the nihtx

Awrite · 16/08/2025 08:05

Doors shut. I (had) thought all teens loved their privacy.

catsand · 16/08/2025 08:05

Kids doors closed here for quiet and fire safety. Our door open for the cat!

theremaybeouting · 16/08/2025 08:07

seems a slight trend here… all doors must be open for cat purposes.

during day teen has closed door if in room and will just open if a cat yells at them.

fourelementary · 16/08/2025 08:08

16 shut. 12 (nearly 13!) open- until recently when he has been staying up late over hols online with his friends in some kind of battle that must be completed…so he shuts his door then or else he’d waken me up (this is only on the off night as it’s the summer hols!)

Im assuming it’s a bit of a privacy thing so I’m
expecting him to be more and more closed door before long…

Zanatdy · 16/08/2025 08:09

No my teens always shut their door (day or night).

Zezet · 16/08/2025 08:11

They have been shut since they were small. Pets would be in there immediately.

Holiday24 · 16/08/2025 08:17

We all have our doors closed, partly to keep the cat out (he loves to scratch things!) and partly to stop us waking the kids up in the evenings.

Drivingthevengabus · 16/08/2025 08:18

No absolutely not - but I'm married to a fire fighter so all our doors upstairs and down are closed at night!!

taxidriver · 16/08/2025 08:19

always closed all the doors, no question.

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