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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

to be a nervous wreck and shaking like a leaf after locking myself out with baby in the house?

63 replies

peanutbutter38 · 03/05/2012 10:54

I thought I had my key in pocket. I was putting out an extra bin bag. Front door slammed shut behind me (draught from back door being open- no side access to this house whatsoever, so no way to get in via back door)- my 5 month old daughter was in the house. Beside myself with panic. Luckily had smartphone in pocket. Googled local locksmith. He said he'd be here in 15 mins. 45 minutes later, listening to dd cry all on her own in the lounge (could hear through letterbox)- utterly gut wrenchingly heartbreaking.
Luckily she's fine. (what if she'd been a toddler, shudder at the thought)
I'm not.

OP posts:
TheHouseOnTheCorner · 03/05/2012 10:56

YANBU. I would have busted the window probably. Can you keep a key with a neighbour? We have one buried under a certain bush n the back garden. quite deep.

WorraLiberty · 03/05/2012 10:57

Aww at least it had a happy ending Smile

Don't be hard on yourself...believe me you'll learn from this.

After this happened to my friend, I always put the door on the latch when putting the rubbish out. It's so ingrained into me that I still do it, even when the house is full of people Grin

Also, I've left a key with my neighbour and one with my Dad...even though he lives a fair distance away.

Original poster
peanutbutter38 · 03/05/2012 10:58

oh yes, I'll be leaving a key with our neighbour and also planting one outside somewhere (locksmith told me about a outdoor safe you can get from Homebase, can be hidden discreetly and has a pin code etc.) This WILL NOT happen again, thats for sure.

OP posts:
Original poster
peanutbutter38 · 03/05/2012 10:59

very thick double glazed windows, so couldn't do that. The fact that I could hear her (even though she was crying for me, bless her) was more reassuring than if she'd been silent, iykwim?

OP posts:
LondonKitty · 03/05/2012 11:00

Poor you! I know how sickening this feels as have done similar myself. We asked the neighbour to keep a spare key for us afterwards.

Also know someone who had to go into neighbours and climb over from their balcony to hers to get in!

IWantMyHatBack · 03/05/2012 11:00

Everybody does this at least once. DP did it with 3yo DS in the house, locked himself out when putting out the bins. Luckily there was a key in reach of DS Hmm so he got him to post it through the letterbox.

I keep meaning to bury a key somewhere near our house in case this happens again, hmm - must get around to that!

ripsishere · 03/05/2012 11:01

I think we've all done it.
My spare key is under a rock if anybody is interested.
The worst thing my DD did was lock herself in the bathroom. The doors had push in buttons and she found out she was able to operate it.
I was on my own in the flat, DH was at work and the maintainence man was downstairs in the garage.
I ended up kicking the bottom panel of the door in to get her out. I was frantic.
I also stuck the buttons in with superglue so she couldn't do it again.

peugotgringo · 03/05/2012 11:02

next time, god forbid, call the fire service, tell them you have accidently locked yourself out your child is alone and that you've also left something on the stove.
In fact you can do that regardless of whether you have a child inside or not, but don't tell anyone I told you that Smile

Pleased to hear all is well, you now deserve a nice glass of Wine and a Bun!

WorraLiberty · 03/05/2012 11:02

Yes, some of the outdoor safes are brilliant...they're disguised as ornamental pebbles and such like.

ebbandflow · 03/05/2012 11:17

My dd locked me out when she was two, at first she was laughing thinking it was a game-then quickly crying. I was distraught, the neighbour climbed over my back wall and luckily the back door was open. It feels so awful doesn't it?

littleducks · 03/05/2012 11:19

Hmm at call the firebrigade

My neighbour did this, I heard her toddler crying and her talking to him for about 45 mins, assumed he was having a tantrum. Turned out she was locked out and her school aged dd was asleep on sofa, she was takking to toddler through letterbox. She came and knocked in a panic when toddler stopped crying. We lent her a phone and her dh was nearly home, so was there in a few minutes. Kids were by then both asleep on sofa!

iphoned · 03/05/2012 11:19

Why would you lie about having something on the stove? Confused isn't having a baby locked in alone a good enough reason for the fire men to come around?!!

squeakytoy · 03/05/2012 11:20

Could you not have knocked at a neighbours and climbed over their fence to get into your garden though?

dawningrealisation · 03/05/2012 11:21

My DD loves the Alfie story in which he is locked in and mum is locked out. I can see her thinking what a great idea it is, every time we read it. Think I might get an extra key cut and hidden.

Must have been awful, OP. Poor you.

hardboiledpossum · 03/05/2012 11:22

A friend of mine locked herself out with her baby inside and called the fire brigade. She didn't even lie about a stove being on. They were absolutely fine about it and said it's more common than you think.

Sookeh · 03/05/2012 11:23

I did this when my 2 YO was tottering around, panicked and called the fire brigade who got me in and were very nice about it. I just panicked and didn't know to call a lock smith but it might have taken too long anyway.

I felt stupid and awful for days Sad

Original poster
peanutbutter38 · 03/05/2012 11:23

they weren't at home, (I knocked) and their gardens all have thick shrubbery around the fences, so it would have been tricky.
Might have saved me £70 to the locksmith though!

OP posts:
hardboiledpossum · 03/05/2012 11:24

squeakytoy Don't mot people keep their back door locked. I know I certainly do but maybe that's because I live in London.

Original poster
peanutbutter38 · 03/05/2012 11:24

am thinking it would've been more sensible and a lot faster and £70 cheaper if I'd phoned the fire brigade.
What can I say, I panicked!

OP posts:
marshmallowpies · 03/05/2012 11:24

I trapped myself in my bedroom on Christmas eve when door handle came off in my hand. (I lived alone at the time).

Trying to get a locksmith out on Xmas eve morning was a barrel of laughs but luckily I had the phone number of the caretaker of my block of flats, who found me one.

lucyellensmumnamechange · 03/05/2012 11:25

Oh, poor you - wasn't your fault - have a hug x(christ i sound like net mums person - im emotional today)

lisad123 · 03/05/2012 11:26

I did this with my three year old inside! Blush
The elderly lady next door had fallen so rushed out, and then called dd1 out to go and get neighbours son from inside their house (front door open) and neighbour from across the way ran over, I asked her to check in on my LO, and then she shut the door on way out saying "I assume you have a key"!Angry
Lucky for me dd2 can reach door handle and opened up for us!

startail · 03/05/2012 11:27

I've locked DD in the car, had to race back into the swimming pool to phone the police.
They got me to turn my back and open the door in seconds with no damage at all.

Doesn't say much for car locks.

DD1 must have been 2ish and I may well have been expecting DD2. Anyway she seemed to understand the problem and was totally sensible.

lucyellensmumnamechange · 03/05/2012 11:27

you did the riht thing peanutbutter - it would have been wrong to call the firebrigade unless you had genuine concerns for your DDs safety. The Firebrigade aren't there to save money on locksmiths

moonsquirter · 03/05/2012 11:42

I got stuck in a room when a door handle came off in my hand. Completely empty room (being renovated - literally nothing in it), no phone with me and very mobile 1yr old alone downstairs. I climbed out of the window, down the drainpipe, over the fence and went round to a neighbour who had a ladder and some tools who got back in through the upstairs open window and fixed the door. Eternally grateful doesn't begin to describe it!

Terrifying though, every time I looked up at that window after that, I shuddered to think what would have happened had I fallen or not managed to get help before DD injured herself.

I now never put the bins out (or indeed leave the house for any reason) without triple checking I have a set of keys in my pocket! Then DS(1) locked himself in a changing cubicle at the swimming pool. You can't win Wink