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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:
blackteaplease · 03/05/2012 11:44

I did this in a hotel when dd was 4 months old. Felt like the worst mother in the world but dd was fine.

Vixxen · 03/05/2012 11:45

This very nearly happened to me yesterday. I was setting up the pram outside and he was behind the door. Has started crawling/walking and loves to shut the door behind me if i go through one. Had left my bag inside and i heard the door click, luckily it didnt close properly.

I went through in my head what i would have done. Involved smashing a window in a protective maternal rage.

I can imagine how you were feeling. It was gut wrenching enough having it nearly happen to be honest.

peugotgringo · 03/05/2012 11:47

Sorry, wasn't really clear before. The fire service will always come to a house where anyone vunerable is locked in or out. They are there to rescue after all.

They may depends if you get a twat on the end of the line when you call however charge you for doing this, but if you tell them there is something in/on the oven, they won't charge you.

ZonkedOut · 03/05/2012 12:21

My boss's wife did this a few years back, I drove him home to open up (15 minutes drive, but he'd cycled in). She was distraught, but the baby slept through it all, thankfully.

I'm ultra paranoid and used to always take my keys with me when I went out, and hence have never locked myself out.

My MIL locked us out once, by taking the door off the latch and closing it out of habit when everyone was outside when I was 8 months pregnant and burst into tears. Fortunately we'd very unusually left a bathroom window open which my husband was able to climb up to and through.

Now we live in a house without that sort of lock anyway so I don't need to worry.

Original poster
peanutbutter38 · 03/05/2012 12:30

your stories have made me feel better. Glad I'm not the only one.
Zonked, I'm usually ultra paranoid too. Almost to the point of OCD with keys and the fear of being locked out. Unfortunately not this morning!

OP posts:
dubbada · 03/05/2012 13:00

key safes are available at b&q etc so you can leave a key there and just remember a number they attatch to the wall very secure,

My ds has done this once but the dog has jumped and hit the latch several times, always when im inappropriately dressed aswell!

valiumredhead · 03/05/2012 13:02

We have a key safe but dh has forgotten the code Hmm does anyone know how you can re set it, if you can even?

valiumredhead · 03/05/2012 13:03

Sorry OP, glad all is well now! Grin

faintpinkline · 03/05/2012 13:13

YANBU I had exactly the same happen to me when DD was about 3 months - just like you popped out with a bin bag and heard door slam behind me DD was fast asleep in the pram in the hall but the noise of the door woke her up. Luckily it was summer so my rather more athletic neighbour was able to climb through open window but it was an awful 15 minutes and like you I was shaking horribly when I got back inside.

Give your baby a lovely big cuddle

CreepyWeeBrackets · 03/05/2012 13:22

When I have put the door on the latch "to be safe" the wind has caught it and it has jammed into the lock as it slammed, effectively sealing the front door completely so my keys don't work. A locksmith has had to come and replace the whole thing.

This has happened twice. Luckily I smoke so always have the back door unlocked.

Good idea about burying the key!

oldraver · 03/05/2012 13:28

I did this once running out to catch a postman who had knocked and ran.....DS was a toddler and I did try getting him to take the key out of the door but he couldn't manage it... A neighbour did offer to climb in through an upstairs window but I knew DS1 would be off his driving lesson soon

I remember watching DS2 walk around the hall with an already sodden nappy getting bigger and sagging down Grin

skybluepearl · 03/05/2012 13:30

It's the law of motherhood. You have to make a boob like this. Yes, learn ffrom it but be kind to yourself too.

Byecklove · 03/05/2012 13:30

Yep we have a key safe and I'd never be without one now - used it this morning (forgot to take keys in hurry to get to school). Sorry, I don't know how to reset them though.

When DS1 was 2.5 and DS2 was about six months, I loaded them into the car and then walked around to my side. In that time, the doors locked. With the keys on my seat! Luckily managed to talk DS1 through undoing his seatbelt (something I've never taught him) and pressing the car key button. Took a while but he managed and still talks about the time he saved the bacon. Soo scary. Then went to waitrose last week and saw a lady standing outside her car (same
make as ours) with her 14month old strapped in car sear, who'd cried so much she'd gone to sleep. She was waiting for the garage people to come. Taught me a lesson!

HokeyCokeyPigInaPokey · 03/05/2012 13:39

I did exactly the same thing, put the bin out and nearly died as i heard the door slam shut. DD2 was inside and about 3 months old at the time.

Luckily our next door neighbour was in and our backdoor was open. I never realised i had the abilty to scale a 5ft+ fence so quickly!

I felt awful, it has never happened again.

Moominsarescary · 03/05/2012 14:07

I phoned the firebrigade when ds2 somehow managed to lock himself in his bedroom. Somehow the door had warped and I couldn't get it off it's hinges. They were realy nice and did a walk around to check fire safety and they put up some better smoke alarms while they were there.

pinkpinkeverywhere · 03/05/2012 14:34

I too have been stuck outside while my 2 year old was inside but the difference is she locked me out! I popped out to the garage through a back door and she thought it amusing to shut the door and turn the key. I was 6 months pregnant and in my pyjamas and no amount of persuasion would convince her to turn the key again. I had to open the main garage door, run across the street and ask a neighbour to use the phone to ring my husband who had just left for work. I didn't know his mobile number so had to wait for him to get to work before he could turn round and come back. When we got in she was still giggling.....

issimma · 03/05/2012 14:39

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

flamingtoaster · 03/05/2012 14:47

It's so easily done, peanutbutter38. I understand how you feel! Our back door slammed when I was putting out washing when DS was about five months old. He was in his carrycot. I climbed over the fence into my neighbour's garden to ask to borrow a ladder because an upstairs window was open. Luckily her son was at home so he climbed in for me. Always made sure of keys in my pocket even if just going in the garden for a few seconds after that!

IWantMyHatBack · 03/05/2012 14:53

Reminds me of clip from Friends Grin

Ramekin · 03/05/2012 15:10

Creepyweebrackets the exact same thing happened to me when I put the door on the latch, the wind caught it and slammed it shut. 2yo DD was inside.
I didn't realise what had happened at first, and spent lots of time giving measured instructions through the letterbox to DD to get her to find my handbag, bring it to the hall, open it, find my keys, hand them to me through the letterbox. Then of course I found that the door was on the latch and so the key was unable to turn. So then I tried to get her to find her step stool, climb up and unlock the front window for me to climb in, but the handle of the window was too stiff for her.
So in the end we had to just wait nearly 45 minutes for DH to get home from work, climb over the back fence, unlock the back door and get in. Luckily DD was totally unfazed by the whole thing. I felt like a total idiot though.

farewellfigure · 03/05/2012 15:25

My mum did it to me when I was a baby. She was drying me on the kitchen table after a bath (40 yrs ago...baby bath in kitchen...warmest room in the house) and saw a rash. She ran over the road to fetch her mum and the door slammed. So I was left naked on a table! Brilliant.

I did it to my own toddler a few years ago. He was in the high chair eating his tea. It was a bad bad feeling. If he was ever going to choke on a not-cut-up grape it was at that moment. I had to wait for DH to come home...20 minutes of making 'be happy' faces through the kitchen window. Sob.

I feel for you. You did the right thing.

NCIS · 03/05/2012 15:31

I did this leaving my DD in her car seat on my parents sofa. She was perfectly happy with my dog and my parents dog to watch and she had her face well washed by them which she found very exciting, good thing she was strapped in!
I, however was a nervous wreck and had to get my parents next door neighbour to get in through a small window which we'd left open at the back.

BoboksAndCot · 03/05/2012 15:37

I've done this too, same thing putting something in the bin, DD standing in the doorway and the door slammed shut. What's even worse was that meant she was then left alone in the kitchen with the dog (a very placid and loving dog, but still, a dog!)

I had to run to the neighbour's house and ring DH at work. Thank god he only works down the road!

Lots of sympathy OP, you'll forgive yourself eventually!

SucksToBeMe · 03/05/2012 15:46

I've locked my DS in the car TWICE!

Piccalilli2 · 03/05/2012 15:58

I did it when dd1 was 18 months. Steps up to front door so put dd1 and handbag into the hall, turned round to fold up buggy and she slammed the door. No keys, no phone. I tried ringing my mum who has a spare key from next door but she was out. In the end me and next door neighbour kept dd1 occupied by pulling faces at her through the window whilst next door neighbour's dh kicked the door in. He's a black belt, it would have been very cool if I hadn't been so scared.
Next door neighbours now have a key.