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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

Help!!! DS locked in bedroom!!!

136 replies

HoofWankingSpangleCunt · 13/07/2019 17:04

Just posting in AIBU for traffic although an alternative thread title could be AIBU To Leave Him In There?

Seriously though I'm starting to panic as all my efforts have had no effect whatsoever.
The door has the handle missing from the outside. There is nothing within the space where levers etc should be but the handle is still screwed onto his side . However that handle is useless.
I've wiggled and waggled, flat screwdrivers, tiny knives . I've watched videos but they all either use specialist tools or have a different door handle design.
Please can anyone help me get him out of his room?
He wasn't supposed to shut the door but hey ho. He has and we're here.
The photo is of the space inside the door from my side, this is where the inner bolt thing of the door handle would go. And the door handle is on the other side of the door, naturally.

Help!!! DS locked in bedroom!!!
OP posts:
DoctorNicoleWatterson · 13/07/2019 18:13

The above shows a way using a paperclip.

RaptorInaPorkPieHat · 13/07/2019 18:13

could you slide a credit card (well, tesco club card) under the door for your DS to push the latch back?

MsMightyTitanAndHerTroubadours · 13/07/2019 18:13

what sort of door is it? Lots are not solid so it's more feasible to drill a hole and jigsaw out a square to get him out than it would be on a solid door

or if it is more solid with panels in then could you jemmy out the bits holding a panel in and winkle that out...looking at my doors I reckon an agile 11 year old would get through. Or failing that you could at least pass him through some supper!

I cannot wait for his "What I did in the School Holidays" story. :o :o ...I was locked in my room with my x box while mum shouted through the door at me.

LuckyLou7 · 13/07/2019 18:15

Is he still locked in? Or have you managed to get him out? If you live anywhere near me (LL30) let me know, I'll come and help free him.

suze108 · 13/07/2019 18:17

Have you got an axe?

mum11970 · 13/07/2019 18:21

Unfortunately if the handle is on on the other side of the door and doesn’t work I would assume the part that pulls back/down the open/close mechanism is broken. Does your son have something thin in his room he can use to slide between the door jam and the latch, to push the latch back?

RunningFeisty · 13/07/2019 18:21

Have you got the door open yet?

DontBiteTheBoobThatFeedsYou · 13/07/2019 18:22

This exact thing happened to me once and I used one of my little brothers dinosaur tails to get out.

PurpleCrazyHorse · 13/07/2019 18:26

Honestly, it really isn't a problem to call the fire brigade, they will be really happy to help a genuine problem. Having worked for an emergency service it's people calling because their pizza hasn't arrived or they've grazed their knee, that is way more annoying (although dealt with politely).

I locked myself out with 3yo DS alone in the house. The fire brigade were brilliant, climbed over our fence, climbed in an upstairs window (luckily I'd left it open) and opened the door from the inside. DS didn't even notice Grin I made sure to pop by the fire station later with copious amounts of food and drink for white watch (and made sure I gave a neighbour a spare key).

If you need to call them, please do.

stellarparallax · 13/07/2019 18:27

Call the fire brigade. It’s one of the things they're for.

GrabbyGertie · 13/07/2019 18:27

Why won’t you Ask you neighbors for help? I don’t know for sure I could fix it but I’d be reasonable confident. I bet one of your neighbours could help.

PancakeAndKeith · 13/07/2019 18:28

Make sure he’s away from the door and kick it in.

Is it your house or a rental? Might be hard to explain to the landlord!

Janleverton · 13/07/2019 18:29

I think you’ve tried an awful lots of ways to get in but there does come a point when, honestly, the fire brigade won’t mind coming out. Really and truly. As a pp said, they come out for cats. They’ll come out for a child. Of course they will deal with life or death emergencies first, but at least you’ll have a solution on the way when they are free.

RoomR0613 · 13/07/2019 18:30

PurpleCrazyHorse in that situation I would have called a locksmith not the fire brigade!?

actually I would have probably got my dad and a hammer

CCC1 · 13/07/2019 18:30

There may be a Facebook page for the area you live in. Our village has a very active one that gets people out of all sorts of scrapes from flooding houses with stuck stop taps, and taking someone with a broken down car to their first day at work, to lost pets and running people to hospital appts. I’d do a search on your area name and see what comes up.

Mammajay · 13/07/2019 18:32

The fire brigade aren't so busy most days and will come out to rescue a cat up a tree or hamster in a pipe. Just phone them and ask can they help. Where are you based?

CandleWithHair · 13/07/2019 18:33

Your home insurance might cover calling out a locksmith

ThePhoenixRises · 13/07/2019 18:33

Fire brigade will help

KitKat1985 · 13/07/2019 18:33

Last resort options I guess call an emergency locksmith or kick the door in?

JoxerGoesToStuttgart · 13/07/2019 18:33

This happened to my son when he was 3. Trapped in the bathroom. I had to hammer a hole in the door to climb through.

Redred2429 · 13/07/2019 18:34

If you have home emergency on your contents insurance they will come out free of charge

BamBamBam · 13/07/2019 18:40

Hope you've got him out now, this happened to me as a child - no idea what my dad did to get me out but afterwards I got a new door with a magnetic close rather than a standard latch, might be useful for you going forward if that door is a problem, I never got locked in again!

MatildaTheCat · 13/07/2019 18:41

Going forward, assuming the door isn’t destroyed, until you get the handle fixed, place a thick folded towel over the top of the door to prevent him closing it again.

Fuckedoffat48b · 13/07/2019 18:43

You can call the fire brigade. I did last week when I got stuck in the bathroom when the door handle came off, while my 8 month old was on his own in his room. DH was in another country and I had locked the front door and couldn't get the attention of anyone outside. They turned up just as I managed to prise my way out with a pair of pliers I found in there! They were pleased we were ok and removed the latch on the door while they were there so it didn't happen again! Fucking embarrassing but I don't plan on making a habit of it...

IncrediblySadToo · 13/07/2019 18:44

If you have pliers and a screw driver you’ll be able to open it with a bit of patience and brute force

If not ask a neighbour...

Definitely try the strip of plastic thing

Good luck

Think about what you can tell him to use if he needs to wee as I suspect that’ll be the next thing!

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