To leave my DC doors open at night?

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This is prompted by a thread I’ve just read where it talks about closing children’s bedrooms doors at night for fire safety; I get the reasons why it’s safer but does everyone do that and I’ve somehow missed that you’re supposed to?

Yes I do this.

Ours has always been closed at night - less light getting in, less noise getting in, fire safety, they can't wander off if they wake up (or sleep walk), no chance of the dogs getting in... I'm curious why you'd have them open?

I don't as they can't open the doors to get to us or the toilet in the night if needed.

I know you're supposed too and I make sure every other door is closed but my 8yo hates being in a room with the door closed so hers stays open.

I have always closed them, one of the few things I’m not relaxed about (family died in a fire on my estate as a child-we also keep keys by doors for this reason) but I’m definitely in the minority amongst friends and family.

Have often been called mean for my door shutting ways and as kids staying over always ask for door to be left open it can’t be that common.

Have always had the DCs doors open and ours - they were both rubbish sleepers (one still is at 11) so easier to hear them and get them settled ASAP. DS1 is nearly 13 and has only just started shutting his door

We all sleep with our doors open

My siblings and my doors were always left ajar when we were children. I've always closed my children's doors at night. I go in to check on them before bed and turn off their nightlights. They know to come to us or call out if they need us in the night.

Ours are closed. If they don't like it while they are going to sleep, we wait until they're asleep then close them and the kids accept it.

No, but then I really don't like closed doors generally (except toilet!)

Feels like being shut away from everyone and everything else. V isolating.

We do doors ajar.

Doors open in my house with a night light in the landing so they can get to the toilet or to me.

We have fire alarms everywhere. That would wake us up if there was a fire

We don't close any doors, dc are 6 and 8. If they get up in the night I dread to think what they'd do in a pitch black room, best case scenario is they climb in the wardrobe if our door was closed they'd be wandering off downstairs and watching tv at 2am! I'm sure it's a great idea if you are confident your children will sleep through, maybe we'll get there one day.

Our are all open; dc don't like it completely dark and I like to be able to hear them if they wake (in a very light sleeper)

We have all our doors open. There’s a stair gate (that they can open when awake enough) but will stop them falling down the stairs if still half asleep. They wouldn’t be able to open the door to come into us if there was a problem or they needed the loo in the night.

TBH our house is that small if there’s a fire, it’s all going to be on fire, doors shut or not.

@Scramblerr it never occurred to me to close them; my DD wouldn’t like it and she’s old enough that i stopped using a monitor but still calls out to me sometimes in the night and I don’t think I’d hear her if I closed the door.

I had never even thought about this until this post

We sleep with all the doors open. Closed door feels strange to me unless someone inside the room wants privacy!

I've aways done this. There is a reason that new builds have fire doors. They save lives. Smoke is what is likely to kill you and in just minutes so keeping the door shut will save your life.

No as is be more concerned about her falling against the door and us not being able to open, or her having a seizure and us not hearing. Downstairs doors are all closed though.

I was terrified of the dark as a child and always had my doors open so never even occurred to me not to leave doors ajar.

Now my DC's aren't babies but my room is on a different floor and I don't think I'd hear them through closed doors, and my youngest couldn't reach the handle... I also saw this recently about fire safety and am wondering what is the best thing to do.

We close ours. The children have very dim lights in their rooms so can see with them closed. We've always closed them though due to fire risk.

Closed. A regular door will keep out fire (not smoke) for 30 minutes, which could be life or death.

DD's is closed - stops light, noise and cats getting in.

DH and I sleep with ours open.

Closed. The extra time you save in a fire is the difference between your child surviving or not.

Closed! It's never occurred to me to do different.