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Can I put a lock on my kids bedroom?

8 replies

89Mumof3 · 05/07/2025 09:06

My 4 year old last night got out of her bedroom, went into our room and got hold of my sewing scissors and cut her curtains, her sisters quilt cover and her sisters hair (not much), her sister is 2 and was asleep through this.
I'm just wondering what I'm meant to do, I can't put a stair gate on her door without taking the door off and she climbs over gates anyway or bangs against them enough times they come off the wall. She throws all her clothes on the hall and off their hangers, I do have locks on the drawers but she's learnt how to take them off forceably so it breaks them.
I don't want to lock her in, but she gets in the bathroom and messes about in there with toothbrushes and whatever else she can get her hands on. If she sees something she wants she'll climb on anything to get it, she's tall in 6-7 or 7-8 clothes depending where we shop and she just doesn't seem to care when we tell her off.snd has the most almighty tantrums that you have to ignore otherwise she just gets louder as you feed into it. Time out spots don't seem to make much difference as she spends it screaming and banging on the walls or runs upstairs and stomps around.
She's lovely with her sister, really good at sharing and helpful in her own way. Really after some advice and support as I don't know what I'm meant to do and feeling like I'm making her out to be awful and she's really not. Just have moments when she loses control of her emotions. Thanks any advice would be much appreciated.

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Are your children’s vaccines up to date?
89Mumof3 · 05/07/2025 09:07

Boosting in the hope of advice. Thanks

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89Mumof3 · 05/07/2025 15:06

Boosting although thinking of putting hook and eyes on bedroom doors and bathroom so that their doors not locked but they can't get in anyone else's room unless they're in there if that makes sense.

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Namechange48432 · 06/07/2025 17:54

No, you can't lock them in. What if there was a fire? Where were you when she was doing all this? Could you put bells or something on the door so you can hear when she opens it? Hook and eye on the bathroom door sounds sensible.

YourGreyCat · 06/07/2025 19:37

Could try other consequences for these actions? Taking away favourite toys/TV time.

I think the bells are a very clever idea from previous poster

89Mumof3 · 07/07/2025 12:06

No I didn't really want to lock her in, that's why I came up with the hook and eye idea. This happened at night time once I'd put them to bed, she climbed over the stair gate and into our room she was quiet and I didn't hear her. I only noticed what she'd done when I was going to bed and did my last nightime check on them. Not sure where I'd put bells? The cats open the doors, I've moved everything out of the way, kind of hoping this was a one off, she seems to get these mischievous moments, not sure why. She's very honest about what she's done.
We take the TV off her and she's not allowed to play the one game I've got on my phone for her the next day.

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Chicagotransitauthority · 16/07/2025 13:52

lock her in. It’s not safe for a child to be wandering around the house with access to scissors/oven/kettle/etc

its well documented that small children hide in house fires. Their bodies are found under beds/in wardrobes. If she’s locked in then you/fire brigade know where to find her.

Sarah447 · 20/07/2025 12:12

It is legal in the UK to lock children in their bedroom although frowned upon but sometimes it is necessary, I have a severely autistic 7 year old who would be in a lot of danger if allowed to roam around the house unsupervised so I do lock him in at night. Social services, his school and other professionals are aware of it and although they'd prefer me not to theyre not calling the police or anything

89Mumof3 · 23/07/2025 14:53

Yeah we're just locking the upstairs bedrooms when no one is in them as it's safer that way. Didn't really want to lock her in she just gets funny ideas in her head and gets hold of stuff we don't want her having like her brother's VR headset or her dad's glasses cleaner spray. Thanks though.

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