Lock on door?

[ThePants999]

I've seen many people say it would be horrendous to lock a toddler's door. But I've seen equally many people recommend putting a stair gate on the door. I'm feeling pretty stupid, as I don't see why there's any difference. They both prevent the child from getting out without parental assistance.

I've got an almost 2 year old who currently sleeps in his own room, in a cot, with the door closed, which he's fine with. I want to move him to a toddler bed, but he will absolutely get out, open the door and wreak havoc, so I need to prevent him from doing that. I can't fit a stair gate without removing the door, so what would be wrong with a bolt on the outside of the door?

Otherwise sound's like you just want to contain -lock- them in their room for convenience.

You might be surprised by them though.
My friends LO made no attempt to get off his cot bed once the sides where taken off.
He would lie or sit on the bed and call for them if he woke in the night and he was ready to get up in the morning.

I've got an almost 2 year old who currently sleeps in his own room, in a cot, with the door closed, which he's fine with. I want to move him to a toddler bed, but he will absolutely get out, open the door and wreak havoc, so I need to prevent him from doing that.

I think this is what bothers me. If he was genuinely fine with this set up then it wouldn’t matter whether there are bars on the cot or not - he would stay put because he’s in bed and he’s fine with his bedtime set up.

I think, given that you know when the cot bars are removed he will get up and wreak havoc, you probably know he is in fact not fine with the set up and actually he is simply resigned to it as he know he cannot change it.

If he was genuinely fine with this set up then it wouldn’t matter whether there are bars on the cot or not - he would stay put because he’s in bed and he’s fine with his bedtime set up.

Hahahahahahahahahagabahaha. Genuinely the funniest thing I've read in ages thanks @NotTakenUsername

👍

Can’t you just closer the doors to the other rooms? That’s what I do when I shower

I don't understand how looking the door will help transition from bed to cot? They need to understand they stay in bed and if he doesn't he will need your input, how does that work if your behind a locked door? Sounds like a right palaver. Much easier just to Supper Nanny the shit out of it for a couple of days.

The difference between a door and a stair gate is a stair gate just prohibits freedom of movement, a door inhibits his other senses too, like the difference between being trapped in a metal lift or a glass one.

I'd hate to be locked in a room so for that reason I wouldn't do it to my children.

I'm sorry but I would not contemplate locking my toddler in his room . I had a roaming toddler who would get up constantly at night , I just had to teach him that was not what was expected or acceptable, it was hard work but parenting is , he did learn and after a few months didn't get out of bed , I think locking the door is dangerous and a cop out tbh

Why can't you lock the doors to the rooms you are concerned he will "wreak havoc" in?

If there was an emergency then you can step over the stair gate where as a lock on a door can stick or get jammed. It's not just fires as outlined above, what if DS started to choke on something? Would be much easier for you to step over the stair gate than fanny on with a locked door.

My first DD was the same when she was a baby. She was fine with being in her cot. We would say goodnight and close the.door and she would go to sleep. In the morning she would happily lay in her cot singing until one of us went and got her.

She was 2y 8mths when she started sleeping in a bed. We didn't use a stair Gate or bolt the door and she was fine. Never tried to get up (unlike my DD#2 who is just over 2. She's a nightmare!)

I would leave your DS in the cot a little longer. He will be fine

I think a bolt is a fire hazard regardless of the many other reasons I wouldn't do it. At some point your child will roam the house regardless, make the house more child friendly and block off any areas where that's not possible. We used childproof strips for cupboards on a couple of doors to be sure she's safe at night but in the morning she comes storming out of her room and comes to see us, I wouldn't have it any other way.

Thanks, everyone, for your thoughts!

You may be interested in the outcome - which is that this was all academic anyway Confounding my expectations, DS took immediately to the toddler bed and hasn't once even climbed out of bed, let alone tried to leave the room! So we obviously haven't bothered putting anything on it at all. We just keep other doors closed, as suggested, as a precaution. Fingers crossed it continues this way!