How do I go about fitting a buzzer/alarm to a gate?

[MeAndMySpoon]

DS2 is ASD (2.5) and already an escapologist. We learnt the hard way that he could climb through the wooden 5 bar gate at the bottom of the garden (he made it onto the road that time, having run down the lane at the back) and we chicken-wired the gate to stop this happening again, and hung a pipe beneath the gate. There are 3, 4 and 5 foot fences round the garden and we replaceor repair panels as they need it. At the same time, I put a bolt on the front gate on the outside of it IYSWIM, which he can't reach from his side. He loves being outside and normally we're in and out of the house, all gates closed, with hiim.
Despite this, he managed to escape from the garden again this weekend, front gate this time. The postman hadn't bolted it and DH hadn't checked to make sure it was bolted. He made it to the road again. In less than 2 mins, which is what Dh said it took to realise he wasn't still playing by fhe car, run round the garden checking his usual haunts and then make the discovery that the sodding bolt was off.
I'm at my wits'end basically. His escapist potential terrifies me and I've spent a fair bit of time crying this morning because sooner or later, one of us will screw up and DS2 will get out again and end up killing or injuring himself. The river is at the bottom of a meadow that is basically just outside the garden gate. And to think, when we moved here, we did so for the garden and the great outdoors, and how nice it'd be for the boys.

I want to fit something to the gates that will sound a buzzer in the house when they're opened. Not a burglar alarm, just a buzz so I can check it was just the postman or whatever. Haven't a clue where to start looking.
Neither DH nor I are negligent, and we're so new to this all, but can see we have to up our game. Escaping is just DS2's Thing.

Oh ffs. As a sidebar to this, while I was typing this, not 5 yards from him, he had done stealth poo in nappy and was smearing it over his top. He had his back to me, and my nose is blocked atm. And when we got upstairs, I realised we'd just run out of nappy wipes...

Where's the gin? :-)

We had a similar problem a couple of years ago and fitted a spring that automatically shut the gate and a latch on the outside that Ds couldn't reach. He has never escaped from the garden since (the front door is another matter!) we got the gate spring from b and q and I struggle to get through the gate!

Thanks, will try diy section. I suspect eventually we'll need a burglar alarm if he keeps this up!

Does he see an OT? They can set up an in-home appointment to go over things that can be adapted for the home (including the garden) to make things safer for him. And they can help get funding to help pay for it as well - ours organised a grant through the council to put some safer fencing in our rear garden.

It never hurts to have a quick word with your postman and mention the situation to alert them to close the gate, as well as posting a sign on the gate requesting the gate be closed securely for child safety reasons. The other consideration would be to find a lockable post box that you could secure by your gate so the postman won't have to open it at all.

See? We're all for brainstorming, eh?

I have a 6yo that is channelling Houdini regularly - it only gets more challenging as they get older (sorry, you probably didn't want to hear that!) as then they can reach things better!

And oh god, the poo smears. DS2 literally PAINTED his room with it one night (okay, more than one night!). I sat down and cried when I saw it... just couldn't believe it. Let's just say we went through a LOT of disinfectant until we figured out a way to stop it (footy pyjamas backwards so the zip was in the back and he couldn't reach it to take it off or reach the poo! he mainly did it at night).

We cannot let DS2 loose in the front garden - too easy to escape. He is only allowed loose in the back garden, and then he is closely supervised. It's safe, unless he decides to pull the patio table next to the fence and try to climb on it or pulls the table near the small shed and wants to climb on that. The key for DS2 is to keep him distracted and busy so he WANTS to stay in the garden - bubbles, slide, trampoline. And the knowledge that when he plays nicely, he gets a green card, which means extra minutes on the tablet playing a game later. If he doesn't play nicely, it's a yellow card and less minutes.

I know someone posted not too long ago about buzzers/alarms that went off if someone crossed them, which I imagine you could post on gates. I would check DIY security online to see if you can find anything - hopefully they will post on here if they see your post.

Hello, have you considered applying for a Disabled Facilities Grant? I think that it may cover things like making the garden safe and as it is for a child it is not means tested. As part of the process an OT will come out to do an assessment and they should hopefully know about various gadgets and gizmos that could help.
As an aside have you considered putting a bell on the gate (the sort you used to get in shops to let them know when someone had come in). That way you would be aware whenever the gate had been opened.

The poo-painting is new - he's done it twice in the last few weeks. Really hope it won't become part of his repertoire! Perhaps leave out crayons more often and encourage his artistic expression that way, eh? ;-)

Thanks for suggesting seeking funded help - we are right at the start of this and don't know what we could apply for, but I'll look into that. He didn't see the OT as part of his MDA because we had to change his dates due to chicken pox and she was unavailble, but is meant to be coming here to assess him and add to the report. (We already have a diagnosis) I had thought about bells but wasnt sure I could find a loud enough one! We've spoken to two of the regular posties and they do, I think, now bolt up after them, but one other postman is always v rushed and I can never nab him in time. Am printing out notices to laminate this evening!

Am going to see if I can track down a sensor and alarm, or something. I think the main lesson here is that if he can do something, he probably will, and that my days of allowing him to potter in an enclosed garden while watching from the kitchen window are now over.