https://boards.hellobee.com/ Pregnancy, Baby and Parenting blog, by Hellobee en Fri, 29 May 2026 22:30:19 +0000 https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/door-monkey-yes-or-no#post-2840344 Fri, 17 Aug 2018 12:40:04 +0000 Finfan 2840344@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>We have used one for years with our 6 year old. We prefer this so we can peek in and see if LO is asleep/awake yet. Added bonus: it keeps the pets out. We installed a small strip of scrap wood into the door frame as the door monkey otherwise wouldn’t fit our frame. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/door-monkey-yes-or-no#post-2839709 Tue, 14 Aug 2018 14:18:58 +0000 RonjaL7 2839709@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I'm going to keep talking to him about it. Last night my daughter crawled into bed with me and I didn't even wake up. I woke at some point later and was like "what?!?!". </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/door-monkey-yes-or-no#post-2839635 Tue, 14 Aug 2018 10:34:50 +0000 Mrs. Lion 2839635@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@RonjaL7: I got a little pushback from people about it being a fire hazard when we turned the knobs around, so I actually stopped to talk to a couple fire fighters at our local fire department. They didnt have any concerns, as long as you can easily open the door from the putside in an emergency and theres another exit (window) thats all you can do anyway. I actually feel its safer, because in the event of a fire I could be certain I knew where my toddler was rather than being afraid they were wandering the house looking for me. Until they are old enough to get out by themselves in an emergency, it seems safer to me anyway. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/door-monkey-yes-or-no#post-2839477 Mon, 13 Aug 2018 15:55:11 +0000 MrsBucky 2839477@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@RonjaL7: that would be super frustrating to me. I feel like if you’re the one being impacting he has two choices: either let you handle it as you see fit, or pony up and be the one to handle night wake ups. He doesn’t get to sleep through it and then tell you your solution is unacceptable! Grumble grumble. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/door-monkey-yes-or-no#post-2839416 Mon, 13 Aug 2018 13:14:27 +0000 RonjaL7 2839416@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@MrsBucky: I think he is worried about her not being able to get out. I did explain that it is no different than our son being in a crib still. </p> <p>The other piece is he typically sleeps through her coming down to the room and me either bringing her back to her bed or caving and letting her sleep with us (on my side). So the pain of her getting up is really only being felt by me. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/door-monkey-yes-or-no#post-2839384 Mon, 13 Aug 2018 11:46:44 +0000 MrsADS 2839384@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>When my son began climbing out of the crib and we had to convert to a toddler bed (2y4m), we put a childproof door handle cover on the inside of his room. He always slept with his door closed when he was in his crib so it was no different for him. But I know his personality - he WILL NOT go to sleep or stay in bed if there is any way at all he can try to avoid it. Like we cannot cosleep with him, lay down with him, share a room w/him while traveling, etc. because he thinks it's a party and he will not sleep. He would also run around the house and get into who knows what - it's just his personality. </p> <p>My husband didn't feel comfortable about it at first, but I don't really see how it's any different than when he was in a crib a few months prior - if there's an emergency or a fire or something, you're going straight to their room to get them first. I feel like the danger of my son coming out of his room and getting into dangerous things in the house unsupervised is a much greater day-to-day risk. For us, it is essential. </p> <p>My son is about to turn 3 and I don't see us taking it off anytime soon... but we'll definitely evaluate based on his age/maturity. He doesn't know any different so he's not upset by it at all. If he had been used to coming out of his room and then we locked him in there, I think he would flip out. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/door-monkey-yes-or-no#post-2839372 Mon, 13 Aug 2018 11:20:32 +0000 Mrs. Lemon-Lime 2839372@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@RonjaL7: any chance he’s going out of town and you can try it for yourself without him home? Mine was skeptical because he felt we had already babyproofed and just didn’t get it. He’s OOT so much I used it for about 4 nights before he saw it in action himself. We recently had a babysitter stay with LO overnight and DH was asking me if she locked the baby gate at the top of the stairs. I reminded him the door monkey prevents LO from getting out. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/door-monkey-yes-or-no#post-2839366 Mon, 13 Aug 2018 10:58:10 +0000 MrsBucky 2839366@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@RonjaL7: What is his objection? </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/door-monkey-yes-or-no#post-2839356 Mon, 13 Aug 2018 10:24:01 +0000 RonjaL7 2839356@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Well I got the door monkey, but my husband isn't too keen on the idea so I haven't tried it yet. I'm hoping to convince him this week and start trying it on Friday (in case we are up all night with her screaming mad). </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/door-monkey-yes-or-no#post-2839233 Sun, 12 Aug 2018 07:38:45 +0000 Modern Daisy 2839233@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Yeah we also turned doorknobs around - actually just did it yesterday for my 2 yo who just started escaping from his crib and wandering the house. Still have to do it sometimes for the 4 yo if he’s still awake when we go to bed, can’t risk them having access to stairs and all kinds of dangerous things to climb or get hurt on while we are sleeping or it’s bedtime. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/door-monkey-yes-or-no#post-2839113 Fri, 10 Aug 2018 15:39:33 +0000 Mrs. Lion 2839113@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>We turned the knobs around so that they locked from the outside for a while for the same reasons listed above. It made me feel so much safer knowing where they were, and it set a hard limit for them (just like crib bars do) that it was bedtime and that is where they needed to stay. We didn't leave them there upset for any length of time (a few minutes, then reassure, etc.). </p> <p>With my son it worked like a charm. My daughter was a little more upset about the whole situation. She would get REALLY upset when we would shut the door, so we really only closed the door when she wouldn't stay in bed for like 30 seconds, then opened it and told her we would leave it open as long as she stayed in her bed. She was newly 3 at that point, and it worked pretty well. </p> <p>Our issue was always bedtime though...I am not sure how that would have gone in the middle of the night. I hope it works and you get ALL THE SLEEP! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/door-monkey-yes-or-no#post-2839075 Fri, 10 Aug 2018 11:54:19 +0000 RonjaL7 2839075@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Ok... I decided to get it. Mama needs some sleep! I will let everyone know how it goes. </p> <p>I'm desperately hoping she just goes back to bed without flipping out too much. I think I will be sure to explain to her that the door is going to be locked for her safety now and that she will have to stay in her room. </p> <p> :meh: </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/door-monkey-yes-or-no#post-2839013 Fri, 10 Aug 2018 07:10:44 +0000 Twolittlemen 2839013@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Um I just put a baby gate on the outside of their door jam. That way they could see but not get out. Both my kids had them on until about 3.5./4.</p> <p>ETA- both my kids were able to break the door monkey by repeatedly pulling at the door around age 3.5 </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/door-monkey-yes-or-no#post-2838991 Fri, 10 Aug 2018 00:18:36 +0000 birdofafeather 2838991@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>the door monkey saved me from screaming at my then 2 year old over sleep when she transitioned to a bed. i was seriously telling myself, ok, you can't get upset until she comes out 20 times. she never got to 20 but she would have if we didn't get the door money.</p> <p>we finally stopped using it and then it got broken. if there was an emergency and i forgot how it works, i could easily break the door monkey. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/door-monkey-yes-or-no#post-2838936 Thu, 09 Aug 2018 18:56:12 +0000 Mrs. Lemon-Lime 2838936@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I love the door monkey and would not have been able to get LO to sleep in his own room without it. He’s very capable of opening and closing the doors. With the door monkey he quickly learned he would have to stay put. I’m not worried about a fire emergency because LO would wait for me to assist him going down the stairs even he got out on his own. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/door-monkey-yes-or-no#post-2838857 Thu, 09 Aug 2018 13:58:12 +0000 DesertDreams88 2838857@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Same as @kiddosc: @petitenoisette: @Mrs. Goose: @Foodnerd81: .</p> <p>My 2-year old one day DID let himself out of his room in the morning and played unsupervised for 20 minutes while I laid in bed, thinking my DH was up with him..... he wasn't, he had already left for work. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/door-monkey-yes-or-no#post-2838844 Thu, 09 Aug 2018 13:12:07 +0000 Mrs D 2838844@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>We have one and love it. Our stairs are not easily gated, so this was safer than the risk of her wandering at night.</p> <p>FWIW - in an emergency if I told my daughter to pull and rip the door open, she would be able to even with the door monkey in use. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/door-monkey-yes-or-no#post-2838836 Thu, 09 Aug 2018 12:57:39 +0000 Mrs. Goose 2838836@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>We do same as kiddosc. Our kid is nearly 3. I had removed it for 2 months, but that led to her coming out early in the morning and every 5 seconds during quiet time so now it’s back on and she doesn’t usually get out of bed until we go in in the morning. I think it’s safer this way. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/door-monkey-yes-or-no#post-2838827 Thu, 09 Aug 2018 12:45:45 +0000 MrsBucky 2838827@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>We have used a door monkey since he moved out of his crib. To me it’s no less safe than a kid in a crib. I do not feel comfortable with him have free roaming access to or house at night, so I feel he is safer in his baby proofed room than he would be if he could roam freely. He still wakes us up at night if something happens, and we definitely still go to him if he needs, though. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/door-monkey-yes-or-no#post-2838825 Thu, 09 Aug 2018 12:39:51 +0000 Foodnerd81 2838825@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I have no problem with the idea of locking a young child in their room at night. But just a warning about the door monkey in particular, it didn’t work on any door in either home I’ve lived in with kids. The door frames just weren’t the right depth or something. So I actually still use it as a finger pinch guard but it wouldn’t keep a door shut for me. </p> <p>But I agree with @kiddosc: that in an emergency I’d rather know where she was. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/door-monkey-yes-or-no#post-2838821 Thu, 09 Aug 2018 12:32:37 +0000 petitenoisette 2838821@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>We have one too. With a newborn in the house we just were not willing to deal with our 3 year old coming out of her room a million times at bedtime. Hopefully we can take it off soon bc I do feel a little weird about it but it is what it is for now. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/door-monkey-yes-or-no#post-2838819 Thu, 09 Aug 2018 12:17:14 +0000 kiddosc 2838819@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>We put a childproof doorknob cover on the inside of our son's bedroom door during this stage. His room was safe for him and I was worried about what he could get into while we were asleep or that he would fall down the stairs. In an emergency, the door was fully functional from the outside, and in the case of a fire I want him in his room where I know right where to get him. We only needed this solution for a few months, then he just knew to stay in bed. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/door-monkey-yes-or-no#post-2838817 Thu, 09 Aug 2018 12:08:53 +0000 RonjaL7 2838817@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Ever since we moved my daughter (3 years old) from a crib to a bed she gets up and comes to our room. I've tried stickers and other rewards for staying in her bed all night. She got a pony ride for staying in her bed 9 times (it took almost 2 months to earn). </p> <p>I'm so tired. I'm worried about her waking my 2 year old (who is still in a crib) every time I put her back in her room and she cries. Even though it seems she comes right to my room (which is on a different floor) I wonder about what she could have access to at night without supervision.</p> <p>Anyone use the door monkey? Did you like it? I'm slightly worried about a fire or something and she won't be able to get out, but then I think she wouldn't really know what to do in a fire anyway at her age and I would be coming to get her. </p>