https://boards.hellobee.com/ Pregnancy, Baby and Parenting blog, by Hellobee en Sun, 26 Apr 2026 01:18:45 +0000 https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/would-you-put-a-gate-or-lock-on-your-los-door/page/2#post-2255808 Wed, 05 Aug 2015 16:04:42 +0000 californiadreams 2255808@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I can't say for sure what we would do if our LO was leaving his room multiple times a night like yours, but for now we are comfortable just have a gate at the top of the stairs as our main fear is him falling down the stairs or going outside. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/would-you-put-a-gate-or-lock-on-your-los-door/page/2#post-2255807 Wed, 05 Aug 2015 16:04:35 +0000 Amelieisme 2255807@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Door monkey. It will change your life. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/would-you-put-a-gate-or-lock-on-your-los-door/page/2#post-2255766 Wed, 05 Aug 2015 15:22:18 +0000 birdofafeather 2255766@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Foodnerd81: @blackbird: the door monkey has been a game changer for us, but our issue was falling asleep/staying in bed for naps and nighttime. we had to do a few nights of crying with checks for bedtime where it sounded like she was standing in the hallway and screaming, but we kept it quiet otherwise and just went in, reassured her, left. she had one nap where she fell asleep on a chair, but finally she got the gist and went back to bed. once she was fully asleep, i take it off the door, close her door and hang it on the knob. she gets up earlier than i'd like, but i don't feel comfortable leaving it on all night and i don't want DH waking early to wake her even earlier! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/would-you-put-a-gate-or-lock-on-your-los-door/page/2#post-2255688 Wed, 05 Aug 2015 14:40:09 +0000 Crisark 2255688@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>We use a tall baby gate and it's been a god send. She's sleeping better now than she ever has. Not sure why she likes it better in a toddler bed across the hall in a baby gated room but she's sleeping 12 plus hours a night so I'm good with it.<br /> I'd be too anxious to lock her in a closed room. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/would-you-put-a-gate-or-lock-on-your-los-door/page/2#post-2255495 Wed, 05 Aug 2015 12:54:02 +0000 SeptMomma12 2255495@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Mrs. Lion: Yes, please! Thanks! He naps at school no problem but won't really nap at home anymore :sad: </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/would-you-put-a-gate-or-lock-on-your-los-door#post-2255420 Wed, 05 Aug 2015 11:53:02 +0000 Mrs. Lion 2255420@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@SeptMomma12: we did go through a couple weeks (a few months after the bed transition) where he got really overtired and would scream at bedtime... after a few weeks we went to our ped for suggestions because we were desperate and it was getting worse every day :( are naps bad too? I can wall you our ped's recommendations if you're interested &lt;3 </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/would-you-put-a-gate-or-lock-on-your-los-door#post-2255412 Wed, 05 Aug 2015 11:48:01 +0000 SeptMomma12 2255412@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Mrs. Lion: Yeah I think so. That's why I'm having a hard time enforcing CIO. Poor guy has been through a lot of change lately. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/would-you-put-a-gate-or-lock-on-your-los-door#post-2255398 Wed, 05 Aug 2015 11:39:50 +0000 Mrs. Lion 2255398@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@SeptMomma12: I wonder if all the transitions at once could be making it harder? I don't have a solution but it that may be contributing. I'm sorry momma :( you must be exhausted. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/would-you-put-a-gate-or-lock-on-your-los-door#post-2255363 Wed, 05 Aug 2015 11:26:11 +0000 SeptMomma12 2255363@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Mrs. Lion: Ugh I know! It's brutal. He was always an amazing sleeper, so this is totally new to us. Plus I have a 12 week old. We're trying the "sleep shuffle" now, but it's hard to stick to when he's waking up every hour during the night :crying: </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/would-you-put-a-gate-or-lock-on-your-los-door#post-2255255 Wed, 05 Aug 2015 09:58:52 +0000 Mrs. Lion 2255255@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@SeptMomma12: you poor thing &lt;3 maybe 2 weeks before he would fall asleep in his bed. he fell asleep on the floor by the door until then. we gad a couple nights of crying at the door but none were quite that long. it is basically CIO sleep training, so you could probably use any sleep training methods (including the no crying methods) just like you would with a younger child? I'm so sorry you are dealing with this.. why can't kids just appreciate how glorious sleep is! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/would-you-put-a-gate-or-lock-on-your-los-door#post-2255083 Wed, 05 Aug 2015 07:38:46 +0000 SeptMomma12 2255083@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@stargal: @Sparkler: @Mrs. Lion: How long did it take for the lock to "work"? We tried it the other night and DS screamed hysterically at the door for 2.5 hours before we finally gave up :crying: </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/would-you-put-a-gate-or-lock-on-your-los-door#post-2255081 Wed, 05 Aug 2015 07:35:25 +0000 singingbee 2255081@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>We use a gate at the suggestion of our Dr because I was worried about her wandering around the house. She likes the door open, so we were worried about her coming out of her room. She doesn't climb it or at least hasn't tried yet. She will stand there and call us if she is upset and can't fall back to sleep. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/would-you-put-a-gate-or-lock-on-your-los-door#post-2255060 Wed, 05 Aug 2015 06:59:08 +0000 blackbird 2255060@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Foodnerd81: nope, not really. I think the main benefit to the child proof locks is that they are easily opened from both sides of the door by an adult. I once had a lock slide and lock me out of my house at night (I had to call a special lock guy and everything to drill my lock out!) so I'm paranoid of regular locks</p> <p>But yes, seeing and hearing us through a tiny crack is proving counter productive because of the way the house is laid out </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/would-you-put-a-gate-or-lock-on-your-los-door#post-2255057 Wed, 05 Aug 2015 06:57:07 +0000 Foodnerd81 2255057@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@blackbird: ok thanks. Yeah that won't work for us because her room is near the kitchen and the entry. She would definitely get woken up by dh coming home after she's in bed or me cooking dinner in the kitchen. I'm thinking a regular old hook and eye lock isn't really that different, just for a few months until she learns? </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/would-you-put-a-gate-or-lock-on-your-los-door#post-2255054 Wed, 05 Aug 2015 06:53:31 +0000 blackbird 2255054@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Foodnerd81: unfortunately, yes, it keeps the door open a couple inches. It's just pissing E off that she can see and hear us when we use it, so I bought a top door lock to try </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/would-you-put-a-gate-or-lock-on-your-los-door#post-2255052 Wed, 05 Aug 2015 06:51:05 +0000 Foodnerd81 2255052@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@blackbird: @birdofafeather: does the door monkey prevent the door from closing all the way? </p> <p>Our toddler figured out that the door in her room doesn't fully latch. She can't work regular doorknobs yet but that's only a matter of time anyway. So we are planning to first try to fix the doorknob and use a cover, but I need her to be trapped in her room! Plus her room is next to the front door to our condo and id rather her not roaming the halls while we sleep, thanks. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/would-you-put-a-gate-or-lock-on-your-los-door#post-2250920 Fri, 31 Jul 2015 08:56:45 +0000 Shantuck 2250920@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>We just put one in my 3 yo son's room a few days ago and it has been a game changer. He was waking up every couple of hours and coming into our room. We ordered the door monkey but we have really thick doors so it wouldn't fit on our doors. We then pulled out our old baby gate and just like that he magically started sleeping through the night. Our plan is to use it on a more short term basis (basically, until he is trained to sleep and stay in his room) and then we will take it out. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/would-you-put-a-gate-or-lock-on-your-los-door#post-2250918 Fri, 31 Jul 2015 08:53:08 +0000 avivoca 2250918@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>My plan is to get a baby gate to put on the outside of the door. It's not a problem right now but I can see it becoming one if she doesn't want to go to bed once she's in a toddler bed. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/would-you-put-a-gate-or-lock-on-your-los-door#post-2250916 Fri, 31 Jul 2015 08:50:27 +0000 honeybear 2250916@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Just a note on flipping doorknobs: Where I live I believe it would be a building code violation to turn the doorknob around to have the lock on the exterior of the door (so, lock facing into the hallway). That might not be a big deal if you don't plan to sell soon, but I think the rule is in the code for safety reasons like to make it harder for intruders to lock people in, fire, etc. </p> <p>To answer the question, we mostly dealt with it by reading to LO for a longer period of time and making sure he got hours of physical movement during the day so he was really tired. Yes, it's hard to get a 3yo (and sometimes frankly even a 4 or 5yo) to go to sleep, but it's a phase that doesn't last all that long. You have my sympathy--regardless of how long the phase lasts, it stinks to still be doing "bedtime" after an hour or so! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/would-you-put-a-gate-or-lock-on-your-los-door#post-2250910 Fri, 31 Jul 2015 08:46:03 +0000 Mrs. Lion 2250910@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@looch: it's ok! I think it's still important to discuss as it relates to the original question (right?) thanks for the info! it makes me want to remove every single piece of plastic from my kids rooms. metal toys for everyone! ;) </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/would-you-put-a-gate-or-lock-on-your-los-door#post-2250867 Fri, 31 Jul 2015 08:25:00 +0000 looch 2250867@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Mrs. Lion: Yep. We were actually discussing what to do in an office building in case there is a fire and it's a lot safer because of the buffers built into space. He said that he sees a lot of tragic things in home fires because people think they have time, but dry timber construction is prime material for a fire, and all the plastic we have around just feeds the fire even more. He said that he's trained his children to use those drop down ladders from their bedroom windows and everyone is instructed to leave the house from one of their predefined exit points and not reenter the house....talk about nerves of steel required to do that as a parent, no matter what the age of your kids!</p> <p>My son's room is right next to mine, but if there is a fire in the hallway, there is no getting to him, you know? In any event, I've derailed this thread enough and I am actually getting anxious about fire now! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/would-you-put-a-gate-or-lock-on-your-los-door#post-2250856 Fri, 31 Jul 2015 08:17:43 +0000 Mrs. Lion 2250856@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@looch: Wow, that's really interesting! Did the fire chief give you that burn time? I had no idea it would be that fast! It doesn't really change my opinion personally, because I still don't feel like the lock slows me down from getting to my son...if the hall is blocked I would still have to go around the house and to the window, break in, and then pull him back out through the window. If there is fire in the hallway to the extent that I can't get to him, I would actually prefer that he be locked in his room until someone can get him through a window. I wouldn't want him leaving his room and running into the hallway, especially since he is so young. Kind of the way you would tell a child that if they are missing to stay where they are and let the parent find you. It's harder to find a moving target. </p> <p>I didn't think you were criticizing! I hope you don't think I was! Just explaining why, for us, I feel safer with it locked than unlocked. :) </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/would-you-put-a-gate-or-lock-on-your-los-door#post-2250853 Fri, 31 Jul 2015 08:11:45 +0000 looch 2250853@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Mrs. Lion: Yes, it absoultely depends on your level of comfort. I answered the question from my perspective, I didn't make any comments about what other posters do, so I hope you don't think I was in any way criticizing your decision.</p> <p>One thing that opened my eyes though, was a talk that I went to with a local fire chief. Burn times have increased significnantly over the years with the widespread use of plastic. My house would be burned to the ground in less than 7 minutes and it's over 2000 square feet. I was shocked to learn at how little time you actually have in a fire. I get freaked out by our gas grill, though. Fire is my biggest fear. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/would-you-put-a-gate-or-lock-on-your-los-door#post-2250845 Fri, 31 Jul 2015 08:06:17 +0000 Mrs. Lion 2250845@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@looch: I did think about this and talked to the fire department about it. With the lock on our side of the door all we have to do is turn the knob and the lock pops, so us getting to him isn't an issue. It wouldn't slow us down at all. The fireman I talked to said that in the case of them having to come through a window and get him and then get into the rest of the house, it might slow him down just a little but they would break the door down if they had to and he didn't think it was an issue. To me, the risk of my toddler wandering the house at night and possibly getting outside (he can unlock the deadbolt and knob on our front door) is much more probable and much more terrifying to me. I don't worry about firemen not being able to get into the house (a deadbolt is far more difficult to get through than a pop lock) so I don't really worry about them getting through his bedroom door either. I think it just depends on what scares you the most, and that is different for everyone. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/would-you-put-a-gate-or-lock-on-your-los-door#post-2250805 Fri, 31 Jul 2015 07:27:17 +0000 travellingbee 2250805@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Also you can turn the handles around so the Lock is on the outside. That is safer. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/would-you-put-a-gate-or-lock-on-your-los-door#post-2250802 Fri, 31 Jul 2015 07:26:30 +0000 Modern Daisy 2250802@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Oh and he would climb right over a gate, especially if he had time unsupervised so that is not a viable option for us! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/would-you-put-a-gate-or-lock-on-your-los-door#post-2250797 Fri, 31 Jul 2015 07:25:05 +0000 Modern Daisy 2250797@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>DS can't open his door yet, but he just transitioned to a toddler bed and it's already a nightmare getting him to go down so I will definitely be locking his door once he figures it out. I agree with Mrs Lion that it isn't any different than being in a crib and we also have an alarm system with smoke/co2 detectors That would wake us up instantly (and alert the police and fire station) so I'm not worried about it being a fire hazard. Right now he is so crazy and destructive in his room (which is totally child proofed) so I feel 100% certain he is not ready to wander the house alone. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/would-you-put-a-gate-or-lock-on-your-los-door#post-2250788 Fri, 31 Jul 2015 07:17:45 +0000 Bubbles 2250788@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>We're not there yet, but I'd definitely do a gate or some sort of handle cover. A lock would make me a little nervous though. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/would-you-put-a-gate-or-lock-on-your-los-door#post-2250784 Fri, 31 Jul 2015 07:14:47 +0000 travellingbee 2250784@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>We have a gate at the end of the hallway so he can't get out of the hallway. It's high and he couldn't climb over it. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/would-you-put-a-gate-or-lock-on-your-los-door#post-2250756 Fri, 31 Jul 2015 06:13:45 +0000 looch 2250756@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I don't feel comfortable locking interior doors overnight with kids on the other side. I get too worried that there is going to be a fire and some one is going to get trapped.</p> <p>I would be fine with a gate over the door opening and I would consider locking something like a bathroom door or gating stairs, but in the case of an emergency I'd be in a panic, especially if the evacuation called for emergency workers to be in the house. I am a nervous nelly, though. </p>