A few months back there was a HB post about a DIY latch board for toddlers. I got really excited about this idea and was planning on making one once summer arrived. When I mentioned the project to my mom, she questioned whether it was a good idea, considering that the chains, locks, latches, etc. on the board are designed to keep a kid safe and maybe a toddler shouldn't practice opening them. Opinions?
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Yes and no. My son locked me out (him inside) and that was frustrating but we ended up getting in. But, I have a thing about him being with me at night. So at 3 he still sleeps in our room because I need to be able to grab him if something happens. I won't let him sleep alone until he can rescue himself. So in that case, you could determine that it is an appropriate age to learn to do that.
I want to make one that is more dressing things like zippers, buckles, buttons, snaps, etc. it seems more practical.
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I've wondered the same thing! There are so many other fine motor skills activities kids can do.
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@brownie: That must have been so scary when your son locked you out! I think your idea about a board with more practical tasks is great.
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@Katrocap: I am so not thinking straight. For some reason I instantly thought it was a board for babies to practice latching. Smh
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@Katrocap: I totally agree with your mom! Someone gave my LO a Melissa and Doug board as a present. I hid it for awhile but I relented and now she plays with it. It's not so bad. I'm actually going to give one as a gift.
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I was thinking the same thing recently too!
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@Espion: hahahaha.
Well, we made one for J. He LOVES unlocking our door. I'm not concerned about this though because he isn't nearly tall enough to reach the lock on our front door - which is about my chest height (I am 5'8) and he likely don't be able to reach it until he's a few years older; at which point he can be taught safety and responsibility. The only way we let him use the key to unlock our door is when we get home and hold him up to the bolt.
Other latches like the ones we put on his latch board - like the chain one - are usually even higher up - like head height of an adult. -
My inclination is to wait until they are 3+ despite the fact that many younger kids are capable of doing the actions required. And even then, know the kid-- my parents had to put an extra deadbolt on the top of our door growing up because my brother figured out the first deadbolt, the chain lock and the extra hook and loop closure they added and was then found out on the sidewalk a few times. Neither I nor my sisters would have ever even thought about it but he was a different story...
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@espion: If I hadn't seen the post awhile back, I probably would have thought the same as you!
@mrs.pen: Good points. DS isn't tall enough for any of our locks, either. Like all babies, he's so quick at developing and learning, though, so it makes me worry a bit. We had to remove some toys from the living room recently because he figured out he could use them as step stools to climb over the bottom of the stairs gate.
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Dh thinks it isn't a good idea - exactly that - that it will help them learn to open things that may not be the best idea.
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Just a note to say height is not an issue with respect to chains and deadbolts once the child can drag a chair to the door. The only way to really thwart a determined escapee is vigilance, although an alarm might help.
I'm ambivalent about latch boards. As for safety, I think the best thing to do is instill that the child should never open the front door or lock another door without permission. (But you'll still get locked out of a bedroom at least once, so have a screwdriver handy!)
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Thank you for asking this question because I was just wondering if we should make/get a latch board for J since he loves playing with latch type things. He is only 15 months and already knows how to drag chairs... and my 3 year old DD is always dragging chairs around to reach places she wouldn't otherwise be able to get to, so you make a very good point, @honeybear: !
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We don't have any of the types of latches on our board around the house. It's one of DS's favorite toys! We have the Melissa and Doug one.
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We were gifted one when my son turned 2. He figured them all out within a day and lost interest. He plays with it now and then, but probably has played with it less than 10 times since he got it.
I didn't really worry about my son opening doors after playing with one. We had a low chain latch on our old apartment door and sometimes he would play with it, but we never used it for it's purpose. Our apartment is old and most of the handles are higher than on modern buildings, so it hasn't been an issue.
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