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We have a doorknob cover on the inside that he can't take off. Maybe try and get a different kind? Usually if DS tries getting up 1-2 times, I'll answer the door and ask what he needs. It is mostly funny stuff--a drink of water, a kiss for me, etc. After that, if he comes to the door I don't even go over there and he eventually goes to sleep.

i'm trying this door monkey thing that @banddmommy: suggested: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B004ECJWK4?psc=1&redirect=true&ref_=oh_aui_detailpage_o03_s00

I wouldn't feel comfortable with it, but I haven't been in the situation where I might need to yet!!

We had a gate for a few months but decided that we wanted him to have access to the potty and playroom. So we put the door knob covers on the other bedroom doors and a gate at top of stairs so he can't come down them at night and fall. We also put up a second camera that can see down the hall and into playroom. So I feel better now about him having freedom

Yeah I bought that door monkey! We can't have her wandering around at night. Scares me

@lemondrop: we just turned the knob around and lock it from the outside.

I hesitated and had months of awful bedtimes. The gate our LO climbed no problem. If they are big enough for a bed, then they can likely climb a gate. The lock saved us!

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.

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.

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.

Oh and he would climb right over a gate, especially if he had time unsupervised so that is not a viable option for us!

@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.

@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.

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.

@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!

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.

@blackbird: @birdofafeather: does the door monkey prevent the door from closing all the way?

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.

@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?

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.

@SeptMomma12: you poor thing 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!

@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.

@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