Today John figured out how to open door knob safety locks.His little eyes lit up. "Oh! Mama, look at this!"
I know mothers of older children are laughing at me now. I truly don't know what I'm going to do. Door knob locks are on all our doors leading to the outside of the house, and the doors leading to the pantry, the guest room (the last room not babyproofed), the linen closet that contains medications, the utility closet that contains the cat litter box, and the garage. It is only recently I've begun allowing John to be on another floor of the house than me and I knew that, despite some opportunities for mischief, ultimately he was safe from dire consequences because of those door knob safety locks.
And now I just don't know what to do other than Velcro him to my skirt. Or maybe try to teach him good sense, pray to his guardian angel, and trust in God.
This motherhood thing is so scary.
You're really lucky it took him this long!!! I gave up on the doorknob locks about a year and a half ago when Little Miss simply removed the thing before turning the doorknob to open the door.
ReplyDeleteAs the mother of two young locksmiths, I'm both laughing and crying for you right now. We had to change our outside doors to keyed deadbolts (which DS1 CAN open but much slower) and I added chains up high to the storm doors. The interior doors are all free to them now, but some consistent reminders have kept things safe. The only one I really worry about is the door to the basement since the steps are steep. Fortunately, some supervised permission to open the door (to help me) keeps it from being too enticing when it's off-limits. Good luck! Hopefully with John's new-found skill will come some impulse control as well.
ReplyDeleteKatherine,
ReplyDeletewe have no door knob locks and keep all doors open here. You will see that it won't be so scary/hard once you just let it happen. They will learn.
Joseph can open those door knobs when I don't want him to, but when I want him to open the door by himself he complains that he can't do it.
ReplyDeletesee, and here i sit thinking you are so very lucky that it took him this long!! LOL And I wish i could say the same. i really do.
ReplyDeletecharlie figured that out as soon as we put them on (a year ago?) -- so we have to put packing tape around them! It works, if you need them. as an aside, we had to buy a $100 key-coded lock for the front door in the early summer. boys!!
Hi Katherine...I'm so rushing today that I don't have time to compose this using more MIL to DIL terms. I love you....anyways this is a teachable moment. My idea is to ask John to make sure not to open the door when Mary is in the room. You could say that 'he is old enough to know that those door knobs mean danger!' He is old enough to make those kinds of choices and it will help to make him feel responsible, to become a protector of Mary, and to feel that adults can have faith in him. I love your expression that you are raising adults not children so this idea may fit your pathology. Thanks for your beautiful Easter Card..I'm using the phrase on my bulletin boards at work. LOVE, Mom
ReplyDeleteFYI, my friend Ashley uses these hotel door locks:
ReplyDeletehttp://www.lowes.com/pd_101031-89973-1873_4294856686_4294937087?productId=3109007&pl=1¤tURL=/pl__4294856686_4294937087_?identifier=
I have never had locks or doorknob covers on any of our doors, and all three of my children have never gone outside without asking, or gotten into the garage without our permission, and yes, one of them is a boy! I do keep medications in the medicine cabinet, which is high, but not locked. I also keep dangerous cleaners in the garage on a top shelf. Don't worry, with consistent reminders they will learn where they are allowed to go very quickly. If you had steep steps, like down to a basement, then you could put a lock at the top of the door for safety.
ReplyDelete