WARNING FOR ALL

[smjmekg]

A friend of mine may be in some deep poop, so I'm posting to warn all of you because my friend did not ever think this could happen to her. She was a sleep when her three year old daughter woke up and decided to go out the front door. She woke up and looked for her and didn't find her, went to the front door and a cop was there with her daugther. Aparently she saw kids walking to school and wanted to go play with them and did not wake her mom up. Now my friend isn't the type to just let her kid do anything, she's a pretty strict mom. They bought the double sided locks so you have to have a key to get out and put them on the doors. They did have baby handle covers but their daughter broke them off. Having a three year old myself, it made me realize that just because my son hasn't ever done it, doesn't mean he won't, and we're going to be getting the double sided locks too now because of it. I just wanted to warn everyone because she could have had a far different story from that cop. He could have showed up and asked her to identify a body instead of claiming her daughter. I don't know what's going to happen to her now, but I just wanted to share with everyone, because I realized that you can never underestimate a child. I've taught my son not to go outside alone, and he doesn't. I don't own any cabinet/drawer safety devices because I've taught my son not to open them. BUT now I realize after hearing her story that just because you tell them no, doesn't mean they won't do it. I have come out of the bathroom to find my son on the kitchen counter, and even on the refridgerator once...he's super tall and smart, he used my coffee maker to climb on top of the refridgerator. Her story scared me, cause I thought at any given time the same thing could happen to me, I've heard it a million times, and my friend even had a story in her state where the same thing happend. SO..warning to all...just cause they haven't doesn't mean they won't, so next time you're baby proofing because you don't want your kid to stick something in a socket, double check your doors...Elijah uses chairs sometimes to try to get something high, and I always catch him in the act, but I can't help but think what would happen if I were asleep and he did it without me knowing. There's a lot more dangerous things besides just electrical outlets.

[trying43]

You would be very surprised how often this happens.  My dh is a police officer and they get this at least twice a month of a child found in the roadway etc. in the middle of the night.  Most times its a legit case of mom being asleep and their lo going out the door.  My youngest son had this habit so we finally put an alarm on the back door.

[honeydew21]

There have been tons of kids in my area who have been found wondering the streets at 2, 3, 4 am and no parents found. Turns out they got out of bed, went to the front door, unlocked it and went for a walk.

My boys are 3 and I've got them opening the front door twice. Once they let my cat out "to play with the neighbors kitty". My cat is strictly indoors. She's spayed and has no claws. Luckily she's also a chicken sh*t and ran right back inside when I went to get her. Thankfully my boys  know better than to leave the house without husband or I.

It's terrifying thinking about the what if's in situations like that.

[smjmekg]

Yep, you're not alone. My son has always been above 95% for height, and only once or twice did he drop to above 90%. He's three years three months old today...and stands at 41-42 inches tall. His dad is 6'6" tall, and he definitely takes after him instead of me, I'm only 5'4". He's more than half my height already, and I'm more than sure I'll be looking up, or staring eye level to my 12 year old one day. No one thinks he's three, they all guess five. If you just looked at him and didn't hear him talking, you really can't tell he's only three. And he's very creative. He opened the dishwasher, used it to get on the counter, and then used the coffee maker to get on the refridgerator. There's not really anything I can do to block him from getting on the counter, besides taking him to the bathroom, EVERY time I go. BUT I believe in teaching your children NOT to do things, not just preventing it. If you prevent them from doing everything wrong, then they won't learn. Or if he's ever being watched by someone else, and doesn't know not to do something, then he's going to do it.

[smjmekg]

I agree with you, but even the safest of houses can be a dangerzone. Like I said, I found my son on the refridgerator. All I had done was go to the bathroom, and that fast he was up there. You can never underestimate your child or your home. Unless you have a house with only walls, there's something there that they can find/do to get hurt.

[the_other_half]

Great reminder! When my son was almost 3 he managed to make it outside and to the neighbors. I woke up to find a woman bringing him back and saying how her toddler had done it once too. It could have been a totally different story since where I was living if police are called you are charged and kids taken. Ever since I've had top locks and double sided locks. We had a top slap lock at the time and my son used a broom to unlatch it!

Glad to know my son isnt the only one that climbs on the fridge and pretty much everything else in the house.

[KingWife]

My 3 year old knows how to open doors too but me and my husband has always had top locks like the ones on hotel rooms and chain locks right up high on the door so my son has never been able to open the door. As parents we should know better that a child is a child and will do things like this, a close friend of mine was sleeping too one Saturday and her 3 year old son woke up and open the door and went to the neighbor across the hall. She woke up to find him gone and freaked out called police and all to find her child at the neighbors that didn't only caused her stress but made her look like a slack mother! Her neighbor said she didn't tell her her child was there because she thought she knew. Is common sense to have top locks if you have little ones! I would never dismiss my kids safety. These days these kids are super curious, I can't take the chance to find my child gone or harm because I didn't do better safety procedures when it comes to my door locks. My personal opinion.  

[Ashelen]

Always good to have reminders! We have the double sided locks, 2 locks on the front and back door each, and a slide lock at the top of the front door as well as a frame lock at the top of our sliding doors...and I'm still paranoid. I put a monitor in her room even tho she's 3 so if she wakes up the monitor makes a racket and wakes me up. Even with all of that....I worry!

[NicMom]

Thanks for the reminders! My son got out when he was 3 while I was in the bathroom and a construction worker who was working on the house across the street saw him and brought him back. I put in door chimes that night. Toddlers are go go go all the time you really can't turn your back on them.