[potentialsinglemom]

The scenerio...

You are placed with a toddler. A somewhat streetwise toddler. The toddler, whether it is daytime or nightime, opens up the door and goes out looking for his mommy. You called the "emergency number" and report the occurrences. The TODDLER was placed with you 9 days ago and has run away 9 days in the row, sometimes twice a day.

Would you...
1) have the placement disrupted
2) wait until the placement is disrupted by caseworker
3) keep trying and tighten up security

I will go first. My crazy SELF would keep trying, however I would beef up my security. If the toddler ran away a third time I would began to wonder if there is something wrong with me or if the child is just that smart.

[athikers]

I would alarm my doors after one attempt. Street wise or not, toddlers aren't tall and can't try to dismantle or disengage the alarms.

In fact, when my son can open doors (thank goodness for poor motor skills and weak hand strength) or even when he is close to being able to do so, I WILL alarm my doors, all of them. Because this scenario will be my life. Only he won't be looking for his mommy, he'll just be walking down the street, aimlessly.

[marigold]

Well since I just went two weeks ago and spent some hefty change on alarms and door safty looks, I guess you know which group I would fall into!! I also know the feeling of being outsmarted by young ones! My three yearolds are quick! One of them crawled on top of a dresser to turn off the door alarm!!! (This was in the middle of the night!) Oh well I take it as a challenge and keep trying!

[Kelly Rae]

Have you tried the child-proof hand grips for door knobs?

Our 5 year old is on the autism spectrum and loves to go outside especially the front yard which he can't go without supervision. The only thing that worked until recently was one of these with duck tape put around it. In case your wondering our little man learned to hit the safety grip just right with a toy and poop it off the door knob ( don't you love the clever sticker ) the duck taped solved this problem.

I would also alarm it as well.

[parenting-over-40]

It's not you . . . So just take that idea out of your head. You know how toddler's are very curious. They watch what adults do and figure out how to open things, turn things off and on, and the list goes on.

My suggestion would be to go to a local hardware store and explain your situation. My guess is you aren't the first parent to walk in their store with that problem. They will know what you need. Maybe just a lock high up on each door. You know like they have at hotels.

Good luck with Houdini!

[Withay]

This next payday, right at the top of the list, is a second deadbolt - 12" below the top of the door. My 2 yo's are escape artists and too smart for their own good.

[ca-bigsister]

I concur with the high deadbolt. And I wouldn't keep anything around it - no chairs, dressers, etc.

I had a home alarm that "beeped" anytime the door was opened. I would certainly get that installed and have set the alarm to scream if it was opened.

[potentialsinglemom]

the 3 yrs old was removed from the home by the case manager. The agency felt the child was too much for the foster mom and consecutive days of running away was extreme.