[Foradoption]

I have a question for y'all. We're thinking about moving our two boys (2 1/2 and 1 1/2 yrs.) to a room on the 2nd story for space, and someone asked me if I was going to do something special with their windows so they don't push out the screen or mess around by the windows. I hadn't even heard much about this. Did any of you do something with upstairs windows?

[DPline]

My kids windows are locked most of the time. During the summer if we have them open, they open either up or down (so either the top half can be open or the bottom half can be open - can't remember the name!) and we only keep the top portion open. If we didn't have that option I honestly wouldn't have them open at all. Closed and locked there is no way my kids could get them open.

A friend's twins did open the window, push out the screen and went out the window - luckly on the first floor in the living room - and that scared me to death. She actually nailed those two windows shut! I am sure there are safety latches or what have you that you can install, but I think it really depends on your windows and if your kids could open them. Once you figure out what your kids might be able to do, then look at safety options.

[DDAmasa]

I think nailing the windows shut sounds like a safety hazard in itself.

I put in new windows in my son's upstairs room. The locks can't be opened by a child and the screens are secure and can't be pushed out. They also can be opened (by me) a few inches but a device prevents them from being pushed open further by a child. I'd check your windows and if you have any concerns, either replace them with modern ones or buy screen guards. Every year, children are seriously injured or killed by falling out of windows, but it's easily prevented.

[gwenrenee007]

They make alarms that you can install yourself and they will go off if the window is opened. Although it doesn't help if you want them open.

For now we don't open the windows upstairs unless we aren't up there - makes sense huh?

[stephjoel99]

A couple from our church has a little girl who 2 years go (when 3) fell through the 2nd story window in her bedroom (it was open with only a screen on). She landed directly onto the patio below and had to be flown via a helicopter to a trauma unit. Thankfully she survived and is okay.

So after that I don't let my kids ever keep their bedroom windows open - and the kind of windows we have are self-locking and they'd have to lift two locks and pull the window up at the same time to get it open even if they tried.

[annaguat]

Our three year olds sleep down stairs and are not allowed upstairs. The youngest children up stairs are my 7 and 9 year old DS. I would hope they use comon sense but now I am a bit worried. Anna

[robandjulie]

If you have newer windows check to see if you have the little blockers that pop out. They look like small rectangular stickers about 2" up from the window join area on the top part. If you get your fingernail under them and pull out from the bottom they slide open to create a block so the window can only be opened about 2". This lets a little air in but prevents kids or toys from damaging/removing the screen and going out the window.

A fairly simple option is to only open the top window and then put a long solid bar/dowel between the windows and the frame (on the top) so they can't slide them back up.

There seemed to be a story or two every summer with kids falling out of high-rise apartment windows or houses, so we think about it, for sure.

[Foradoption]

We do have the casement windows, so I guess we'll pull off the handles, so they can't open them. I'd rather skip on the fresh air than have to worry about falls

[pvanabel]

Rach..getting some good advice, helpful to us too. Casey never messed with them, but Emery will probably be our first to discover how to open them. I am heading upstairs now to check ours out and see what kind we have and what trick I can use to keep them safe. I usually only open them when they are not up there and shut their doors or lock gates going upstairs.
Take care

[JGarrick]

Before everyone goes off locking, barring, and boarding their windows, just remember that everything you do to make the windows harder to fall out of also makes them harder to get out of on purpose in the case of a fire. I would certainly never nail a window shut and wouldn't be at all surprised if doing so would violate fire codes.

I haven't looked up stats, but I'll wager that more kids are killed or injured in fires than from falls from upper floor windows. Even if you expect that it would be you opening the window as an escape path, you're not going to be as nimble or coordinated if you're pumped with adrenalin, coughing and partially blinded from smoke, and possibly burned.

[Foradoption]

Hey Kristie! Yes, I believe that Emery would be the first in the family...she's a wild woman, but oh so cute!

[DPline]

It was not that I was advocating nailing the windows shut!!! Just saying I know some who did because her kids did go out the window. My point was only that it can happen. Not suggesting that is what you should do to prevent it! That is why I suggested looking at whether you think your kids could open the windows and than looks at what options there are to prevent it. I am quite sure that a trip to your local baby superstore or a call to your local fire department could give you options that would keep your kids from opening the windows if it is possible that they could do so.

[Bamamom07]

When my twins were little we had upstairs bedrooms. They were ingenious at getting into everything. We placed little locks on the windows that looks like a little clip that screws onto the metal part of the window. You place them whereever on the window you want to allow desired amount of opening, or none at all. We also had to have extra little locks high up on the doors, which the twins attacked many times with a broom handle trying to open every time the ice cream truck came around. My youngest is even more agile, and actually got himself completely inside a toy crane machine in about 5 seconds once when I refused to let him try to get a toy out. NEVER underestimate the crumbsnatchers!!!

[JGarrick]

Originally Posted by DPline

It was not that I was advocating nailing the windows shut!!!

Just to be clear, I did understand you weren't suggesting the idea when I made my post. I just used the idea to illustrate that in some cases the cure could well be worse than the disease.

I certainly second your notion that anyone considering doing anything to restrict children from opening upper floor windows should consult with their fire department. All these things are trade-offs with respect to safety. For example, building codes give no guidance with regard to to putting a guard of any sort around an egress window well because adding one reduces the risk of falling into the well, but increases the risk of injury or death in a fire by making it harder to exit the well. The choice is left to the homeowner as to which is the greater risk. The trade-off is similar for upper floor windows. Guards of any kind make it less likely someone would fall out, but more likely they'd be trapped in the room in case of a fire.

[JustBarbara]

Originally Posted by robandjulie

If you have newer windows check to see if you have the little blockers that pop out. They look like small rectangular stickers about 2" up from the window join area on the top part. If you get your fingernail under them and pull out from the bottom they slide open to create a block so the window can only be opened about 2". This lets a little air in but prevents kids or toys from damaging/removing the screen and going out the window.

A fairly simple option is to only open the top window and then put a long solid bar/dowel between the windows and the frame (on the top) so they can't slide them back up.

There seemed to be a story or two every summer with kids falling out of high-rise apartment windows or houses, so we think about it, for sure.

Our condo is on the third floor and in my son's room we have these new windows with the 'stoppers' you mention above. The other windows are not open unless I am in the room and never more than 2 inches at the bottom - or I open them from the top. Far too many stories of kids leaning against screens and ...