Our charming, intelligent, and very tall 2 yr old has figured out how to unlock the deadbolts to our entry doors in our home. I know we can put handle guards on the door knobs, but, that leaves our home vulnerable if he unlocks the doors. I'm constantly checking around to make sure he didn't leave them unlocked. Does anyone know of a product that will "childproof" a deadbolt lock? I've seen the ones where you have to use a key on either side, but I'm notorious for losing keys.
We have a Door Guardian and while it won't keep him from unlocking the deadbolt, it will keep him (or anyone else) from being able to open the door.
http://www.thedoorguardian.com/product.aspx?prodID=DoorG
We bought it at Home Depot and put it up high. The other nice thing about this latch is that if he uses a chair to reach it, the opening mechanism is complex (and strong) enough to keep him from unlocking it.
We have used a door plate (it may be the same thing as the flip lock another person was talking about). They are around $5. You can install them at any height. Ours is up so high, I have to extend my arm almost all the way so the kids can't even reach them on a chair. Plus you have to lift them up as you open them, so the kids can't really even figure out how to open it. They are super easy to install, 2 screws on the inside of the door jam, and you're ready. Good Luck!
M.
We had the same problem. We added these simple flip locks to each of our doors, up high so that she can't reach them. They cost about $3 at home depot, they are simple to install. I flip them on whenever I am taking a shower, or need to step away from my 3 year old for a minute, so that she doesn't go out back or out front! I am not sure of the name of them, but if you private message me, I can take a picture to show you what they look like.
We have the Door Guardian mentioned below as well. Our kiddos are 6, 5 and 2 and none of them can open it. It is also very good for home security watch the video on their website.
Maybe you could try installing a lock with a slider mechanism that is way above his reach. Look at the hafrdware store to see what you can find. There are also little alarms that you can get that beep very loudly if the door/window where it is installed is opened.
Isn't having a smart child a mixed blessing??? Good luck :)
Here is what we used:
http://www.amazon.com/Door-Flip-Child-Safety-Colors/dp/B0...
Cheap, effective, and easy for hubby to install. They go way up high, and the white ones aren't even noticeable.
The doorplate thing is what I was going to suggest as well. The door will not open even if he does unlock the door. And as she stated, you have to push up on it before you can flip the plate, so even my oldest who is almost 5 has not been able to figure out how to move it (and he has been able to negotiate every childproof door cover we could find). Plus, we placed ours way high out of reach so it's not accessible to kids. We installed this soon after my son (who was about 18 mo/2 yrs at the time) wandered off while my husband was eating breakfast and we found him about 10 minutes later outside splashing in puddles in our cul-de-sac in his pajamas. Funny now, but not at all at the time!
When our child learned how to unlock the deadbolt for our front door we told her she was never to unlock or open the front door because it was very dangerous and we disciplined her if she did. works fine.
If you want to install the lock that requires a key but are afraid to lose the key, you could always put a small nail or hook up high near the lock to put the key on. My grandparent's do this for their back door and have for years.
