Is it ok to lock my 2 year old in his room so he will go to bed and not run out?

Answer 1

honestly most 2 year olds can't even open a door so to most the door is locked even when it isn't locked. If the child seems disturbed by it then no I wouldn't but if the child seems indifferent then yes...Alot of people don't realize that if a 2 year old can open his/her bedroom door then they can also open the outside door. I actually know someone whos 2 year old crept out at 3 am,,,,so what is more negilagent locking him safe in his safe bedroom or keeping the door open and never being able to sleep because your 2 year old might get outside?
I do lock my sons door at night...Not because he tries to get out but because I would be horrified to wake one morning with the front door open and my baby gone. He is not distraught by this. He has slept with the door closed since 7 months when he moved into his own room. In fact it is just the opposite he hates when we leave his door open even a crack. So unless you have experience I don't think you should be panning out advice..
As far as a fire..Most 2 year old wuld sit in there beds and cry not make hast for the front door. They don't have that logic yet. My bedroom is right next door. i can hear every snore cough and sleep talk so it really is not a worry for me.

Answer 2

Um. I would say no. I'm guessing you are having a hard time getting him to stay in bed, huh. It's okay, all kids go through this.

I would try getting him to be REALLY physically active in the evening, such as playing a game with you like tag or hide and seek, where he does a lot of running around. It's kind of like when you take a kid to the zoo for 7 hours, get home, they are passed out. Then, when it's bedtime, give him a nice relaxing bath with fragrant soaps and lay him down, tuck him in, kiss him, and leave the room. He should be sleepy. He might get up a few times. Just keep putting him back in bed. He'll fall asleep eventually.

Answer 3

No, it is not okay, do you love your son, would you like him to remember that he was "LOCKED" in his room as a child? Do you know how traumatic that would be? You need to develop a routine with him. If he keeps getting up, you need to be firm and keep taking him back to bed. It might seem like a never ending battle at first, but he will get it after a few days. If you give in, you are done for, stand your ground, and DO NOT lock him in!!

Answer 4

No, it's not safe at all. Is he not going to sleep, waking in the night or getting up too early? The baby gate is a good idea. Does he have a set bedtime routine, that helps a lot. What are your bedtimes like? Can he be up a bit later (nothing extreme) or you get to bed earlier? Can you set your alarm earlier? If he's waking in the night, how about moving him into your room...better safe than sorry? I realize co-sleeping isn't for everyone, but in my experience, my two that did are more secure and independent than the one who didn't.

Answer 5

I don;t actually lock the door, but my daughters door used to be a little difficult to open. It opens like any other door now, but she is used to it not opening as easy so she stays in her room all night long except to go to the bathroom and downstairs in the morning. She is 3 1/2 right now. I would definitely NOT lock it.

Answer 6

Are you serious?

You're trying to convince a toddler that sleeping alone in a room is not only safe, but enjoyable, and he can do it all on his own without any fear... by locking him behind a shut door far far away from you?

Thats insanity.

Try being consistant and sticking him back in his bed, and patiently getting through all the screaming and up and down nighttime drama for a few nights until he learns to put himself down.

Then he'll have confidence in the situation, instead of dread.

Answer 7

No, what if there is a fire in his room...how is he going to get out or let you know there is a problem with the door locked? Put a child gate in front of his door if you don't want him wandering about, at least this way he will be able to be heard if he shouts.

Answer 8

What if there was a fire? It's not okay.

Here's what you do - recognize that we are primates and that, like all primates, our young children need to be with us about 24/7. Yes, at night, too. It is terrifying to young children to be away from mommy. It also makes them very sad.

What do you do with the recognition of his nature and his needs? You let him sleep with you, as children evolved to need to sleep well. At a minimum, let him fall asleep with you, then put him in his room with a night light between your room and his.

At a bare minimum, stay in his room until he falls asleep. Read him to sleep or tell him stories to help him get to sleep. Make sure he gets enough exercise every day and have no tv past 5pm or so.

Humans have slept with their children for eons. This new fangled separate room stuff is barbaric, unhealthy, and mean to a child. Regardless of what all the people who have similarly ignored their children's needs will tell you.

Is he in day care? When children enter day care under age 1, their mothers get detached emotionally from them. Possibly, you are very desparate for a solution, or possibly, you are so detached from him that you cannot perceive his needs anymore and could imagine actually locking a baby in a room.

Especially is he is suffering the extreme deprivation that day care is for all kids (they NEED their mommies) he must not be made to suffer at night, also. Or what on earth is his life all about?

Answer 9

Since you've figured out No it's not acceptable, not to mention dangerous (fire, ect). You might check out Jo Frost- SuperNanny's books for some great alternatives. While they take persistance & patience the Payoff will be better in the long run.

Answer 10

Come on. dont ever do this. You are making your kid dump by doing that. Children are supposed to discover many things like this. Its our responsibility to take care them "properly". It doesnt mean that you have to jail him in his own room.

If you do this now, your child's growth may get affected someway or other. Anyways you can approach a Child specialist and consult with him about the consequences of putting him in his room. I strongly believe he will disagree your idea.