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Don't open the door to strangers!
  • nessamommynessamommy
    Posts: 671Member
    We've gone over and over about how kids shouldn't open doors for strangers, that is what mommy is supposed to do. But they are only 4, 3, and 2.
    Today I was upstairs getting dressed. All of a sudden our doorbell went off, which is strange because it hasn't worked since we moved in. I threw a cami and pj pants on ran downstairs, threw open the front door, and nobody was there. That was a teensy bit freaky.
    I went back upstairs to finish getting dressed and ready for the day.  All of a sudden I hear DD4 saying loudly "My mommy is putting some undies on, just hold on. She can't see you while she's naked." OMG, I was mortified just thinking about who the hell she was talking to. I ran back downstairs, and some poor old man (I bet he was a Jehova's witness), was basically running down our steps.
    Ya, we had a talk again about how we don't open the door to strangers.
    I just had to share lol.
    If life gives you lemons, squirt lemon juice in life's eye!
  • MaryPoppins25
    Posts: 1,687Member
    Maybe a chain lock is in order, that would FREAK me out :s
  • ChibikoChibiko
    Posts: 2,691Member
    Oh my! We constantly talk about how they shouldn't open the front door to anyone as they can't know who's on the othe side. So imagine my surprise today when I'm in the kitchen and my mom comes waltzing in. Ugh. Had the no open door talk AGaIN!
    U R who U think U R

    "You were the truth I would rather lose than to have never lain beside at all"
  • nessamommynessamommy
    Posts: 671Member
    @eapple I've been talking to dh about getting a bolt lock at the top of both doors. Hopefully that will contain them. I usually don't worry too much bc our town is tiny, and whle we are the new kids on the block, we've met almost all of our neighbors.
    If life gives you lemons, squirt lemon juice in life's eye!
  • ImWendyImWendy
    Posts: 6,561Member
    Wait, so the doorbell rang and no one was there, but then someone knocked? That's weird!!

    There's a certain kind of deadbolt (i have no idea what it's called) that automatically engages. On the outside you have to have a key, but the inside had a knob you twist while turning the doorknob. Kids usually have to use two hands to maneuver the doorknob, so they wouldn't be able to turn the doorknob and the deadbolt at the same time. I really like them because you don't have to remember to engage it.
    deus ex machina
  • chaosmomchaosmom
    Posts: 3,846Member
    We've been running into that issue lately as well. We rarely get visitors that knock. It's either our landlord, neighbor or someone trying to sell meat out of a truck. Everyone else just walks in lol. But when the kids open the door, the dog goes into alert mode & barks like crazy. Then I have to try not to laugh as the person is running down the stairs about to pee their pants (the dog is still *sitting* at the door!). Hmmm, come to think of it...the meat truck guys haven't been back since that incident. Problem solved?!

    I tell the boys that they can look out the window to see who it is instead of opening the door. So now, that is their job. Even as I am opening the door, the run to the window & tell me who is out there.
  • yourmuthayourmutha
    Posts: 335Member
    My friend put a computer fingerprint lock device on their front door.

    Freakin genius!

    Kids can't open it.
  • BellaBefanaBellaBefana
    Posts: 8,208Member
    @yourmutha:  I like that idea.  

    My 3 1/2 yo is pretty good about not opening the door to anyone, stranger or not, Hell I don't open the door to strangers.  We've had a couple of "early" calls...8 a.m. I send her in my room to be quiet with my iPad or her LeapPad, telling her that a stranger is at the door, and ignore the door myself.  I've got her pretty well trained I think, it's one of the only times I can get her to be quiet.
    Bite me, cupcake!
  • momofdbbmomofdbb
    Posts: 9,059Member
    My DS 4 hasn't figured out how to open the door in the hall yet. It is the main door going from one side of the house, one side has a window unit cooling it the other does not. Every time you go through you need to shut it. Then he can't get it open !! Every time he gets to it " it's locked! " or " it's stuck" ahhhhh!!!! But my mom likes it because he can't open the door.
    " Wibbly wobbly timey wimey ......." The Doctor
    " I'm a leafe on the wind..watch how I soar ." Wash :((
    " Oh the wall had it comming.' Sherlock Holmes
    yea I am geek !!
  • BirdieBirdie
    Posts: 1,750Member
    Dd8 wouldn't even open the door yesterday morning for her uncle because DH and I were still asleep. It was 730am and he had business meetings here in town and was just stopping to say hi. She refused to open it. Didn't come to wake us up either. We found out when my MIL called and told us that she had lunch with BIL and he told her what dd did. I'm glad she's listening to us.

    SMSM_s_5

  • lifeisgood
    Posts: 482Member
    @Birdie - So you're DD8 has more sense than her Uncle who shows up with no warning at 730am?? Good for her and good for you!!!   My entire family knows the only one welcome at my door at 730am (or anytime unannounced actually) would be publisher's clearing house to deliver my prize. 
  • GingersnapGingersnap
    Posts: 7,302Member
    @ImWendy - can you send a link to that lock combo please? I've got wanderers and I know other parents of special needs wanderers might be interested. 
    image
  • MorganD
    Posts: 3,456Member
    My kids like to open the door when they are playing "find", which is just when they are searching for some imaginary thing. Luckily, we live in a small place, so I always know if they open the door. Regardless, it freaks me out bad. I would never have time to get to the .45 if they opened the door to a serial killer.
  • LoveLove
    Posts: 12,889Administrator, Moderator
    The door to this house has neither a peephole, nor a window in the immediate vicinity of the door to look out. It drives me BONKERS not being able to see who's on the other side of the door! Who's frikken idea was this???? I want to know who's out there, before I unlock the damn door!!!
    Sorry, /rant LOL

    My kids just yell "WHO IS IT?" and then you can't hear anyone outside, because the door is so thick anyway... So then I have to open the door, because it's obvious that we're either home, or we've left the kids home alone LOL I've taken to keeping the glass door locked, so that when I have to open the big door, at least there's something!

    They know better than to open the door, but I wish they'd just be quiet, and come tell ME, if someone knocks or rings the bell, instead of yelling Who is it...

    community-manager


  • gamommiegamommie
    Posts: 350Member
    we have those "hotel locks" on the tops of our doors and a gun lock box attached to the wall right beside the door. i had to install the locks when my ds was 3 he could open the door and go swing "all by mself mommie" i almost died bc i couldn't find him! the gun box is new my dh did it so he feel better about leaving us at 430 each morning for work.
  • ImWendyImWendy
    Posts: 6,561Member
    @gingersnap I couldn't find the exact kind. The house I used to live in that had them was old, and the locks were old. Here's one that is self-latching but requires a key from either side. It's the same principle though.

    http://www.doorware.com/site/product.cfm?id=139389
    deus ex machina
  • GingersnapGingersnap
    Posts: 7,302Member
    @ImWendy - Thank you! We currently use old skeleton key locks (takes the key on both sides). I might someday want something different. 
    image
  • ImWendyImWendy
    Posts: 6,561Member
    @gingersnap When I had them, I didn't have kids and they were a bit of an annoyance (though you could thumb a switch to keep it from latching). Now that I have kids, I wish I had them! What is so appealing to me is that you don't have to remember to do it, or count on anyone else remembering to do it.
    deus ex machina
  • Ashdawn684Ashdawn684
    Posts: 853Member

    Our doors are so hard to open, you have to pull with all your weight to get them open which it was annoying for a while, but now I am grateful!  I have a neighbor kid who will just walk into my house without knocking or anything, If I keep the actual door closed he cant get it open.  I also have decrative glass oval on my front door, which is pretty but he also comes and looks in it to see if we are home, I cant even walk around naked :(

    ~Live life to the fullest, or die trying~
  • realtormomrealtormom
    Posts: 647Member
    We're struggling with what to say when they answer the phone... Oy vey!
    The past has a vote, not a veto ~ Moredecai Kaplan
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