Should I "lock" her in?...

[robin480az]

i wouldnt lock her in..but try a gate,or something else..its very dangerous for her to roam free at night..good luck

 

[Mom2all]

My 3 year old son, ( now 20), left his room one night, unlocked the front door and went out to get his dog. I'm a lucky woman that I found the front door still open, but Adam safely sleeping on the couch. I locked the doors after that. I know that the arguments are for safety but a child proofed room is much safer that free access and sleeping parents.

One more thought... In terms of fire, (which I think everyone seemed concerned) you should know that your child is safer with the door closed. Put an alarm in bedroom if your worried. A closed door blocks fire from spreading as quickly. And honestly, a baby leaving her room on her own during a fire has about a 2% chance of getting out. Locked in, at least you know where to go to get your baby in case you have to.
One of the fires we responded to the Dad had been able to throw 1 child from the bedroom window. He couldn't find his other 4 who died in the hallway where they had run on their own. Scary.

 

[ElliottCarasDad]

My 3 year old son, ( now 20), left his room one night, unlocked the front door and went out to get his dog. I'm a lucky woman that I found the front door still open, but Adam safely sleeping on the couch. I locked the doors after that. I know that the arguments are for safety but a child proofed room is much safer that free access and sleeping parents.

One more thought... In terms of fire, (which I think everyone seemed concerned) you should know that your child is safer with the door closed. Put an alarm in bedroom if your worried. A closed door blocks fire from spreading as quickly. And honestly, a baby leaving her room on her own during a fire has about a 2% chance of getting out. Locked in, at least you know where to go to get your baby in case you have to.
One of the fires we responded to the Dad had been able to throw 1 child from the bedroom window. He couldn't find his other 4 who died in the hallway where they had run on their own. Scary.

For us it was pretty logical. Our kids would get up at night and get into shit without us waking up...
Probability ~50% of the time
Probability of an actual fire that they could escape from in the middle of the night without any intervention from us in our house, ~0.01%

 

[Sallyskidshop]

I would definitely not lock the child in a bedroom.

Have you thought about putting sides on the bed?

 

[Mom2all]

So I've thought about it some more...

Pro's of having a child-safe door lock, baby monitor in place, in a child proofed room with a smoke alarm installed, versus a open door.


Pros:
<LIST type="decimal">

1. 
   <LI>
2. I will know where my child is at all times, able to hear her and in the case of an emergency will have a bee line to exactly where she is.</LI>
   <LI>
3. I will not have to worry about her getting out of the house when I am sleeping or getting into poison, electrical outlets, or hurt by one of the hundreds of toddler related injuries or deaths that occur each year.</LI>
   <LI>
4. In the case of a fire, my child is safer from the chance of smoke inhalation and it gives me the a few more minutes to get to her before fire would enter her room.</LI>
   <LI>
5. I'd sleep better knowing she was safe.</LI>
   <LI>
6. I'd be able to hear her better through a monitor in her room than by listening with a sleep fogged ear to sounds in the house.</LI>

</LIST>Cons:

<LIST type="decimal">

1. 
   <LI>
2. It sounds really bad to say I lock my child in.</LI>
   <LI>
3. I want my toddler to explore her surroundings and be able to feel free???? I'm really at a loss to what the con's would be. Sorry!</LI>

</LIST>I am a 911 operator. SO.. for me its all about safety. I couldn't even begin to count the deaths of children that we have gotten called to in my 17 years there. 95% of them happened when the parents weren't in the room.