By Kenda - February, 14th 2012

I don’t normally write at 6 am (even if I’m usually awake), but for the first time since becoming a mother in 1997 I have something to admit: I have a problem that I don’t know how to solve. I know, I know — mothers aren’t perfect. We all have difficulties we can’t figure out. But, normally I have at least a few solutions tossing around in my head that I can try out. Worst case scenario I just keep reinforcing until it sticks. This time I’m at a loss. So what’s this huge issue? My two year old’s bedroom door.

Battling the Bedroom Door

My toddler recently made the permanent switch from crib to toddler bed. As far as sleeping at night goes, it’s been pleasantly simple and he’s taken to it like a champ. Even daytime naps only required subtle discipline…until now. The problem isn’t the bed; it’s the door. I seem to have one issue after another. First it was the fact that he could open it and being that we live in a two story home, that’s not good. Easy enough — I snapped a child guard on the knob. Then he started spinning the knob and banging the door. It didn’t help that the guard glows in the dark and distracts him from sleeping (who’s “bright” idea what that?). With constant reprimand I fixed that problem as well.

Now, instead of using either the bed or the blanket laid out for floor sleeping, he has decided to sleep on the carpet with his face pressed to the bottom edge of his door.

The first time I thought it was funny. Now I realize the danger of this. Not only does it prevent me from getting into the room in case of emergency such as a fire, but he could also get hurt. There are three other people in the house who could very easily open that door too quickly – going to check on him – and break his nose, trap fingers underneath, etc. The moment my son realized I did not want him sleeping there he decided it was the ONLY place he wanted to sleep; every night and every nap. If he’s awake he simply giggles and pushes his body as close to the door as possible to keep it closed and keep mom out. Something needs to be done.

But, how do you enforce something if you can’t even get into the room to enforce it?

I thought about using a dutch door; split in the center so that you can open the top independently of the bottom. That would keep him from getting out and let me get in. Unfortunately, to say they are expensive would be an understatement. Replacing a door to the tune of several hundred dollars for a problem that will last less than a year is just ridiculous. And the door we have now can’t be converted because it’s hollow.

Strike that idea.

I thought about taking the door off the hinges and just using a safety gate. Then I remembered we have a (very noisy) 14 year old in the house.

Strike that idea.

I thought about duct taping him to his bed. Only briefly, I swear.

This is the first time ever that I feel completely powerless as a parent. I knew this day would come, but I thought for sure it would be concerning my teenager and ‘letting go’ so he can learn on his own…blah blah blah. It seems silly to me that such a monumental realization hinges (no pun intended) on, of all things, a door.

Have you ever had a similar issue where your toddler just refused to obey? How did you solve it?