Kids are naturally curious and tend to get into trouble more often than not! With 9 kids in the house, we’ve installed our fair share of locks and bolts that keep valuable property out of reach and curious kids from getting themselves into danger. Check out all our favorite babyproofing tools below!
I’ve been a mom for 15 years now and I’ve seen a *few* kid-created catastrophes. After half a dozen scissor-wielding toddler incidents, a couple of babies learning to escape from the house undetected and pantry ingredients being dumped aaaalll over the living room, we’ve learned a thing or two about locks!
Today I’m sharing our favorite babyproofing products for keeping dangerous or expensive stuff out of reach, making sure kids stay safe in the house and even ensuring that mom and dad get a little alone time, once in a blue moon.
Slide Bolts
The pantry in our last house didn’t have a door on it, but it was around the corner from the kitchen (out of sight, out of mind) so we had relatively few incidents with kids getting into things they shouldn’t.
Our current house has a pantry smack dab in the family room/kitchen with double doors that never stay closed! We installed these slide bolts at the top of the doors and they have virtually eliminated problems with big flour messes and kids getting snacks without permission (the junky stuff, I mean. They can always access as much fruit and veggies as they want).
The teenagers can open them on their own and the 11 year old can if she jumps really high, but everyone else needs assistance! It’s fantastic.
Magnet Locks
We installed these magnet locks in our last house when we got certified for foster care (all medications and cleaners had to be under lock and key) and they were amazing! My favorite features are that they’re invisible, virtually indestructible and they open with a simple magnet key that can be hidden or kept on your person. Downside: ingenious older kids quickly learn that some strong household magnets can double as keys!
We’ve since simplified to a few basic childproofing locks depending on the naughtiness of the current baby and they’ve worked just fine for the last few years. We also love these latches for a sleek and more long-term solution.
Hinge Lock
Lots of moms I know now use these but I’d never even seen this simple kind of hinge lock until a few years ago. We installed this one on the inside of our bedroom door because most of our kids have figured out how to unlock our interior doors from the outside and sometimes you just gotta be CERTAIN you won’t be interrupted… if you catch my drift.
There are also heavier duty versions like this one that you may have seen on hotel doors. These are perfect for an exterior door to keep adventuring toddlers inside and safe. There’s nothing quite as terrifying as learning that your little walker knows how to open the door to the outside!
Swing Door Lock
I’m actually not sure what to call these types of hotel door locks but they are pretty fantastic and crazy durable! I have one on the front door to our guest house so that I can lock myself in when I’m working. I love that the kids can open the door a crack and bring me snacks they need opened or tell me something important but they can’t barge in! Because let’s be honest, once a swarm of kids enters your space, it’s like herding cats trying to get them all back out again.
A Note on Babyproof Door Handles
I personally love the look of these lever type door handles, BUT I will most likely not install them in my house again. We replaced all the original door knobs with these in our old house and immediately regretted it. Kids can learn to open them SO early! I’ve seen 1 year olds learn to walk and almost immediately be able to leave a room (or even a house!) with the aid of these door handles.
Definitely not a reason to change your decor if you already have them, but I thought it was worth mentioning for new moms, grandmas or anyone who hasn’t yet dealt with an adventuring little one!
Do you have any highly effective locks or babyproofing hacks around your house? I’d love to hear about them in the comments!
Check out more baby tips here!
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