Ideas for Keeping Toddler From Opening Door?

[Unregistered]

When I worked at a center all the doors HAD to be unlocked from the inside. Couldn't get in, but just a push would get you out.
But that's at a center where most of them have to have pull down fire alarms and sprinklers also.

At my home, doors to the outside are locked and I never let the kids open them. They have to stand on the other side of the entrance carpet while waiting to go outside. If they get right up on the door in an attempt to be first, they have to go to the back of the line. I make it all taboo to even go near the outside doors and the gates outside, which works great until the parents show up..... then the kids decide they can stick it to me and bolt. All the safety talk goes out the door when the parents open it.

[Unregistered]

Does anyone know where I could look it up to see exactly what licensing regulations are for Indiana where it pertains to outside doors? I just wonder if maybe there was a mis-understanding somewhere. Seriously, I don't get why a home daycare cannot lock their doors. If I were a parent and I thought my child could just run out the door that easily, I would be very unsettled leaving them there. Or if I thought someone could come in at anytime and snatch a child and run, like someone mentioned. That would be all too easy at nap time and after when there's only one adult there, and that adult could be busy helping a child in the bathroom or whatever, and another child could make a run for it. It used to be taboo here, too, for the children to open the door and go outside by themselves, but then a new 2 1/2 yr old came in and started doing it, and no matter how many time outs he received, this toddler must have noticed him doing it, so now she does it ALL the time. Lately it seems she does it more of a way to get attention than anything, because she's been watching us when she opens it, and gets a grin on her face. But seriously, a 21 mo old is NOT going to understand a time-out (and even if she did understand that that's why she got sat in a chair, what good would it do? Why not do whatever you want when all anyone can do to you is sit you in a chair for a minute?) And if we ignore her, she still goes ahead and runs out. I wonder what the licensing people would say if we asked what we're supposed to do to keep these children safe if we can't prevent them from opening the door.... anyway my main question is: where can I find all the regulations for home daycare as it has to do with outside doors?

[Michael]

Does anyone know where I could look it up to see exactly what licensing regulations are for Indiana where it pertains to outside doors? I just wonder if maybe there was a mis-understanding somewhere. Seriously, I don't get why a home daycare cannot lock their doors. If I were a parent and I thought my child could just run out the door that easily, I would be very unsettled leaving them there. Or if I thought someone could come in at anytime and snatch a child and run, like someone mentioned. That would be all too easy at nap time and after when there's only one adult there, and that adult could be busy helping a child in the bathroom or whatever, and another child could make a run for it. It used to be taboo here, too, for the children to open the door and go outside by themselves, but then a new 2 1/2 yr old came in and started doing it, and no matter how many time outs he received, this toddler must have noticed him doing it, so now she does it ALL the time. Lately it seems she does it more of a way to get attention than anything, because she's been watching us when she opens it, and gets a grin on her face. But seriously, a 21 mo old is NOT going to understand a time-out (and even if she did understand that that's why she got sat in a chair, what good would it do? Why not do whatever you want when all anyone can do to you is sit you in a chair for a minute?) And if we ignore her, she still goes ahead and runs out. I wonder what the licensing people would say if we asked what we're supposed to do to keep these children safe if we can't prevent them from opening the door.... anyway my main question is: where can I find all the regulations for home daycare as it has to do with outside doors?

Start here: http://www.in.gov/fssa/2552.htm

[MarinaVanessa]

I followed the link above just out of curiosity and glanced at it and didn't see anything about locking doors or safety equipment for daycare homes. I could see how that wouldn't work for a daycare center because of so many families being able to come and go and for fire safety and such but under the safety section it didn't say anything about safety devices or not being able to lock doors. What it did say was how places unaccesible to children should be locked.

[Unregistered]

I knew it was going to happen!

That's what I'm finding also, Marina Vanessa. I wonder if the licensing lady did mis- understand the owner. Maybe she thought she was talking about a center... I don't know, but this thing of not being able to lock doors has became a cause for a LOT of concern.
This morning right after I got there, the owner had to run to the store really quick. Right after she left, a toddler started crying, so I went over to see what was wrong. Another child sat down on my lap where I was kneeling on the floor talking to the toddler. A grandmother walked in just then, and asked if I wanted her grandaughter inside, or if she was ok outside with the other children. WHAT OTHER CHILDREN OUTSIDE?! I jumped up and quickly realized that at least 5 other children had gone out the backdoor, that they NEVER use, and were at the pond looking in! It was like a nightmare! My worst fear had come true so soon, that children would leave the building without my knowing it. They were only there for a second, but AAAHHH! All the things that could have happend!!! As son as the owner came back I expained what had happend and at least she was very understanding and knew how quickly it could happen. I feel HORRIBLE, and have ALL day! My whole day was shot after that. The owner went to the store as soon as she got a chance and purchased those alarms for the doors. But what if a child had fallen in the pond today? What if the grandmother hadn't been so understanding and had called the state on us? Or even as little as to withdrawl her granddaughter from preschool. What if the owner hadn't been so understanding and decided to fire me. That would be grounds for firing someone I'm sure. Instead she didn't place blame on me at all, but I still feel AWFUL! So much can happen, and it seems the rules that are in place to protect children can actually harm them instead.

[Daycare Mommy]

Unfortunately, here's what I found on the link Michael put up:

"All approved exit doors shall be operable from the inside without the use of a key or any special knowledge."
"Exits shall not be blocked in the child care home."

I hate licensing regs! Here at least they don't care about situations like this. You play by their rules or no license. It's your problem to figure out how to pull off the balancing act of following a zillion little rules AND trying to keep the kids safe and disciplined simultaneously.

I guess your only option IS the alarm on every door they have access to. A nice ear piercing one would be what I'd recommend. Maybe it'll scare them and discourage it.

I don't know your layout, but I'd make the children stay in the same room and within eyesight of you as you at all times. If you're allowed to babygate them into one room at a time I'd do that and if not you need to watch them like a hawk and whenever they go anywhere near the door or exitting the room you're in they get pulled all they way back to where you are. Don't let them get near where they should not be.

If someone thinks its a game, they need to go into a high chair or pack n play to play for a while. Not just a minute for each year of age. For a good while. It's not a time out, it's a safe place to play since they cannot handle the having run of the house and behave yet. No guarantee that'll be the way licensing sees it though. I once heard of a daycare where a dc boy (young toddler) bit another child, so the provider put him in a high chair so she could deal with the bitten child and not worry about a repeat occurrance while she was distracted. The licensing rep, who was there, wrote the provider up because you can't "punish" a child by confinement. Ridiculous!

[Unregistered]

I don't think that turning a deadbolt qualifies as "special knowledge"

[daycare]

you should consider an egress emergency door handle.... it is a one motion inter connecting door knob/handle... both the door knob and dead bolt turn at the same time...

it can be open from the inside, but not from the outside, without the use of a key. It is also heavy and hard for littles to open and close with out much needed effort... They are very expensive around $300-$450.00 for a good one, but it may be worth installing one to keep everyone safe and your business in good standing... I love mine...

[laundrymom]

I would gate the knob. Put a pressure gate in the doorframe in front of the knob. Lile a foot off the floor this is how i kept my own 3 yr old out of her brothers room for a time Or if it's flush put it outside the door, in the standard position. then close door like normal.