Locked Door or Unlocked Door, That is the Question

[originalkat]

I think it depends on what your set-up is. My house is set way back from the street as you can see in the picture. The parents enter through the side kitchen door where they enter directly into the daycare area. That is where I am in the mornings and evenings. I can easily see who is coming and going and I have a dog who alerts me of strangers (UPS man etc...) I keep the door unlocked from 7:00-7:45 when the last child arrives in the morning. Parents are free to come right in and do not need to knock. I then lock the door and it remains locked until 4:00 PM when I expect my first Pick-up. After she gets picked up I lock it again. I unlock from 5:00 to 5:30 for the rest of the parents. If someone were to show up in the middle of the day they would be greeted by a locked door. But during normal pick-up and drop-off it is open. If I had a different set-up I may very well do it differently.
House Set back from the street.

KItchen Entrance

They walk directly into the daycare area which is gated off from the rest of the house.

For me, keeping the door unlocked during those short windows of time and allowing parents to walk in without knocking works well.

[Unregistered]

We are NOT allowed gates anywhere here in Idaho NOR are we allowed to lock the doors !

[Unregistered]

I was told by the fire dept that I had to have it unlocked, then when they came once (for an inspection) we were outside and the fireman came in and asked why the door was unlocked and he could just walk in! Uhhh, geee, i dunno! Now I am not under their juristiction, so I keep it locked. My daycare is completely away from my house, so its not that I care that the parents walk in unannounced ( i unlock during drop off and pick up) but my fear is a kid will walk out! Yes, watch them and they wont open the door, but to me thats like leave a knife on the floor and watch to make sure they dont touch it! I also would hate to turn around and see a stranger walk in to my house!

[Zoe]

My husband was notorious about forgetting to lock our front door when he left for work at 5:30 in the morning and I was very nervous about people walking in. So we bought one of those automatic dead bolts that locks the door after 30 seconds automatically. I lock the door at all times but if someone were to forget, it will lock itself. Works very well for me and no one has questioned me about it. It's my home, there are children involved, it's a safety issue!

[mom2many]

I would never be okay with a parent just walking in and I'd totally be freaking out if I saw some strange man in my house! I realize it's a place of business...but it's still my home and I expect the parents to respect that. Everyone has always been considerate and knocked and I've never had anyone try to just walk right in.

[Christian Mother]

My husband built a gate in front of our house so that it locks from the inside. It's the only way they can get into the front door. Since my door is located on the side of the house. I give each parent there own set of keys. I sometime will keep my main door locked even when the gate is locked bc I had a father come at diff. times during the day and scare the crap out of me. So I began to lock the door after each parent dropped there kids off. It helped a lot. Now each parent knocks before entering and I have one set of parents that I get dcb at the door and mom says her good byes there. I suggest locking your doors. That will prevent them from entering with out knocking.

[mac60]

OriginalKat.....I love the pics of your house. What an adorable house and great yard. Also wondering, Is that vinyl or ceramic tile floor...I like it.

I have switched to locking my doors after drop offs and unlocking before pick up. Always locked if we are out back. I have some parents that knock and walk in, and some that just walk in. I also have some that think they can walk in anytime during the day unannounced with no knock or phone call.

One day I had 3 kids at the kitchen table eating snack and I was loading the dishwasher...I turned around and a person was standing in my dining room, she had walked in 45 minutes early and walked thru living room and dining room and was standing there looking at me.....pissed me off bad. She never bothered to say hi, I'm early, not a peep.....just standing there. Then I had a dad that basically came barreling thru the front door walk thru the living room then tried to step over the gate and nearly tripped.

People are rude. I have sent out memos on more than a couple occassions, but they just don't get it.......I can hardly wait till 3 kids start different schedules of preschools.....as they will all have to ring the door bell before I let them in.

I have been locking my doors all summer, I have even ignored one particular mom when she knocks on the door, I put up a new doorbell and she refuses to use it. ugg.....

[PitterPatter]

This should be quick, in the past I always left my door opened so the parents would have the freedom of coming in whenever they stopped by. This changed while I was in the back yard with my little ones. We had just come in after having a wonderful time in the pool. I ran out of towels so I ran upstairs to retrieve one and low and behold there was a man standing in the middle of my livingroom entering my kitchen. I stopped dead in my tracks and said "may I help you?" I was shocked when he bolted for the door saying "sorry wrong house". Never again will I leave the door unlocked.

Today one of my DCMs left the front door unlocked while exiting. I wasn't expecting my next DCB for another hour and went to work preparing breakfast. About 15 minutes later I heard the front door open and panicked. It was DCBs father walking down to the daycare so I sighed a breath of relief.

I don't know about you but I feel very uncomfortable with parents just opening my door and walking in. I know his is a business but it's my home as well. I would never go to their home nor when my daughter spent the night over a friends house would I just walk right in because she was in their house so what gives them the right to just walk into my house as well.

I can't get it through to one mom and dad who insist on just opening the door and just walking in. I have dropped subtle hints yet today the mom and dad don't even knock they just turn the knob just to see if it's open then just walk in without knocking if the door has been left unlocked.

Can someone give me a suggestion tell tell them how much I resent this? They consistently break the rules as far as paying on time with me having to ask them so I need something firm but polite please.
Thanks!
Rox

I keep my door locked at all times during daycare hours. I am here to protect children and in this day and age I don't trust anyone. I have it in my contract that I will keep the door locked during DC hours to ensure the safety of their children. I also had to add a statement of sometimes before or after daycare hours I may have the door open but that I expect them to respect my home and knock even if my door is open. I have had some bad experiences with unlocked doors in the past! Clients are told the hours but they don't seem to care much if THEY need something. I have people pop in before daycare and evenings. Even once on a weekend evening!! So I started making changes.

Once in the AM before DC opened I was upstairs in the restroom. I had the doors shut but unlocked as I would be right back and no kids were here anyway. When I came down I found DCB sitting on my couch and DCM looking through things on my entertainment center in the living room!! When I asked what she was doing she said "oh the door was unlocked and I thought u heard us come in" The next day I went to fill my Sons prescription and found it was missing! It had been in a drawer on the ent center top shelf!

Another time was 10:00 at night on a Saturday I was watching a movie with a guy friend and had the door open to enjoy the breeze when a DCD just walked in the house and yelled "Hey got your money". He walked in wearing full "BLING" looking like a pimp or drug dealer and handed me the wad of doallar bills which was only like $30 but looked like much more. I don't know if I was more mad that he invaded my privacy or that he made me look suspicious in front of my friend. I have had other times this same DCD and another would just walk in. I hate it when anyone walks in but the DCDs really scare me especially when I have no idea they might enter. I started keeping my doors locked all the time now.

Others are just parent's walking in at will with no knock before daycare oficially opened just because my door is open and they want to get to work early. I'm sorry but this is still a home so that needs to be respected 1st in my opinion. We are not friends, we are not family, there is a line that gets crossed when I can't have privacy in MY own home.

My prob is solved but I no longer have an open door.

[daysofelijah]

I keep it locked. I have some parents that can't get it through their heads that it is rude to just walk into someone else's house without knocking first, even though I have dropped less than subtle hints when they have done it. The knob stays locked all the time. I keep a lock away key under the deck because I (or one of the kids) have forgotten to unlock it when going outside before!

[Unregistered]

This should be quick, in the past I always left my door opened so the parents would have the freedom of coming in whenever they stopped by. This changed while I was in the back yard with my little ones. We had just come in after having a wonderful time in the pool. I ran out of towels so I ran upstairs to retrieve one and low and behold there was a man standing in the middle of my livingroom entering my kitchen. I stopped dead in my tracks and said "may I help you?" I was shocked when he bolted for the door saying "sorry wrong house". Never again will I leave the door unlocked.

Today one of my DCMs left the front door unlocked while exiting. I wasn't expecting my next DCB for another hour and went to work preparing breakfast. About 15 minutes later I heard the front door open and panicked. It was DCBs father walking down to the daycare so I sighed a breath of relief.

I don't know about you but I feel very uncomfortable with parents just opening my door and walking in. I know his is a business but it's my home as well. I would never go to their home nor when my daughter spent the night over a friends house would I just walk right in because she was in their house so what gives them the right to just walk into my house as well.

I can't get it through to one mom and dad who insist on just opening the door and just walking in. I have dropped subtle hints yet today the mom and dad don't even knock they just turn the knob just to see if it's open then just walk in without knocking if the door has been left unlocked.

Can someone give me a suggestion tell tell them how much I resent this? They consistently break the rules as far as paying on time with me having to ask them so I need something firm but polite please.
Thanks!
Rox

A home daycare is something all together different imo, it is someone elses home period. And as such they should be acting as guests when dropping their children off. Sadly you have some very rude people and sometimes just have to be blunt.
Myself I would never keep my door unlocked, and have you thought of getting a security door with a spring....because when they come in it will close shut. But what I would do is personally lock it when everyone leaves. I also have a top lock that the children can't reach so I always lock that as well. My parents aren't allowed too far out of the foyer, and everything is gated mainly to keep the parents out of the rest of my home which works quite well.
I also don't go outside until all the children have arrived, so maybe just changing your routine and being vigilant about locking up should nip that. Worse case senerio tell this lady, and as for not paying charge her late fee's; that usually works. Good luck

[Kaddidle Care]

For the safety of the children and yourself, keep it locked.

You probably really startled the intruder asking him if you could help him when he was probably looking to steal something! ::

Too many nutters out there - keep it locked.

[meganlavonnesmommy]

My licensing requires me to keep all doors locked at all times. So there is no question from parents.

I prefer it to be unlocked so parents can come and go. I am usually on the floor playing with kids, and its easier for them to just come in rather than me get up and go answer the door. But I lock it because of our licensing rules.

Parents should understand that the locked doors arent to keep parents out, but to protect the children. Its so unwanted guests cant come in your home, and so kids can get out. It just takes seconds for a child to open the door and get out while you are in the bathroom etc.

My biggest concern if I were you wouldnt be what the parents think, but the fact that a stranger just came into your house! That is super scary! How do you get the "wrong house", he had to be entering for a shady reason. Either to steal something, or check the place out.

I would just give all your parents a note telling them what happend with the stranger entering your home, and that for the safety of you, your home and their children that you will keep the door locked from now on. I am sure all your parents will appreciate your concern for the safety of the children. Let them know that they are welcome in your home at any time, but they will have to knock.

[Unregistered]

Unlocked at all times. I have never had an issue. We have a busy neighborhood with people all around at all times. I am not worried in the least. My husband has come home and gone in the back way and scared me more often than I prefer but only b/c I wasnt expecting him to come home on his work days.

[Angelwings36]

I used to leave my doors unlocked at all times. Not any more though!

I had a mom show up to pick up her son, she didn't knock, didn't yell out hello or anything just proceeded to go downstairs. At the time my 6 year old son was having a play date with one of my girlfriends children downstairs and she scared the crap out of him. The boys were rough housing and the mom told them to behave them went back up the stairs. I did not even realize she was in my house until she was at my front landing again and only because I had another mom at the door. I was beyond livid I terminate on the spot and was extremely emotional for the whole night after.

My doors are locked now at all times. No one has a right to wander my house without me knowing they are even in it...EVER!

[CheekyChick]

I keep the backdoor unlocked (state regs) during business hours and my main entrance locked except during drop off and pick up, so the parents can walk right in. Not only do I want to keep weirdos out, I don't want my little ones escaping.