Locked Door or Unlocked Door, That is the Question

[sierrastreasures]

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

[momma2girls]

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 have had several parents in the years of doing daycare, that just walk right on in and have scared me to death!! I have my door locked and they need to knock, otherwise if I forget to lock it, they all know to knock before entering, some just don't always remember to do it!! I will place little reminders in my monthly reminders to please knock at my door, before entering. IN many cases, my house will be locked. Last yr. I even added this into my contract, but some over looked it, or don't really care to knock!! It drives me nuts as well!! Let alone anyone can just walk right in form outside!!

[Daycare Mommy]

I'd let them know they scared you and say that you didn't hear them knock. If they say they didn't knock, you just ask them to knock in the future. I don't usually talk about it. I just keep my doors locked and that solves that.

There was a post recently about doorknobs that you can set to lock, but the inside handle still turns freely and opens even when locked to outsiders so you don't have to unlock and then remember to re-lock every time you open and close it. Good daycare investment IMO.

[Janet]

Holy moly!

If I saw a strange man in my house, I would probably grab for the sharpest thing around me and then let my momma bear instincts take over! Lucky for any would-be intruder, the sharpest object that is usually within my reach are those safety scissors that cut the fancy designs!

I don't lock my door. Every time I hear a knock on the door or the door bell ring, I darn near have a panic attack! (Same thing with the phone ringing). My door is between the 2 levels of my house, and I have hyper sensitive hearing so I can hear it when people even touch the doorknob. I just hate startling and sudden sounds. Does that make me weird???

It's also just easier for me to have people just come on in because I don't want to have to run to the door every time a kid is dropped off or picked up.

[tenderhearts]

All of my parents knock and wait until I get to the door, I have had parents in the past knock and walk in, I use to keep it unlocked only during the opening and pick up hour then lock it, but because of our new front door, I always have to lock it and all my parents know this. I think most of my parents feel funny just walking in. It's scary leaving it unlocked all day during the day anymore.

[JenNJ]

I keep it locked for safety reasons. I keep it deadbolted once the last child has been dropped off for the day. I do keep it unlocked at pickup time becuase I am usually putting on shoes and it annoying to have to run to the door every 5-10 minutes. But, my dcp are great about giving a quicl knock before entering, or they peek in the window and wave before coming in.

I do have a door knob that I can lock from the inside which keeps the door locked to all outside, but I can turn the knob and open the door without locking it. It was the same price as a normal knob and well worth replacing in my opinion.

[AmandasFCC]

I find it easier to just leave the door open. My front door is always locked but my door leading to the daycare is space is always unlocked. I can see it from where I supervise in the backyard and plus I can hear as soon as someone start playing with my gate so I feel completely secure leaving it unlocked. I have BAD hearing and when the kids are playing usually I can't hear if someone knocks or rings the doorbell.

Of course this wouldn't work for everyone. If my entryway didn't lead directly to the daycare then I probably wouldn't be happy with people walking through my house at will, so I would make sure to set something up so I could hear the doorbell in my playroom and keep the doors locked.

[Michael]

A previous thread on locked doors: https://www.daycare.com/forum/showthread.php?t=14784

[Vesta]

I show the parents out the door and shut it and lock it behind them.
Nice loud CLICK from the deadbolt, they know I lock the door, they hear it and it's written into the policy that they sign off on.
One grandma still tries the knob, but this is the same grandma that drops the kid off in his pajamas (no go), so I don't expect much from her.

My husband and I are just serial door lockers. It's automatic, door closes, we lock it. We do it at my parents house also, but not on purpose and it even surprises us when we try to open their door from the inside and it's locked.
It's too the point that I check the knob several times when we are going outside to make sure that I haven't pre-locked the door and I'm not going to shut it and lock us out of the house.

It is your home and they don't have the right to walk into it whenever they please, even if their child is inside. You are not denying them access, you are providing an extra level of security in order to keep their children safe and secure from any yahoo (parent or otherwise) who may decide to mosey in off the street. Or for the kid who decides to mosey on out the door....

[misol]

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. Period. The problem of forgetting to knock is solved. I never understood how someone can "forget" to knock on a door of a home that isn't their own???

You are right - this is a business but it is also your home and you should treat it as such. Do what you feel comfortable with. If you leave your door unlocked after business hours then you will probably feel comfortable leaving it unlocked during business hours. My door is locked 24 hours a day.

[SunflowerMama]

I just keep my door locked at all times. All my parents knock when they drop-off or pick-up and I just come to the door. It's for my security and for the security of my children and the dcks.

If you keep your door locked they won't be able to just walk in w/o knocking.

[MarinaVanessa]

I have this in my contract:

"You are a welcome figure in our daycare. The door is always open to our daycare families during regular business hours. “Open door” does not mean unlocked."

And I simply have the front door locked at all times. I do it because it irritates me to have a parent just walk in to my house and so now I keep it locked. I tell them that for safety reasons the door is kept locked.

[Childminder]

There are door knobs that remain locked at all times, so all you have to do is shut the door and no one can enter from the outside, like hotel rooms or businesses that require you knock. Our local police dept has one. Word of advice though - make sure you have a key hidden outside for when you get locked out or use a key pad lock.

I don't have mine locked at all but have a loud alarm that goes off if it opens.

[nannyde]

Locked at all times. If you want to pi$$ me off try the door handle when you know I keep the house locked. I don't allow parents to walk in without me answering the door.

[alyssyn]

Locked at all times. If you want to pi$$ me off try the door handle when you know I keep the house locked. I don't allow parents to walk in without me answering the door.

Same here. I always keep the door locked. These days you just never can tell!