Keeping a toddler out of cabinets

[sagittaria]

My daughter is 16-months-old and she is in the stage of opening cabinets. Mainly in the kitchen. I have been able to lock down two by tying plastic bags around the handles. We live in an apartment and I can't install the locks we bought. The doors are really cheap and thin and I am afraid to crack the wood and have to pay for the damages. We are in our apartments until October. The entrance to the kitchen is angled and we bought a free standing gate to block off the kitchen. However, no matter how we maneuver it, she is able to get through. And since it doesn't have a door, we have to step over it. Which is a pain! Especially with me being nine months pregnant.

Once the baby is born, this will be more of a dilemma. My husband works and it is usually me and my daughter. It will be hard to juggle a newborn and a curious toddler. If I am feeding the baby and my daughter decides to get into the cabinets, I am pretty much in trouble. LOL. Does anyone have any suggestions on what I can do? Is there any, relatively inexpensive locks that don't require screws I can use? Is there another solution that I am missing? Help is greatly appreciated!

[crunchymama]

Can you put the gate in front of the cabinets? (or would that create a hazard with her maybe pulling the gate over on herself?)

Try something like this--- that doesn't require screws. There are some adhesive locks. maybe that would be better for an apartment.
http://babyproofing.safetysuperstore...k/?category=13

or http://babyproofing.safetysuperstore...g/?category=13
(snaps on)


one thing you can do is to work to teach your older dd about "rules"-- I know how curious toddlers can be and it's not easy, but she should listen to you and it will help when the new baby arrives! Be consistent with telling her "NO" and watch her at all times right now so you can correct her/communicate the expectations. When you are feeding the baby, have your older DD work on a game or quiet activity in your sight. Don't allow her to leave the room. Maybe you can have a bag or tote of "while I feed the baby" toys and such for her to play with during those times. You could also have her sit and snuggle with you while you feed the baby-- maybe read a book or listen to an audio book (or watch a video) during those times so she'll be safe near you. You can do it!

[meogan]

Duct tape, it's what we did when we were in a similar situation. I got the duct tape residue off the counters with a magic eraser.

[pansy]

When my brother and I were younger, our parents used latches on the inside of the cabinets to keep us out of them. I remember them being quite effective. Here's a link that has an example of them (scroll down to where it's talking about baby proofing your kitchen, first picture): http://blog.mrbabyproofer.com/how-to...your-home.html

[sagittaria]

We have those latches but we can't install them. We are in an apartment (only 4 months left) and the cabinets are made of cheap wood. They will easily crack and we will have to pay for the damages. Even if they held, we would have to unistall them. My mom still has the latches on her cabinets. We need more of a temporary but safe solution.

[countrylizb]

Do they have handles? You could use twisty ties.

[crunchymama]

Do you think the snap-on or latch/bar type ones I posted would work? I have never used those, but I was curious what was out there and they looked like good ideas for non-installation options.

You may also consider asking the landlord if you can install something if you find nothing else that works. If you get permission ahead of time (it's just a few screws), they shouldn't charge you for damage. Though, if they are very thin, that might not work anyway.

[poptart8]

Are they just knobs? Elastics would work!

[tressa]

Have you thought about taking everything out of the cabinets for a couple weeks? That way you can let her play in then without it being a big deal. By the time you put the stuff back in, she'll most likely be uninterested.

Good luck