With my first child I was a great mom.  I left all the cleaners, etc. under the counter and just trained him to not touch what he wasn't supposed to.  I was amazing.

After child #8, with the last 3 in 3 years, and homeschooling 5 of them, I have resorted to trying to keep everything out of their reach.  At least the stuff which would kill them.  But Nathan could climb like a monkey, and Mercy just gets into everything anyway.  Finally, out of desperation, we needed to latch under the sink and also our cabinet which holds our DVDs under the TV. 

Those child proof things are expesive, even at Wal Mart, so here's what we did.  We took those linking things... you know - the ones which you can string toys onto the carseats with? We took two of them and connected them to the handles.   Cheap, easy, and the under 4 crowd cannot open them up.

Hope someone can use this info!

• Post A Comment! • Send to a Friend!

Posted by Anonymous

Just wanted to share that I used this tip today on a cabinet my DD just won't leave alone. She still tugs at it, but the contents are safe inside from her little hands :)

Meshellyn
http://theattitudeofmyheart.blogspot.com/

• Permanent Link

Posted by Anonymous

*Sigh* I was so hoping that you would have a more complex solution for the really talented toddlers! I used those links (we have Discovery Toys Boomering Links) to lock under the sink with my first child and she figured them out around 15 months. She wasn't nearly as exploring and insistent as my 2 y.o. son. He can figure out most childproofing devices. We're OK for now with the undersink cabinet, but we don't have long, and I'm not sure what we'll do after that.

I think that Dr. Sears is right when he says to take how much you think a toddler understands, then double it.

• Permanent Link

Posted by Anonymous

*Sigh* I was so hoping that you would have a more complex solution for the really talented toddlers! I used those links (we have Discovery Toys Boomering Links) to lock under the sink with my first child and she figured them out around 15 months. She wasn't nearly as exploring and insistent as my 2 y.o. son. He can figure out most childproofing devices. We're OK for now with the undersink cabinet, but we don't have long, and I'm not sure what we'll do after that.

I think that Dr. Sears is right when he says to take how much you think a toddler understands, then double it.

Sarah
www.myspace.com/sarahcarol

• Permanent Link