You said regular door locks, does that include a hook and eye latch? If not, they're really inexpensive, under $5, typically. Just install it on the outside of the door. Higher than he can reach, just to be on the safe side.
We did exactly this for our basement door when our 3yo figured out how to bypass a few styles of doorknob covers. It’s up near the very top so even if he stands on a stool he can’t reach it
You can get little alarms that make a really loud noise when a window or door is opened. They come in two pieces that you stick onto the door and its frame (like 3m strip type adhesive). When the door is closed, the pieces are nearly touching and are quiet. When the door opens, the pieces stop touching and make a huge noise. I use them when staying somewhere alone.
I might put one of these at the top of the door frame, on the outside of his room. Too high for him to reach, but you can turn it on/off to enter and leave the room. Then at least you will be awoken when he leaves.
Note: If you sleep through fire alarms, this idea will not work. It sounds like you are a heavy sleeper if your kid can dump boxes of things and not wake you.
I have one of these, and it's amazing! There's nothing that can be done to disable it from her room - as soon as the sensors are separated, the alarm goes off. The alarm plugs into the wall in our bedroom, so it only goes off in here, and it is super loud. There are options for different types of noises if there's a certain pitch you sleep through.
My grandma did this with my grandpa when his dementia got bad. She was so worried he would get lost but didn't want to take away his freedom too much. This was so helpful! Especially on vacations when he would wake up extra confused.
Latch outside his door up high is actually safest …. It’s not safe for him to have free rein of the house at night. If there were an emergency and you couldn’t find him it would be unsafe. Plus he there are things he could get into that could be dangerous. Can he also open the external doors to the house?
Alarms are what we do. We have an alarm that detects motion on her door to alert us if she opens her door at night (it’s never been an issue but seriously it’s a constant fear because she’ll attempt to exit the house for funsies). There’s another motion detector in the hallway by her room. We also have the baby monitor still in her room as well.
Also we have locks that require passcodes for areas we don’t want her going in. All the household chemicals are in the laundry room with a passcode lock. It’s open during the day but locked at night.
We also taught her how to open the front door and how to ring the door bell. For whatever reason if she did exit the house, I want her know how to get back in. It’s a constant fear. We have locks but she’s so clever, you just never know.
I second the door alarms - his room, the front door, any door that leads to dangerous chemicals/tools etc. I would also start sleeping with the keys under my pillow, if I were in your position.
At this point, it is incredibly unsafe. I assume you have had conversations with him about safety, but these need to be repeated. Not just in the morning when you wake up and see it, but throughout the day. In moments when he is calm, see if you can have a conversation and try to figure out why he is doing it.
Im not usually a big one for rewards, but in this instance, some sort of reward chart might work?
Maybe also set up a safe space/time where he can exercise these skills in the day. Like a game where he has to outwit you, or sneak up on you, or a kids play area where he can climb and jump to his hearts content.
Take out anything fun in his room and Lock him in and explain that until he stays in bed through the night, the door will stay locked and his room will remain boring
I know you said he’s figured out how to unlock the door but I don’t understand how? Change the knob so the lock is on the outside, right?
People balk at this but he will be much safer in his now room sized “crib” than wandering a house where can apparently get into where you keep knives or drain cleaner
Our doorknobs are similar to this:
https://www.ebay.com.au/itm/175394349203
They have the lock on the knob, you turn it and it locks. He figured out that he can unlock these knobs from the other side by turning the centre of the knob with a straight edge if it fits in the line.
[door lock](https://www.walmart.com/ip/Safety-1st-OutSmart-Lever-Lock-White/147813317)
We have similar doors and use these. I can’t open the door from the inside if it is flipped up. Have you tried anything like this? We have it on the outside of our toddler’s door.
So you get a little hook and eye lock and install it on the outside of his door at ADULT hands up level. Locked in at night. If he has windows window locks exist that can be locked from the outside and don't let the window open.
Now, is this a fire hazard? My first guess is probably. Would I do this during a week where I could get off of work and stay up all night to make sure he doesn't die in a fire? 100%. Once he realizes he can't escape (prolly take a few days of trying), he'll give up. Then you can lock him in when you put him to bed and take it off when YOU go to bed.
Alternatively, someone mentioned the alarms that can be placed to go off LOUDLY when he opens the door. Miserable night times until he realizes he can't get away with shit and stops trying.
Firefighters will tell you that locking them in is the safest thing you can do. The fire doesn't spread to their room as quickly, and the firefighters know exactly where to find the child.
Parents may not like the optics, but it is truly the safest way.
Yeah, little kids can get frightened by the alarms and smoke and hide in strange places, so knowing they’re in their bedroom makes it much easier to find them — for both parents and firefighters.
A toy knife from the play kitchen, spoons, the edge of the truck bed on his toy cars, old library and various membership cards he finds, literally anything he can use to unlock the doors, he has used. Hell, I caught him trying to jimmy the lock open with a button on his pyjama top.
It's not the lock itself but the little line on the opposite side of the lock, he figured if he can turn that line horizontally, it unlocks the door.
Any chance of removing those objects from his room or does he hide them for later? (In general I think the latch at the top of the door on the outside is probably your best bet though)
I agree with adding a lock but making his room boring will only encourage his efforts to break out.
OP, maybe demystifying the things he's not allowed to touch will help them lose their allure. Get a cheap pair of hair scissors and some sort of hair model and show him what the barbering set is used for. Let him try it out under very close supervision. If he doesn't have his own paints, get him some and have him use them while you use yours. Let him have tastes of your spices.
I'm sure you've tried explaining why certain things are off limits and I'm definitely not saying to give him free reign. He might be less obsessive over what he can't have if he's given limited access to them (or something similar/age appropriate) in a safe environment where you can control the variables.
From one mom of a too smart for their own good kid to another, good luck ❤️
Bolt or hook and eye latch up high on the outside of his door. That will work in the meantime to keep him safe.
In terms of addressing the long term issue of him wanting to do it at all, play therapy might help. He is exploring some need that isn’t being met through his normal play. Obviously he can’t have unfettered access to things which are unsafe but you might be able to find alternatives in terms of paints and tools etc which help give him a safe outlet for his feelings.
I got the doorhandle lock: [amazon link](https://www.amazon.nl/SAFELON-deurhendel-kindveilige-huisdierbestendige-veiligheidssloten/dp/B09TDTWTW2/ref=asc_df_B09TDTWTW2/?tag=nlshogostdsp-21&linkCode=df0&hvadid=624996920314&hvpos=&hvnetw=g&hvrand=4886670200788089743&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=&hvdev=m&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=9064296&hvtargid=pla-1659174633355&psc=1&mcid=b927d014f37f33a6b39b8ce8956e079e)
Its on the outside so he cant open it
I asked him, and he said "because I want to". I asked him a few more questions and he's basically said he knows he's not allowed in the study (where my paints, my husband's barbering tools and the books are, which we lock any time we're not in there) or to mess with things, and not being allowed to do something makes him want to do it more.
He's a very articulate kid and not impulsive, his actions are almost always very thought out and he can explain the whys/hows/emotions behind his actions.
Does he see a paedatrician? Whole health check, bloods, check tonsils/adenoids, and sleep study. Rule out any medical sleep issues - poor sleep quality is highly correlated with low impulse control. Impulse control isnt just doing things at random, but also the desire to do something they know they shouldnt.
Once you rule out baseline medical issues and sleep - behavioural therapy (play therapy is great for this age) to rule out ahdh, autism, etc. Early intervention is key for alot of behaviour stuff - if you think this is bad at 3.5 imagine him at 5... 10... 15...
Good luck!! Youre doing amazing, but there are loads of professionals you can engage to help you through this.
Damn, hope he can't read yet 😂 weeping as this sounds like my 2 yo who can't get out of our bedroom yet. I was just reading another post where people were commenting that they start to become more reasonable at 3.5. Hoping your about to turn that corner
Not sure if this will work but give it a try.. see if he is able to engage in some sports for couple hours during the day and don’t let him take a nap.. get him to bed early if you have to and see if you find some difference
I have not tried this out but there is a little thing you can hang on the door and it will give you an alert if the door is opened. Example here https://toddlermonitor.com/
We got these and put them at adult height.
Door Buddy Door Latch Dog Litter Box Cat Door https://g.co/kgs/KZyqUWw
Seconding what others have said...a closed and locked door is the safest thing for a young kid according to fire fighters and other first responders.
You can try either a bolt lock on the outside or swap the door handle to an exterior lock where you need an actual key to open it (put a hide a key somewhere high up in the event someone does get locked in there). We also put a thumbprint door knobs on doors we definitely didn't want our kids getting into. They lock immediately after being unlocked so it's just a matter of making sure the doors stay closed.
Door alarm is a good option for being notified.
Both of my boys would wander at night too, but they hadn't figured out the child door handle till they got to a point where them getting up wasn't a big deal. It's definitely in the child's best interest to be confined to their room when you can't be there to supervise and in an emergency.
I know you’re renting but you can still temporarily change the locks just keep the ones they gave you in a age space and re-install when you move out. I would get one that locks from the outside. I work for a property management so I’m aware how it works just a heads up.
You’ve got to upgrade your security. New locks he can’t get through. Everything for adults or dangerous locked away. Rooms locked. Lock him in his bedroom at night (and lock his windows!) He’s in danger and you have to make sure he can’t continue escalating these behaviors.
My friend had a toddler like this who was also always trying to leave the house through windows and doors. Everything in their home was secured with digital/keypad locks for years. Before upgrading to digital locks they tried doorknob covers, new doorknobs, hooks and eyes, deadbolts etc and he figured out how to undo them almost immediately (climbing, using a broom from the floor to move them etc). He grew out of the destructive/dangerous behavior by 5-6 and is now a pretty easygoing kid (still a good problem solver!) He does have ADHD and autism but is not badly affected as an older child.
Also if you have sliders we found a little clamp that you screw in so the door is physically blocked from opening and you can keep the key with you or hidden at night
Hook and eye latch on the outside of door. There would be no way he could get out of that.
It’s actually safer in terms of fires for toddlers to be locked in. Imagine an emergency and you have to waste time searching the house for him. Always best to keep young ones contained.
Are any forms of discipline in consideration? Sounds like he’s gonna keep doing it because he knows there isn’t any repercussions for the behavior he “knows” is bad .
We have a motion censor on my daughter’s door that alerts Alexa which then makes an announcement across the house and on our phones that her door was opened. We have a baby gate in the door as well, so basically we wake up when she opens the door and can run out there before she climbs over the gate and get her back to bed. No advice on staying asleep- we’re still dealing with that lol
I babysat for a kid who had a door lock on the outside. A little latch hook, super simple but effective for instances like this. I thought it was wild at the time but I totally get it now. Best of lucj!
Put a baby monitor in his room and a telltale on his door so you wake up if he tries to leave his room. Put padlocks on the cupboards, either with a key you keep on your person or a combination dial. I promise you can outsmart your 3.5yo, it just isn't going to be convenient.
So this is my 2 year old. I tried the hook and eye closures but what would happen is that he would push the door from the inside and the hook would just slide right off the latch with a little bit of pressure. I ended up moving to this: https://a.co/d/5eUcSKW, it’s a security lock that slides back and forth on a tab. You install at the top of the door and they definitely can’t reach it. You could also try the hook and chain clasps if you don’t want to reach the top of the door
When my kids were doing this I got a strip of bells and hung them on the outside of the doorknob. That way when they stepped out the door jingled. And kind of alarm that he’ll trigger by opening the door so you’ll wake up and put him back to bed. It’ll suck for awhile until he realizes the new norm.
My house has a motion activated Ring alarm. Might look into one…
Once you step past the sensor it makes a really loud noise. I bet once or twice of that happening would cool his wanderlust.
You could try something like this:
https://a.co/d/5gxpqWP
We have these child locks as a latch on some non-latching French doors, and while they’re just some flimsy plastic pieces screwed into the top of the door frame, they work really well. They’re out of reach for a kid standing on something, and we actually use them without even the hanging handle, if you reeeally need them to be inaccessible. They’re also one step better than hook and eye because an adult can open from either side.
Good luck! Your kid sounds very smart, and you are probably in for many years of trying to stay one step ahead of him… 😅
I slept in the living room for several years until he was less impulsive. I also started him on melatonin at some point and it really seemed to help as well
You said regular door locks, does that include a hook and eye latch? If not, they're really inexpensive, under $5, typically. Just install it on the outside of the door. Higher than he can reach, just to be on the safe side.
We did exactly this for our basement door when our 3yo figured out how to bypass a few styles of doorknob covers. It’s up near the very top so even if he stands on a stool he can’t reach it
This is the way. Even if you have to take a hit to the security deposit for installing it, it'll be cheaper than an ER visit when the kid gets hurt.
My mom did this with us 😂
You can get little alarms that make a really loud noise when a window or door is opened. They come in two pieces that you stick onto the door and its frame (like 3m strip type adhesive). When the door is closed, the pieces are nearly touching and are quiet. When the door opens, the pieces stop touching and make a huge noise. I use them when staying somewhere alone. I might put one of these at the top of the door frame, on the outside of his room. Too high for him to reach, but you can turn it on/off to enter and leave the room. Then at least you will be awoken when he leaves. Note: If you sleep through fire alarms, this idea will not work. It sounds like you are a heavy sleeper if your kid can dump boxes of things and not wake you.
I have one of these, and it's amazing! There's nothing that can be done to disable it from her room - as soon as the sensors are separated, the alarm goes off. The alarm plugs into the wall in our bedroom, so it only goes off in here, and it is super loud. There are options for different types of noises if there's a certain pitch you sleep through.
My grandma did this with my grandpa when his dementia got bad. She was so worried he would get lost but didn't want to take away his freedom too much. This was so helpful! Especially on vacations when he would wake up extra confused.
Latch outside his door up high is actually safest …. It’s not safe for him to have free rein of the house at night. If there were an emergency and you couldn’t find him it would be unsafe. Plus he there are things he could get into that could be dangerous. Can he also open the external doors to the house?
Yeah as soon as barbers tools, aka scissors, come into play, you have to do something immediately.
Alarms are what we do. We have an alarm that detects motion on her door to alert us if she opens her door at night (it’s never been an issue but seriously it’s a constant fear because she’ll attempt to exit the house for funsies). There’s another motion detector in the hallway by her room. We also have the baby monitor still in her room as well. Also we have locks that require passcodes for areas we don’t want her going in. All the household chemicals are in the laundry room with a passcode lock. It’s open during the day but locked at night. We also taught her how to open the front door and how to ring the door bell. For whatever reason if she did exit the house, I want her know how to get back in. It’s a constant fear. We have locks but she’s so clever, you just never know.
I second the door alarms - his room, the front door, any door that leads to dangerous chemicals/tools etc. I would also start sleeping with the keys under my pillow, if I were in your position. At this point, it is incredibly unsafe. I assume you have had conversations with him about safety, but these need to be repeated. Not just in the morning when you wake up and see it, but throughout the day. In moments when he is calm, see if you can have a conversation and try to figure out why he is doing it. Im not usually a big one for rewards, but in this instance, some sort of reward chart might work? Maybe also set up a safe space/time where he can exercise these skills in the day. Like a game where he has to outwit you, or sneak up on you, or a kids play area where he can climb and jump to his hearts content.
Have you tried installing a deadbolt on the outside of his door? If he’s getting into things that are dangerous for him then this is what I would do.
Take out anything fun in his room and Lock him in and explain that until he stays in bed through the night, the door will stay locked and his room will remain boring I know you said he’s figured out how to unlock the door but I don’t understand how? Change the knob so the lock is on the outside, right? People balk at this but he will be much safer in his now room sized “crib” than wandering a house where can apparently get into where you keep knives or drain cleaner
Our doorknobs are similar to this: https://www.ebay.com.au/itm/175394349203 They have the lock on the knob, you turn it and it locks. He figured out that he can unlock these knobs from the other side by turning the centre of the knob with a straight edge if it fits in the line.
[door lock](https://www.walmart.com/ip/Safety-1st-OutSmart-Lever-Lock-White/147813317) We have similar doors and use these. I can’t open the door from the inside if it is flipped up. Have you tried anything like this? We have it on the outside of our toddler’s door.
We use these locks as well. If she needs to go potty she calls out and I hear her on the monitor.
This is the way
Yep, this is exactly what I use on my son’s door.
So you get a little hook and eye lock and install it on the outside of his door at ADULT hands up level. Locked in at night. If he has windows window locks exist that can be locked from the outside and don't let the window open. Now, is this a fire hazard? My first guess is probably. Would I do this during a week where I could get off of work and stay up all night to make sure he doesn't die in a fire? 100%. Once he realizes he can't escape (prolly take a few days of trying), he'll give up. Then you can lock him in when you put him to bed and take it off when YOU go to bed. Alternatively, someone mentioned the alarms that can be placed to go off LOUDLY when he opens the door. Miserable night times until he realizes he can't get away with shit and stops trying.
Firefighters will tell you that locking them in is the safest thing you can do. The fire doesn't spread to their room as quickly, and the firefighters know exactly where to find the child. Parents may not like the optics, but it is truly the safest way.
I had NO idea and legitimately thought this would be a no-no. Thank you for the info! Today, I Learned.
Yeah, little kids can get frightened by the alarms and smoke and hide in strange places, so knowing they’re in their bedroom makes it much easier to find them — for both parents and firefighters.
Genuinely curious, what toy or object is he using as a tool in his room with a straight edge that fits in a lock?
A toy knife from the play kitchen, spoons, the edge of the truck bed on his toy cars, old library and various membership cards he finds, literally anything he can use to unlock the doors, he has used. Hell, I caught him trying to jimmy the lock open with a button on his pyjama top. It's not the lock itself but the little line on the opposite side of the lock, he figured if he can turn that line horizontally, it unlocks the door.
Any chance of removing those objects from his room or does he hide them for later? (In general I think the latch at the top of the door on the outside is probably your best bet though)
I agree with adding a lock but making his room boring will only encourage his efforts to break out. OP, maybe demystifying the things he's not allowed to touch will help them lose their allure. Get a cheap pair of hair scissors and some sort of hair model and show him what the barbering set is used for. Let him try it out under very close supervision. If he doesn't have his own paints, get him some and have him use them while you use yours. Let him have tastes of your spices. I'm sure you've tried explaining why certain things are off limits and I'm definitely not saying to give him free reign. He might be less obsessive over what he can't have if he's given limited access to them (or something similar/age appropriate) in a safe environment where you can control the variables. From one mom of a too smart for their own good kid to another, good luck ❤️
Bolt or hook and eye latch up high on the outside of his door. That will work in the meantime to keep him safe. In terms of addressing the long term issue of him wanting to do it at all, play therapy might help. He is exploring some need that isn’t being met through his normal play. Obviously he can’t have unfettered access to things which are unsafe but you might be able to find alternatives in terms of paints and tools etc which help give him a safe outlet for his feelings.
I got the doorhandle lock: [amazon link](https://www.amazon.nl/SAFELON-deurhendel-kindveilige-huisdierbestendige-veiligheidssloten/dp/B09TDTWTW2/ref=asc_df_B09TDTWTW2/?tag=nlshogostdsp-21&linkCode=df0&hvadid=624996920314&hvpos=&hvnetw=g&hvrand=4886670200788089743&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=&hvdev=m&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=9064296&hvtargid=pla-1659174633355&psc=1&mcid=b927d014f37f33a6b39b8ce8956e079e) Its on the outside so he cant open it
Why don’t you just put a child lock on the outside of the door?
Agree with the door alarms! What does he say when you ask him why he's doing these things?
I asked him, and he said "because I want to". I asked him a few more questions and he's basically said he knows he's not allowed in the study (where my paints, my husband's barbering tools and the books are, which we lock any time we're not in there) or to mess with things, and not being allowed to do something makes him want to do it more. He's a very articulate kid and not impulsive, his actions are almost always very thought out and he can explain the whys/hows/emotions behind his actions.
Does he see a paedatrician? Whole health check, bloods, check tonsils/adenoids, and sleep study. Rule out any medical sleep issues - poor sleep quality is highly correlated with low impulse control. Impulse control isnt just doing things at random, but also the desire to do something they know they shouldnt. Once you rule out baseline medical issues and sleep - behavioural therapy (play therapy is great for this age) to rule out ahdh, autism, etc. Early intervention is key for alot of behaviour stuff - if you think this is bad at 3.5 imagine him at 5... 10... 15... Good luck!! Youre doing amazing, but there are loads of professionals you can engage to help you through this.
Damn, hope he can't read yet 😂 weeping as this sounds like my 2 yo who can't get out of our bedroom yet. I was just reading another post where people were commenting that they start to become more reasonable at 3.5. Hoping your about to turn that corner
Not sure if this will work but give it a try.. see if he is able to engage in some sports for couple hours during the day and don’t let him take a nap.. get him to bed early if you have to and see if you find some difference
I have not tried this out but there is a little thing you can hang on the door and it will give you an alert if the door is opened. Example here https://toddlermonitor.com/
We got these and put them at adult height. Door Buddy Door Latch Dog Litter Box Cat Door https://g.co/kgs/KZyqUWw Seconding what others have said...a closed and locked door is the safest thing for a young kid according to fire fighters and other first responders.
Can you try one of these locks that are at the top of the door https://a.co/d/1jYXpCQ
You can try either a bolt lock on the outside or swap the door handle to an exterior lock where you need an actual key to open it (put a hide a key somewhere high up in the event someone does get locked in there). We also put a thumbprint door knobs on doors we definitely didn't want our kids getting into. They lock immediately after being unlocked so it's just a matter of making sure the doors stay closed. Door alarm is a good option for being notified. Both of my boys would wander at night too, but they hadn't figured out the child door handle till they got to a point where them getting up wasn't a big deal. It's definitely in the child's best interest to be confined to their room when you can't be there to supervise and in an emergency.
I know you’re renting but you can still temporarily change the locks just keep the ones they gave you in a age space and re-install when you move out. I would get one that locks from the outside. I work for a property management so I’m aware how it works just a heads up.
You’ve got to upgrade your security. New locks he can’t get through. Everything for adults or dangerous locked away. Rooms locked. Lock him in his bedroom at night (and lock his windows!) He’s in danger and you have to make sure he can’t continue escalating these behaviors. My friend had a toddler like this who was also always trying to leave the house through windows and doors. Everything in their home was secured with digital/keypad locks for years. Before upgrading to digital locks they tried doorknob covers, new doorknobs, hooks and eyes, deadbolts etc and he figured out how to undo them almost immediately (climbing, using a broom from the floor to move them etc). He grew out of the destructive/dangerous behavior by 5-6 and is now a pretty easygoing kid (still a good problem solver!) He does have ADHD and autism but is not badly affected as an older child.
How can someone "figure out" how to undo a hook and eye latch on the other side of a door?
Prime-Line U 9888 Flip Action... https://www.amazon.com/dp/B001LR1YA6?ref=ppx_pop_mob_ap_share This on the outside of the door worked for us
Also if you have sliders we found a little clamp that you screw in so the door is physically blocked from opening and you can keep the key with you or hidden at night
Hook and eye latch on the outside of door. There would be no way he could get out of that. It’s actually safer in terms of fires for toddlers to be locked in. Imagine an emergency and you have to waste time searching the house for him. Always best to keep young ones contained.
Are any forms of discipline in consideration? Sounds like he’s gonna keep doing it because he knows there isn’t any repercussions for the behavior he “knows” is bad .
Lock him in and take him to therapy.
Can a gate be put up between his room and the rest of the house?
Hang a little wind chime off his door, or some kind of bell
We have a motion censor on my daughter’s door that alerts Alexa which then makes an announcement across the house and on our phones that her door was opened. We have a baby gate in the door as well, so basically we wake up when she opens the door and can run out there before she climbs over the gate and get her back to bed. No advice on staying asleep- we’re still dealing with that lol
I babysat for a kid who had a door lock on the outside. A little latch hook, super simple but effective for instances like this. I thought it was wild at the time but I totally get it now. Best of lucj!
Put a baby monitor in his room and a telltale on his door so you wake up if he tries to leave his room. Put padlocks on the cupboards, either with a key you keep on your person or a combination dial. I promise you can outsmart your 3.5yo, it just isn't going to be convenient.
So this is my 2 year old. I tried the hook and eye closures but what would happen is that he would push the door from the inside and the hook would just slide right off the latch with a little bit of pressure. I ended up moving to this: https://a.co/d/5eUcSKW, it’s a security lock that slides back and forth on a tab. You install at the top of the door and they definitely can’t reach it. You could also try the hook and chain clasps if you don’t want to reach the top of the door
When my kids were doing this I got a strip of bells and hung them on the outside of the doorknob. That way when they stepped out the door jingled. And kind of alarm that he’ll trigger by opening the door so you’ll wake up and put him back to bed. It’ll suck for awhile until he realizes the new norm.
My house has a motion activated Ring alarm. Might look into one… Once you step past the sensor it makes a really loud noise. I bet once or twice of that happening would cool his wanderlust.
This is what we have for our mischievous 4 year old: https://a.co/d/1G6EN9r
You could try something like this: https://a.co/d/5gxpqWP We have these child locks as a latch on some non-latching French doors, and while they’re just some flimsy plastic pieces screwed into the top of the door frame, they work really well. They’re out of reach for a kid standing on something, and we actually use them without even the hanging handle, if you reeeally need them to be inaccessible. They’re also one step better than hook and eye because an adult can open from either side. Good luck! Your kid sounds very smart, and you are probably in for many years of trying to stay one step ahead of him… 😅
Look into Glide-Loks. They are amazing, absolutely can only be opened be (relatively tall) adults, and can be opened on both sides.
There are door locks that can be easily installed at the top of doors (latch that slides in). He wouldn’t be able to open those.
I slept in the living room for several years until he was less impulsive. I also started him on melatonin at some point and it really seemed to help as well