In the entirety of time that I have been a special needs parent, I have never really had to worry about my kids sneaking out or wandering off. We have been very fortunate in that area because many families have that to contend with as well.
Gavin was the only one to ever get out of the house and wander off. That happened one time but he wasn’t seeking out for the sake of sneaking out.
I had asked him to collect up the recyclables and put them in the recycle bin inside out mud room. I was referring to an empty milk jug and a few empty paper towel rolls. Gavin was very focused on collecting the recyclables and he decided to go out the back door and search for more. He had only been outside for a few minutes when we realized he was gone.
I found him searching through people’s trash, looking for things he could recycle. That one event scared me to death.
The next day, we had an alarm system put in. Now all the doors and are monitored. If any door is opened, the is a loud announcement saying, front door, back door or side door. This let’s us know what’s happening.
The system has worked great. However, Emmett is now actively trying and succeeding at getting the front door unlocked and getting out of the house.
He has figured out how to unlock all three locks on the front door and escape. Fortunate, he doesn’t get off the porch before we’re after him. By the time we hear front door, it’s to late. While he never gets anywhere, this is still a serious concern because he’s very determined.
The back and side doors all have double sided deadbolts. In order to open the doors from either the inside or outside, you need a key.
We have left the front door on a standard deadbolt for fire safety reasons. If we had a fire in the middle of the night or really anytime and needed to get out in a hurry, the last thing we need to worry about is fumbling for a key in order to open the door and escape.
However, it has become apparent that there is a more, immediate risk in not having a double sided deadbolt on the front door. We could always just add more locks to the front door but he would eventually circumvent them as well. Our best bet is to require a key to get out the door. We’ll just have to figure out a way to ensure that a key is always within reach, in the event that we would need to rapidly egress.
How have any of you managed to secure your home so that no one can sneek out and wander off? I think this is an important topic to discuss but it’s a real risk and worry for many parents out there.
Perhaps we could all share some tips and trips….
**Thanks for reading**
-Lost and Tired
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