2 BR--Safety Concerns-Take two

[JudithM]

Originally posted by PamOKW
I think it's fine for parents to discuss among themselves how to handle their concerns and to share ideas about bringing locks, etc. However, I don't think it's the responsibility of DVC to solve the problem of children leaving the rooms.

Pam, well said ; I agree.

In May we had a six-year old with us on the third floor of an elevator building at OKW. She has been to WDW several times usually at the Poly or Contemporary concierge (upper level floors). We didn't think twice about letting her out on the balcony although one of the three adults was with her .

 

[twinmomplus2]

Walter Drake, sells alarms for patio doors that are attached with velcro. It will not damage the door. And emits a pretty peircing screech. We too have our toddlers sleep on an air mattress in the master bedroom. But... nana is in the 2nd bedroom and since we can not see the door when we are not in there..... we bring the little alarms.

 

[MikeSquared]

You should be able to use a few of those door knob alarms like the ones they advertise in Sky Magazine. They're made to hang on a door knob, you could use a suction cup with a hook on the patio doors, and if the door is moved the alarm sounds. Not only will it wake you, it might just scare the little buggers so they don't do it again. Whom ever asked about the range, I think the knobs just pull off and you could put them in a drawer or cabinet.

 

[CaptainMidnight]

Originally posted by Richyams
How is overcrowding a one bedroom or studio any different?

The kids still can get up in the middle of the night, still wander to a patio door. Still do anything they could in the two bedroom.

I think this is a made up excuse to try to justify spending less points and overcrowding rooms.

Get the two bedroom, have your kids sleep in the master with you, you will be following the rules, your kids won't be taught unethical ways of getting around rules and they will be safe with you in the master.

Little chains and/or bells may help also.

This line of discussion obviously violates the posting guidelines regarding discussions of room occupancy. That is not what this thread is about. Pretending it is is "cheating" regarding the guidelines.

 

[CaptainMidnight]

"Do you sleep with your children and barricade the doors in your home? "

Well, no we don't, and the response seems a bit derogatory. At home the boys room is child proofed, with electrical outlets covered, windows appropriately locked, and no sharp objects, stove knobs, or other dangerous items within reach. For the little ones, we also have a gate at their bedroom door to prevent them from getting up in the middle of the night and getting into kitchen items (which is also pretty child proofed with knives up high, and locks on the appropriate cabinets.) We have taken several precautions at home to make sure our small children are safe.

A nice discussion of ideas about how we could also promote safety for little children in the resorts would seem to be a worthwhile discussion, and some of the snide comments are not needed as a part of that discussion. For example, we bring covers for the electrical outlets. Doesn't take much time. Another item to be aware of is how to get in the bathroom if it ecomes locked from the inside by a little kid. I believe a dime works well at Vero beach to unlock the door. I'm not sure about the other resorts.

 

[PamOKW]

It was not meant to be snide at all. I also think this is a perfectly acceptable place for people to share ideas on how to keep their kids safe at a DVC resort. I just don't think it is necessary for the resorts to be built "baby proof" any more than one's home is built completely "baby proof". Suggesting people pack nightlights, outlet covers, etc. is great. It just seems some of the concerns become excessive and begin to look for DVC to make changes that might make parents happier but infringe on others who use DVC. The set up of the units was known before purchasing. The stoves, microwaves, balconies etc. are not a surprise.

Now, think about putting a piercing alarm on the doors. I sure would enjoy being in the unit next door when that goes off in the middle of the night.

Once again, posting may not be coming across the way it would in person. I understand children in unfamiliar surroundings may need more attention and very young children alone in a bedroom would be a concern. Asking for ideas about the balcony made perfect sense and the reminders about other things like the plugs etc. also make sense. It just seems that this is not really all that much different from home where you've developed ways to watch the kids or from staying in other hotels with balconies where you may not see what's happening when you are in the bathroom, etc.

 

[twinmomplus2]

Somthing that requires the power of one double A battery. I can assure you will not be heard by the next unit. This unit is about 4 inches long. I do not believe it would offend anyone. And as a prior poster stated. If they set it off once, they will be frightened to do it again. It is meant to warn parents not to announce the blitzkreig.

 

[disneyberry]

Originally posted by jk1
What do you do at home?

jk1, in my parents' home (where my grandmother lives), they flip the fuse box switch off that controls the stove and oven. my grandma used to cook at home for years until her alzheimer's symptoms started affecting her, and one time she set a dish on fire on the stove. from that point on, we asked her to please not worry about cooking, we'd cook for her. but she doesn't remember this all the time, and still will try to cook. to prevent accidents from happening, we make sure no electricity (the range is electric, just like at DVC) is working on the range/oven.
this was just one of the many small things i was worried about regarding safety at DVC, if my grandma comes on the trip with us.

but anyway, sorry for the digression.

btw, i agree, a 1st floor unit facing any pool would be a concern for young children walking out of the patio to the pool area when there is no lifeguard.
(for my family, i was worried about Alzheimer's wandering issues)

i guess safety is just something that means packing lots of extra things if you want it.

as an aside, i was one of those children who locked myself inside a hotel bathroom when i was very young, and i didn't know how to open the lock again, so my parents had to send for maintenance to force open the door to get me out.

 

[Sammie]

at the 2 bedroom my family stayed in at BCV there was a lock that was well out of the reach of a child unless they were very tall for their age, or stood on a chair to reach it.

I think Disney has done their part by putting the lock up high, parents have to do their part to keep kids off chairs to get to it.

 

[mmmcq]

We have a 3yr old who aspires to be an escape artist. Life with two teen sisters is just too exciting. On previous trips we've been in a hotel room together or in a 1BR with mini-mouse in with us in a crib. I bought a toddler size air mattress at a camping store for her to sleep with us on this trip. I think a little rearranging of the furniture near the doors might help. And on this trip the main area of our 1BR will be so crowded with the teens luggage..that there may not be an easy way out.

As an echo to previous posts, it is harder to handle the safety issues on the road. The kids are familiar with the rules at home and even though you inform them upon arrival what the "new" rules are in the hotel room/WDW ....the situation is just so new and WDW is soooo exciting....that there is likely a LOT of "testing" of limits that will go that you won't experience at home

Our home is 99% childproofed, but even those efforts are sometimes not enough. We have gates on the top and the bottom of the stairs to prevent mid-night wanderings. Our MBR is adjacent to our toddler's and I'm a really light sleeper. Yet we sometimes don't hear the toddler's door open and close and don't know she's awake until she's standing beside my bed.

Despite a baby monitor with two portable units my DH recently didn't hear our toddler get up from a nap. When he went upstairs to check on her she was standing naked in the hallway (behind the gate) with her hair standing up on end. My DH asked her what she was doing...and she said she was shampooing her hair at the sink. It was hysterical....although it was also sobering. We rechecked the shampoo supplies and bathroom shelves for safety - amongst other things.

By coincidence, not design, we've alway been on a ground level at WDW. So I appreciate that safety on the balconies has come up in discussion and at least made us more aware of precautions we might want to take. That's what this board is supposed to be about.