How do you toddler-proof your resort room?

[Claudia1]

I did a search but did not find a specific thread on this. I'm most concerned about securing doors. Even with the safety latch, she can still open the door enough to get her fingers pinched. I have considered duct tape.

What have you done that worked and also didn't work?

 

[debster812]

I think the actual outside hotel door is probably too heavy for your average toddler to get open. Not just heavy, but they have to get the handle or knob turned as well. I think that will be OK.

What we have done with bathroom doors (light enough for little ones to open) is to put a towel over the top of it, so that it cannot close all the way. No pinched fingers.

Then, a quick once over for all the regular stuff. Safety plugs, tuck up any stray wires, etc.

 

[Kermit]

Our DS just turned 2, and we basically just watch him like a hawk in hotel rooms.

It's not easy. There aren't a lot of high shelves to put things on in a hotel room. We also use the latch to keep the door shut, but he is strong enough to open the door. And he ALWAYS wants to go out and do something exciting.

We've had the most luck by just packing plenty of toys and bringing the portable DVD player from the car into the room. If we give him lots of interesting options, he's not as determined to destroy things.

 

[Skroops]

I forgot all about toddler proofing the hotel! I am so glad you started this thread...great ideas! I'm leaving for the Ft. Wilderness Cabins in the a.m., and I won't forget the outlet covers and your other ideas. Thank you

 

[luvthatduke]

* Bump *

 

[all4fun]

We always bring those little plastic plug-in covers but that's about it. like the pp said, we keep things up high and if there are any drawers or cupboards we make sure there isn't anything in there that can hurt him. Since we haved been staying in a 1-bdrm Boardwalk Villa we also have to watch him like a hawk since there is also a small kitchen and of course nothing is baby proofed. We also use one of those shoe bags that hooks over the top of the door to put our toilletries in, which keeps things up out of his reach. Ours is a cheap-o plastic one from Walmart. It folds up nice and small so it doesn't take up much room in the suitcase. It's been really handy. There are also play pens so we would use that if necessary (although ds doesn't like being in one!) As for the doors, I suppose you could bring some door handle covers but you might have to bring both the kind for the lever style door handles and the normal round ones since the hotel room could have either kind. The last trip he was tall enough to reach up and unlatch the door (lever style door handle) so we kept the extra security lock on top latched. The other thing that was annoying me was the light switches are lower down than at home, and ds loved to switch the lights on and off but I never figured out how to stop him from doing it and since it's not really a safety hazzard, oh well, we just lived with it. Still learning cause and effect, ya know!

 

[estherhead]

Take an over the door plastic shoe holder ($8.00 at Target.) It keeps the bathroom door from closing tight and you can keep all the things you don't want tiny fingers in at the top out of their reach. This was a life saver when we had small ones. Shampoo, make-up, shaving cream suddenly become your worst nightmare when in a tiny room with low shelving. And move all the chairs so they can't climb. Unless you have a chair dragger (my eldest)and then you're on your own.

Esther

 

[Colinsmom]

Our 2 year old easily opened the door out to the hallway! The straight handles are so much easier for kids to open than round knobs. Fortunately, the extra lock (the replacement for the chain - whatever it is called) kept him from escaping.

Our greatest fear was that the TV was going to fall off - he loved pulling on the shelf that the TV was on and swiveling it. But fortunately, we had no serious incidents!

I do recommend a light sensor nightlight - we took two, one for the sleeping area and one for by the sinks. Got them at Target for $4-5 each, and they gave off just enough light to get around the room at night without turning on any lights and waking DS.

 

[luvthatduke]

Our 2 year old easily opened the door out to the hallway! The straight handles are so much easier for kids to open than round knobs. Fortunately, the extra lock (the replacement for the chain - whatever it is called) kept him from escaping.

Our greatest fear was that the TV was going to fall off - he loved pulling on the shelf that the TV was on and swiveling it. But fortunately, we had no serious incidents!

I do recommend a light sensor nightlight - we took two, one for the sleeping area and one for by the sinks. Got them at Target for $4-5 each, and they gave off just enough light to get around the room at night without turning on any lights and waking DS.

"the extra lock (the replacement for the chain - whatever it is called) kept him from escaping."

This is our big fear - what resort did you stay at?
We're staying at ASMo, & I saw a pic of their inside doors,
- it didn't look like there was anything but a deadbolt & flat handle,
which were plenty low enough for my 3 foot toddler to open!

 

[Colinsmom]

We were at AKL. I've never stayed at any of the All Stars resorts, but I thought that all hotels (at least all I've stayed at) have the type of security chain on them?? Hopefully someone who has BTDT can answer this for you!!

 

[luvthatduke]

Thanks Colinsmom,
Yes, I thought the same as you
but unless I missed it I could not
see a safety chain/lock or anything
beyond the door handle & deadbolt.
I'll post this question tonight,
(over on the Resorts Board I think)
and also double check some photos online.

 

[ilovemyears]

The first thing we did when our boys were toddlers was unplug the phone before they racked up calls to Japan.

We also used the "up high" door locks.

They were never into electrocuting themselves, so we never had to worry about outlet covers.

Good luck!

 

[mommyrom]

For preventing pinched fingers in our doors at home, we have had great success with one of those foam door cuffs. It fits inside the door hinge area out of little fingers reach and it prevents the door from closing tightly (unless it is slammed VERY hard...). I will definitely pack one of these for the bathroom door at the resort! I found ours at Target, but have also seen the "Safety First" brands at Babies/Toys R Us. We also usually ask for extra pillows to place between the bedside and the nightstand table, so no sleepy little heads crash during the night. My older DS once banged his head against that wood real hard one vacation in his sleep rolling over and have always protected this area during sleeping since then!

 

[all4fun]

For preventing pinched fingers in our doors at home, we have had great success with one of those foam door cuffs. It fits inside the door hinge area out of little fingers reach and it prevents the door from closing tightly (unless it is slammed VERY hard...). I will definitely pack one of these for the bathroom door at the resort! I found ours at Target, but have also seen the "Safety First" brands at Babies/Toys R Us.

We also found some of these at the Dollar store and use them at home. Just thought I would mention that!

 

[lovethattink]

I noticed that inside the brochure about the resort, it says to touch housekeeping for bedrails, cribs, or outlet plugs.

 

[tjmw2727]

I always brought outlet covers, a nightlight or two and just used a towel over the bathroom door. All the outside doors do have a deadbolt so that shouldn't be a problem, just keep it deadbolted while you are in the room. (I do anyway!). My youngest required us to bring the toilet lock as well - that I would have liked to have done without!!

Depending on the age of the child you can turn on tv or put some fun toys in the PnPlay if you need a minute to shower etc. We did this even though dd's slept with us rather than in the PnPlay - we used it like a playpen.

Basicly, I would bring what you think you need depending on your child. They often have a few items like outlet covers and maybe a nightlight, bed rails and of course Pack N play but if you need something unique just bring it along. My sil used to bring the inflatable plastic cover for the tub spout and the tub seat, they were a must for her as her son was wild in the tub!

Have fun!
TJ

 

[BevS97]

I found this photo on AllEars.net - you can clearly see the extra lock above the door handle on the door -I've never stayed in a hotel which didn't have one of those extra lockss

 

[kelscross]

I'm reading this post and wow...I guess I'm lucky. My toddlers have never went near an electrical outlet or have tried to open any door unless I'm right behind them.

 

[ksoehrlein]

If you're staying in a Home Away from Home, watch out for the track that the patio door slides on. My son is 21 months old and well into the climbing phase that toddlers seem to go through. Well, this Monday, he climbed from the folded-out sofa bed onto the ottoman, slipped, and his forehead landed on that exposed metal track.

Ten stitches and a ruined morning later, we learned a valuable lesson: when we returned to the room (a studio at SSR), we played around with it, and sure enough, the couch cushions and pillows can be placed side-to-side on the floor to completely cover that track. I just wish we had figured that out a day earlier!

 

[luvthatduke]

If you're staying in a Home Away from Home, watch out for the track that the patio door slides on. My son is 21 months old and well into the climbing phase that toddlers seem to go through. Well, this Monday, he climbed from the folded-out sofa bed onto the ottoman, slipped, and his forehead landed on that exposed metal track.

Ten stitches and a ruined morning later, we learned a valuable lesson: when we returned to the room (a studio at SSR), we played around with it, and sure enough, the couch cushions and pillows can be placed side-to-side on the floor to completely cover that track. I just wish we had figured that out a day earlier!

Oh no!! OUCH!
Poor little guy...
Hope he's feeling better today,
and the wound heals quickly.