escaping out the window

**Liahona** · 05-05-2011 09:17 AM

Hi, gfg2 is escaping out his bedroom window at night. It can open from both sides and is a double window. Its like someone put a window in that can open from both sides and then put another window in that can open from both sides. We glued one side shut on the inner most window (so gfg2 couldn't get to the dowel rod) and glued a dowel rod in to the track on the outside window. Gfg2 got the dowel rod out and opened the outside window. We're going to get a different dowel rod and glue that in. We're also going to get an alarm for the window and contact the police and neighbors with his picture and information. Just in case. Any other suggestions for keeping a window shut. Oh, and in case of fire I'm going to take something and break the window. So I'm not worried about that.

**susiestar** · 05-05-2011 11:09 AM

YIKES! A 6yo who keeps escaping is a sure fire rx for terror in a parent!!! What does he do when he gets out? Any chance of putting a prickly bush right outside his windows? My dad almost did that to my gfgbro in high school when he kept going out his window. If the windows have wooden sills, why not just nail them shut? That worked well for several months to stop my bro. Of course he then would go out the front door and band on MY window to get in. caused no end of problems for ME but he didn't go out his window for a while. Then he worked the nails so they were loose in the holes and he could just pull them out in the evening if he wanted to go out later or if he was out he oculd just pull them and not have to deal with cranky me in the middle of the night. There was always the risk I would tell, after all.

I am sorry you have to handle this. I have a cousin who designed a home for his family. His dau's were on the top floor and while tehre was a porch roof under their windows he made sure the pitch of it was too steep to climb out on. NOT b/c either of his dau's would have dreamed of sneaking out that way but b/c it is what HE would have done as a child!

**ThreeShadows** · 05-05-2011 11:19 AM

Liahona, I don't know where you live, but it might be illegal to secure that window. When our twin boys were 5 they started climbing out the 2nd floor window to play on the roof. DH found some bolts that came with a tool to loosen them. If CPS had been involved we could have been in trouble. We also had to lock their bedroom door from the outside because they would wander around the house all night.

When they were teens they loved to go on the roof and star gaze. Mind you, this roof was not flat! Gfg2 would lie on his back staring at the night sky, singing the Star Spangled Banner at the top of his lungs. Our neighbor loathed us.

**DaisyFace** · 05-06-2011 04:58 AM

Liahona--

Yes, the bad news is you can be in big trouble with CPS for locking windows or locking a child in their bedroom.

That said, WE locked our children in their bedrooms with their windows locked shut. Even though DS wouldn't sneak out, GFG did exactly as Susie described and would use DS's room if hers was blocked. We used key-locks on the window panes. GFG never could figure out how to get around that - though she tried to pick the locks all the time.

When police came to our home, we were very up-front about the locked windows. I told them we felt that the odds of a fire are far lower than the odds of GFG getting out and getting into danger....and they never gave us any trouble about it.

OTOH - a man we know was reported to CPS by his daughters for locking THEIR windows and he had to go to court, was ordered to remove the locks and had to attend court-ordered parenting classes.

So it could go either way...

**exhausted** · 05-06-2011 04:33 PM

We used window alarms and door alarms when our gfg was at first RTC and we brought 3 girls home each night.(part of the program) Many of them runners. When those alarms go off it is so loud it scares everyone. They went off in a storm one night (came loose) and not even the fish were asleep. Your little one might pee his pants and come right back in the wondow! They are cheap and easy to set. Home Depot has them. They dont require drilling or anything. We had to be certified as foster parents as part of this RTC program and in this state, they would not allow locked windows. However, have a neighbor who has a profoundly Autistic child and they use alarms and have the windows screwed shut for his safety-they are willing to do this.