Window Guard

Hi R. - We went through that issue with our second floor windows. Proper window protection is not cheep but it is worth the life of my boys. I did research & found Guardian Angel Window Guards from OneStep Ahead. They fit great (if in doubt on the size get the larger one if you window is close to the cut off size. http://www.onestepahead.com/product/osa/464.html They were very easy to install and they don't look bad at all. There are very easy fire escape buttons built in so if an emergency came up you can get out fast (that part the kids do not know how to do because of their age). My kids are very adventurous and love to talk out the windows to people walking or our neighbor on the plow and I know they will not fall. I did read some of the other responses about using child gates but one problem I ran into with those just even being used in doorways my kids were smart enough to figure how they worked and could take them out or push & pull enough until they gave way, they even climbed over them. Depending on what your windows are made of the small locking clamps may not work efficiently. Using these Window Guards gives me a great peace of mind knowing that they are safe. Plus I can open the windows all the way and get the fresh air in without risking safety. Maybe an idea is to buy a proper window guard for your kid's bedroom and temporally use something else in the other areas until you have set aside the money for the others?? Good Luck & Take Care

I got some from Lowes that are great. You put them at any position and lock them in, so in warmer weather you can have them open a bit and locked in place. I think there were 8 or 10 in pack for less than $10.
Happy Holidays!
S.

Addition: DO NOT USE CHILD GATES UNLESS YOU FIRMLY ATTACH THEM IN PLACE WITH NAILS OR SCREWS. I've learned, with my 2 grandchildren that they can get over them easily, starting when they first began walking. It took a couple of months of them trying.

If you put the gate in the window they can knock it out while playing with it. Because baby gates slide you also can never be sure the gate is locked in tight enough to prevent a fall.

And if the baby/child is active they could unintentionally knock it out of place with a heavy fall against it.

I can tell you that the only window guards that seemed effective were very expensive. I think others have found some less expensive ones but I didn't.

My daughter has horizontally sliding windows and I bought window stops at Fred Meyer. They are small with a notch in the center and a screw. You place the notch over the outside rail and screw it down. That way her windows didn't open wide enough to let a child thru.

They also have window stops for sash windows that slide up and down. I put them on my windows as an anti-burglary device. If the thief can't open the window wide enough to get into the house he can't burgle without causing noise, but I can still have some cool evening air.

I didn't want anything permanent, so I just bought baby gates and put them on the inside window ledge.