Shut the Refrigerator Door!

Updated on April 29, 2011
E.B. asks from Tacoma, WA
12 answers

I am sick of telling my three year old to get out of the fridge. He listens when I say it..Then in five minutes is sticking his head back in it. He has dumped two full cartons of eggs, dumped juice, whole boxes of strawberries and sooo much more. I have done the time out, love and logic stuff. He doesnt care. I take his favorite stuffy away and he just goes oh well.

We have tried every sort of child proof lock known to man. I have even tried industrial stuff. Please tell me i dont need to get a pad lock on it!! Have any of you ever dealt with this? He will even get a stool and climb up to the freeze. I keep nothing in it anymore. It is all out in our garage freezer. I refuse to get a second fridge!

It has gotten to the point where I have to stick him in a car seat so i can shower! It is totally nuts. I have never had my older two do this. they know the fridge is off limits except adults and to ask.

I have talked to his Occupational Therapist and she doesnt even have any answers for this one. I have done everything she has suggested. Today was the final straw for me. It has to stop!

What can I do next?

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So What Happened?

Not at this house. That is what the problem is. We have always lived in a house that we could gate it off. Our kitchen and family room are all one area. And it is a completely open lay out. The island is set up that doing a gate would be impossible. We have tried our long long long gate with the door even. it cant wrap around right.

I have tried the Safety first fridge locks, most the store brands from Fred meyers, target, wall mart and babies r us. We have tried strong adhesives with the locks. He watches us open them. It only takes him one watch and he has it. Or he will tug until the glue pops.

My older two dont go into it. they will come and ask Either my hub or I possibly our housemate. Then one of us gets what they want. It has always just been a non issue until we moved in to this house.

Its a fridge on bottom and then the freezer that is smaller on top.

He does it from the time he gets up to on. He will do it after meals. Or get down from his seat and start repeating ''I want something else'' over and over. I know he is not hungry. I am starting to think it is because he is bored. We have tried to set his play kitchen up next to the island. We started finding food the the microwave and fridge portion.
I think I am at the end of the option rope. I guess a pad lock is what it will require. thank you ladies.

I do Mamy Of 2...I will trade you..reform mine for me and I will bask in your little one loving to shut the door:) I am kidding;) I am very proud how smart he catches on! I wish he would do the same for me listening wise. I talked to his OT teacher today about some of the issuesat hand..We are going to see what we can do more togther and then again at home...thank you so so much!!!

Featured Answers

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M.P.

answers from Pittsburgh on

Tell him that the refrigerator monster will get him!

Kidding! Sort of.

Or you could get an alarm that goes off when he opens it.

2 moms found this helpful

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K.M.

answers from Chicago on

is your kitchen lay out such that you can gate it off so the kitchen is off limits to him in general ... that is what we had to do.

2 moms found this helpful
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S.N.

answers from Minneapolis on

I would give him a lower drawer (even if you have to buy one of those plastic stack drawers from Target and put 'his' snacks in it and see if that works.

How is he getting the locking devices off the fridge?? That doesn't seem right.... maybe you're not using one specifically for fridges?? And yes, one of my uncles had to actually put a chain and padlock on his fridge!!!

1 mom found this helpful

J.G.

answers from St. Louis on

Do your older kids now have fridge access? I am curious because I had a hard time with this with my younger two because the older two were old enough that they didn't have to ask every time they needed something from the fridge. For some reason this messes with the dynamic.

Like the younger ones know they are all my children. The older two don't ask and they don't get yelled at. Instead of seeing that it is because they are young and making poor choices they figure they aren't opening it right or something. Ya know?

Bed times were a mess as well. :(

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R.R.

answers from Dallas on

Get one of those tie downs with the ratcheting fastner. Put it all the way around the refridgerator. If he has the strength to pop open and figure out how to unratched the opener, then padlock the opener part of the ratchet. What a big pain, but I totally get it, and if you kept it up for a month or two maybe his habit would be broken.

1 mom found this helpful

Y.C.

answers from New York on

First of all, I think you should be proud of your little one, a 3 year old that can open a child proof by seeing his parents open it is very smart.
Without saying, yes, you have to do something, is not only about the food getting waisted but about him not listening.
I do the times out too, and I also have my "evil eye" mix with my "evil voice" (I only use 3 of them at the same time for big stuff) some stuff she gets right away (yay) others it takes longer. Get all on the same team and who evers watch him do act inmidiately. Problem is he is getting away with it sometimes and therefor he keeps trying.
In my house I have the opposite problem, my 3 year old loves to close the refrigerator, even when I am trying to get something, lol.
Keep you eyes open mom, you have a little smarty there =0)

1 mom found this helpful
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K.B.

answers from Cincinnati on

What kind of fridge do you have? If you have a side by side or french door, you could use a lock similar to this:
http://www.toysrus.com/product/index.jsp?productId=4029548
We have ones close to these and a lot of adults can't even open them. We've also used them on cabinets.
If you have a traditional fridge, I don't have much advice for you- sounds like you've tried everything. Good luck!

1 mom found this helpful
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N.K.

answers from Madison on

Have you tried asking him why he keeps opening the refrigerator? Is he playing with it or looking for something?

Maybe he is hungry?

Maybe you can get him a toy refrigerator?

Maybe you can designate a cupboard in the kitchen as "his refrigerator" so he can play with it?

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M.R.

answers from Chicago on

Get a fridge lock or childproof fridge protector from Target or Babies R Us.

My husband's parents had to put a chain and padlock on the fridge because of him. Maybe that's a thought?

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M.D.

answers from Minneapolis on

It also depends on what kind of fridge that you have.

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E.K.

answers from Portland on

Dont stick him in his carseat to shower that's not safe he could try to get out and choke on the straps. Maybe you should just get up before he wakes and shower or shower at night after he goes to bed

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H.G.

answers from Portland on
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