How to keep a crawling baby safely contained while doing chores
Babies start crawling and rolling around everywhere, making it difficult to safely step away and do things around the house. Standard barriers like stick-on locks also fail when determined toddlers figure out how to pull them right off.
What people tried
Every workaround mentioned in the threads below. We haven’t tested any of them — and nobody here is claiming they worked.
- 1Researching and buying large playpens with matching mats or modular metal play yards
- 2Using stick-on fridge locks
- 3Getting a toy play fridge to redirect them
- 4Providing a dedicated sacrificial drawer with tupperware or play food
- 5Constantly repeating verbal reminders and having them help close the fridge
- 6Using a crib tent at home
- 7Letting the child sleep in bed with the parents
In their words
Unedited, most upvoted first, each linked to the thread it came from.
“Our baby is starting to crawl now and is also rolling around like a boulder. So we need space to let the baby be free and also be able to do things around the house.”source ↗
“My toddler recently decided opening the fridge is the most fascinating thing in the world. I got the stick on fridge locks but she’s a determined little thing and pulled so hard it flew right off 🤦🏻♀️ What else can I use?”source ↗
“Any tips for travel when you have a 2 year old who knows how to climb out of crib?”source ↗
“She needs to be confined to get good sleep with her age/personality. She is already a terrible sleeper when we travel, and yes we have tried letting her sleep in bed with us.”source ↗