Securely Locked to Keep Your Munchkin Safe!

by sokadmin · Published August 5, 2021 · Updated January 7, 2022

Your sweet, cute and innocent infant has started to grow up! Their tiny little pudgy hands are now able to clasp onto your fingers tightly. Crawling, walking and now they’re running, keeping up with them is a task! The entire house is lit with this ball of infinite energy, eager to learn and even more eager to destroy. With each day they find new ways to be nuisances but their adorable charm makes it impossible to stay mad at them! Silly but endearing in their own brilliant way. It’s no wonder they bring so much joy to the world!

But…they have now become mischievous little brats that want to put their hands everywhere and poke around right? Their curiosity knows no bounds and they just want to open every drawer, cabinet, and window that their tiny little fingers can reach! It’s a whole new age of exploration, including eating whatever they find and sticking their hands in whatever tiny crevice they can find. So what can we do about this? You guessed it, baby locks. Locks that the little munchkins can’t get around, so they can remain out of harm’s way and not endanger themselves. There are myriads of options to choose from and different types with different articles. Let’s have a look, shall we?

What all do you need to lock?

Cabinet Lock

Just as simple as the name suggests. It attaches across two cabinet doors and won’t budge no matter how much the child tries to open it. Trust me, sometimes even adults struggle with them! The lock can only be released in a particular direction using a very specific switch or motion, so chances your toddler learns to unlock this is infinitesimally small. This way the items placed in that cabinet are inaccessible and out of reach for your toddler, so they’ll have to cause trouble elsewhere! There are several types of cabinet locks that are available.

Magnetic Lock – This lock will have a magnet fixed to both sides of the door. Only when a significant force is applied will the cabinet door swing open. Some have a special magnetic key that frees the bond between the two ends of the lock.
Adhesive Lock – This will have two parts, one stuck to the cabinet door and another to the cabinet frame. Only when the plastic locking mechanism is unlatched can the cabinet door be opened.
Mechanical lock – This archaic method has been used in cartoons and tv shows for generations. Simply inserting the appropriate lock between two adjacent cabinet doors will cause them to mutually lock out. Hence no matter how much pressure is applied, unless the lock breaks, the cabinets won’t open.

Drawer Lock

Another area that needs securing all the drawers within reach of your tot. Now, remember, they’re smarter than they appear and have absolutely no inhibitions. Clever techniques can be employed to climb and reach a drawer that we adults thought would be impossible to break. These drawers need to be fastened and secured such that they won’t open unless an adult in charge needs them to. There have been cases of children locking themselves into drawers and almost asphyxiating. So all possible precautions must be taken, especially when dealing with drawers, to ensure their tiny persistent fingers don’t unfasten them. Two main types of drawer locks are made available.

One is similar to the cabinet lock, wherein the entry into or opening of the drawer is completely blockaded. Obviously, we don’t want our kids getting into the drawers and creating a mess. Or worse, harming themselves because of their clumsy nature. So this way, two birds, one stone! They remain secure and so do the contents of the drawer.
Another is a finger protector type. Now we all know the pain that comes with getting our fingers lodged in between a drawer, and we would never want this pain to befall our precious children. The hurt is almost intolerable and the pulsing finger is certainly no joy to behold. So these locks prevent their little digits from getting squashed; averting rivers of tears and wails that would have otherwise headed your way. Not to mention the sweets you’ll save one since they won’t need to be pacified.

Windows

These days our homes have huge windows. Large balconies or glass facades which extend from the floor to the ceiling. They look wonderful and let in so much fresh air and keep the house lit with the incoming sunlight. Yes, keeping them clean is a nightmare, but that’s a topic another day. But the overall beauty and radiance that these locks provide are completely worth the trouble. In walks our little toddler, eager to open and close them, slide them and stick his/her hand in every little nook and cranny between the slides. And there’s another slightly morbid thought; if they manage to open the window which is of an open concept and not dotted with a proper barrier or box grill, they may falter and fall, injuring themselves in the process. He/she will be lucky if the only repercussions are a bruise or a scratch. Ouchie! But fear not, we’ll be discussing window locks also! The window locks come in various types depending on the length, height, and variation of the window that you have at home. Most are adjustable and reusable so you don’t have to worry about that aspect.

Window jam – This mechanism will get bonded to one side of a sliding window which will lock it out and the window won’t be able to open due to its design. This can be used across half or full French windows, but it will do the trick. Only once the lock is released can the window be opened or slid, as the case may be.
Conventional Window Lock – For windows that slide upwards we can use these. They prevent the windows from opening beyond a couple of inches, so your darling won’t be able to stick anything more than a hand out the window. The height is customizable and re-adjustable, so as your child grows and learns to be responsible, you can gradually increase the amount the window can be opened.
Window wedge – As the name suggests, a wedge can be added before the stopper to prevent the window from being opened at all or beyond a pre-designated limit.

What is the need for various child-proof locks?

Our munchkins have reached that age where they want to explore. Their inquisitive nature is the very reason they can absorb so much information. Did you know, an eighteen months old child learns an average of three news words in a day! Incredible!
This nature of theirs is always a joy to behold, however sometimes as the saying goes, curiosity kills the cat.
They have a tendency to waddle about and put their hands in places where they should not be. And since they are so much shorter than us in height, sometimes noticing what they are doing becomes difficult. Constant monitoring is next to impossible.
So our one-stop solution becomes these invaluable locks. They can prevent the child from opening drawers, cabinets, and windows without proper adult supervision.
Our cabinets may have something heavy placed inside, the drawer may get a finger stuck in it and the window…the possibilities are endless.
The need for locks cannot be more emphasized. They will protect the children and protect the valuable contents of the drawers as well as cabinets.

We, as a human race, are always on the lookout to innovate and protect ourselves. While we may argue and say that we never had child locks when we were younger and turned out fine, we must understand that the times have changed. Because aesthetics matter much more than they used to earlier, we have smooth slippery surfaces and defined sharp edges that dot the house. Our storage needs have gone up significantly and so we have more cabinets and drawers. We love ‘open concept’ houses with large openable full-length windows. With all these changes, the perils associated with a toddler exploring cannot be discounted. Our lives do not include a 24×7 surveillance of our children, it is just not possible realistically speaking.

So the solution is the usage of these knick-knacks, they will help maintain calm amidst the chaos. Your child can explore freely and learn about new things, without you fearing them breaking an invaluable item, falling into a drawer, and worse of all, injuring themselves. Once all the drawers, cabinets, and windows are securely fastened, you can take joy in observing the inquisitive nature of your tot! It’s no wonder our population is booming, who wouldn’t want this ball of energy at home? Pick up the child locks now, you’ll smile and so will your little munchkin.