How do you get things done when they're in beds? I still take showers when Wiggie is sleeping or napping in his crib. He's about ready for a bed and I'm ready for ideas for getting things done when I can't be sure he's "safe" when I can't watch him.
What do you guys do?

Well, we have a doorknob cover on the inside of Anna's door so that she can't get out. I know some people are uncomfortable with that, but her room is *right* at the top of our stairs, and I'm afraid that she'd wake up in the middle of the night all disoriented and take a tumble.

As for showering, I shower before Eric goes to work. :)

If you know he's sleeping, that's safe enough! :dunno: Alternatively, put a gate on the door to his room so that you're not worried about him getting up and moseying around while you can't see him.

We have a gate in our son's doorway. We use it every night. We keep the door open and a light on if he wants. Also, he knows we have the monitor on so if there is a problem, we know if he needs us. I don't think it has hurt him emotionally. He goes night night without a problem.

I also take a shower while DH is still home in the morning. That way, I don't have to worry about it later.

We close the door to Emma's room, and she is just a hair too short to be able to open it herself. We used to keep it slightly open, but we'd have to keep the gate at the top of the stairs closed, and the dog didn't like that. :rolleyes: When she's in her room with the door closed, we have the baby monitor on.

I was a little squeamish about keeping her door closed at first, but she used to visit us in the middle of the night and freak us out. It's actually recommended for fire safety to keep the door closed, which made me feel slightly better. :)

I'm asking mainly because my husband will be in Iraq for a year and I think I'd like to take a shower more often. :lol2:
I was going to put a gate on the bedroom door, but still wondered if anyone let their kids kind of wander while they were in the bathroom or something. Not wander... just not be contained. And I'll have an infant in a few months and will have to work it around 2 of them!
I don't know why I don't like closing the door, but I'm not comfortable with that.

We do the gate thing in his room while he is asleep. When I shower, I usually put him in the playroom and turn a movie on.

We have the top of the stairs gated off and then doors to rooms we don't want them in closed off. They will walk into our room when they wake up, whether its to get in bed with us when we are sleeping or to see us when we are taking a shower (I just don't close the door too tightly)

I used to gate the top of the stairs so that when I got in the shower Alyssa wouldn't be able to go downstairs. Now he is 3 and when I get in the shower I put a movie on in my bedroom and tell her where I am . I leave the door to the bathroom open and I can see right down the hall to where she would go if she were to go downstairs. I also make sure all the house doors are locked and we have chain locks on the doors (did you see THE NANNY on ABC.she did this) so that she can't get out. I would never let my child wander but DH saw that episode and thought about it..Alyssa wakes up in the middle of the night and likes to come to our room but sometimes goes to her brothers. He was afraid if she was wandering she might just wander outside since she can open doors so he installed them.

Jayne

I close their bedroom door tightly and they can't open it. We used to have a gate at the top of the stairs but I don't want them leaving their room and wandering into the guest BR (with the iron and ironing board always up) or in the bathroom without me knowing so I'd rather lock them in their room and know they can get out - if that makes any sense :crazy:

ETA: I only do this when they are napping and have the monitor on in case I'm showering or on another level of the house and they aren't scared as long as they have their nightlight on.

A lot of the time I shower at night after they're in bed. Sometimes I put a movie in that I know they really like and take a shower while they watch that. If they're awake I do try to be fast, but they're usually fine.

My house is totally & completely childproofed. We have a gate so that he cant get into the basement, but other than that, he just plays if I have to shower (which, I do before DH goes to work UNLESS he's traveling) while the twins are napping in their cribs.
I dont shut him in his room, ever. he is incredibly fearful of that, so I respect that and could not do that to him.

I usually just turn a movie on for Olivia. Sometimes she will come into the bathroom with me while I shower and sit on the toilet (with the lid closed). We usually sing songs together while I shower.

Jackson co-sleeps, which means when I'm up, he's up. When I shower, Jackson just plays in the bathroom with toys. We sing, he dances, etc. It's actually pretty fun!

When your baby comes, you can use the bouncy seat. I did that for many many months while I got ready for work. :nod: Can you have Wiggie in the bathroom with you and lock the door so he stays in there with you if he's awake? Otherwise, I would use a babygate at his doorway if you don't feel comfortable with closing/locking the door.