# Toddler's obsession with opening/closing doors



## stiles' mummy (Jan 16, 2005)

Does anyone else's toddler have the obession of opening and closing doors. Mostly sliding doors. But, if my little guy sees a door he has to shut it/open it, seems to keep him amused for a few minutes. But the sliding glass patio doors...ugh









I hope he grows out of this phase soon. He always gets a thrill of slaming them, even though we try to teach him to shut doors gently. Last week he caught my husband's head between the frame when he slammed the door into him....anyone else's toddler have this love of doors????


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## mraven721 (Mar 10, 2004)

Yep, we are there too. It's really annoying when he closes himself in a room and then wants out right away, just to close himself in the room, to want out right away.....


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## kathipaul (Sep 24, 2004)

Yep, ours is there, too. And, we had a cat door in the screen door that the dog and the baby blew out last summer crawling/running through it so now there is just a cut out in the screen. She loves to close the screen, walk thru the cut out, open the screen, repeat, on and on and on. We just steer clear of her. The back deck is enclosed so she cannot go anywhere. We put door knob covers on the front door because there is a pond next door and people speed thru our streets.


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## kchoffmann (Aug 16, 2004)

Yes, he's over it now though. So, don't worry. We used it as an opportunity to encourage pretend play. We would knock on the door, and say "Hello? Who's there?" Then we'd open the door and say, "It's Ezra! Come in, Ezra!" Pretty soon, he started knocking on the door as soon as he closed it and wait for us to say "hello? etc..".


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## EmmaJean (Sep 26, 2002)

My nephew has always been fascinated w/ doors, still is at 3.5! Not sure if that's any help at all, though. It's gotten better over time, not having to open and shut doors all the time. But he's fascinated w/ their new minivan's doors! It's so cute!!!







His mom will be glad to know he's not the only one!!


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## matts_mamamama (Mar 19, 2004)

Yes, my son is too. He's been opening them for a long time now. We have those lever handle door knobs and he's always been tall, so as soon as he could walk, he's been opening and closing doors.

OT a little - how does everyone secure their sliding glass doors so they can't get out of them? I know it's only a matter of time....


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## 2tadpoles (Aug 8, 2004)

When our kids were really small, we had a portion of a broomstick or something that we put in the well of the door to keep it from being opened. Of course, they figured that out eventually.

It is scary, because the only time I've ever had an "escapee" child, it was when my younger boy got up from a nap before me and went out the sliding glass door. He was about 3 at the time. Luckily, we had a fenced in back yard, but it was still nerve-wracking.

Neither of my kids was fascinated with doors. My cat, on the other hand....


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## bobica (May 31, 2004)

yup, it's a thing here too. except for us, it's just the closing of them. we got the foam c-shaped things to put in the way so she doesn't hurt herself. other than that, it is a phase i am patiently waiting out---is there a foot-tapping smilie?


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## Tuesday (Mar 3, 2003)

Yes, DS 20 months is doing the door thing too.







It's kind of fascinating actually - watching how they develop these habits. DS loves to SLAM the doors which wouldn't really bother me except he enjoys SLAMMING the doors in our tiny house when DH is sleeping (he works nights). And, yesterday, DS almost caught our poor old cat's tail in the bathroom door. Oops.







He likes to close the door on mommy and be in a room on his own too (which needs to be monitored, obviously).


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## Stacymom (Jul 7, 2002)

The door obsession drives me absolutely nutso!









When my oldest was about 15 months, she got the tip of one of her fingers nearly taken off when it was slammed in a door, and we had to spend most of the day in the ER getting it re-attached.

One of our hard and fast rules around our house is "We don't play with doors." I think I repeat it about 50 times a day. They love to open and shut them, (slam them) and my older dd loves to shut her sister and/or the dog in a room so that they can't get out.


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## kaydee (Aug 13, 2004)

When my ds first started his Love of All Things Door, he didn't talk quite as well as he does now. He used to get so excited, he'd go "Open open open open open DOOR" like he was a record stuck on the first word! :LOL It would just crack me and dh up!


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## Robertosmama (Mar 1, 2005)

My son loves opening and closing doors, although he had pulled a few door knobs from the doors.


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## EllasMummy (Dec 10, 2003)

DD loves doors too!

Cupboard doors are her favourite, especially kitchen cupboard doors. MIL gave her a toy kitchen for christmas and is has 2 little cupboard which she will happily spend a long time opening and closing.


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## 2tadpoles (Aug 8, 2004)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *Stacymom*
The door obsession drives me absolutely nutso!









When my oldest was about 15 months, she got the tip of one of her fingers nearly taken off when it was slammed in a door, and we had to spend most of the day in the ER getting it re-attached.

One of our hard and fast rules around our house is "We don't play with doors."

That's a rule here, too. I'm glad my kids were never obsessed with doors.

My husband DID get the tip of his finger mushed off from a door when he was about 8 years old. He and his sister were playing and he was trying to get in or out of a room, and she wouldn't let him. Eventually the door slipped.









His finger is fine, but the tip was almost completely severed and had to be sewn back on. He is paranoid about doors and stairs. No playing on the stairs, either.


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## Robertosmama (Mar 1, 2005)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *mraven721*
Yep, we are there too. It's really annoying when he closes himself in a room and then wants out right away, just to close himself in the room, to want out right away.....

Does he cry when he's shut in a room? Roberto does that all the time then screams his head off


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## mraven721 (Mar 10, 2004)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *Robertosmama*
Does he cry when he's shut in a room? Roberto does that all the time then screams his head off

It never really gets that far. Just knocking and 'hello' till I can let him out.


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