A lockout situation involving a child can be frustrating and downright terrifying. The level of frustration and fear may sometimes depend on the age of the child. If they are already situationally aware or can understand instructions, it may be easy to tell them to open an apartment or vehicle door.

But what if situations arise when you accidentally lock yourself out of your car or home with an infant or toddler inside? What do you do then? Before you panic, take a look at the following dos and don’ts.

Don’t Panic

It doesn’t help you or your child when you panic. When you panic, you will not be able to think clearly. Take a deep breath or two, and proceed to locating your keys. Perhaps you have them somewhere in your coat pockets. Perhaps you stored one in a safe place above your apartment door frame.

Do not give in to your emotions so that you will be able to solve the lockout problem logically and safely.

Do Ask for Help

After searching your person for keys without success, it may be time to call for help. If you get locked out of your home, call in a relative or a neighbor with whom you left a spare key. If this is not possible, call a locksmith that can be in your home within minutes.

For those living in an apartment complex, the best person to ask is the building manager or landlord. They will usually have copies of your keys and can let you inside your home in no time.

For car lockout situations, calling the police, locksmith, or roadside assistance for help is imperative. They will have useful car lockout tools that are sure to open your vehicle without a hitch.

Don’t Waste Time on DIY Methods

There are times when a lockout situation can be remedied without calling the authorities or a locksmith. In fact, there are great tips that you can familiarize yourself with, especially when it comes to a car lockout problem. While they are useful, they may not be the best recourse when there is a child involved. You can try the methods once or twice, but if you are unsuccessful, make a call to a locksmith or to 911 right away.

Do Look for Other Means of Access

This tip is especially useful for home or apartment lockout situations. Before you panic or make terrified calls, consider that there may be an open window somewhere in your unit or house.

On the off chance that you left a window unopened, said window may just save your life. Of course, after you get in, make sure to lock the window properly.

Note

Experiencing a lockout situation once is bad enough but if it happens twice or more is definitely not ideal. There are ways to prevent a lockout problem from happening again, however.

One is to always have two spare keys that you can keep at home or in your place of work. Another is to stop children from playing with your keys, whether inside or outside the house or your vehicle. If you have electronic keys, replace their batteries regularly.

Published: 2018-12-27 12:59:00