Tot Lock=No Lunches

A few years back, the decision was made that it was best that the food cabinets in the kitchen have the ability to be locked. Too many times I would walk into the kitchen to find various containers of dry items, spilled on the floor or that toddlers had helped themselves to the contents of the chocolate chip container. So, magnetic child locks were purchased and installed. The “key” to the locks was strategically placed where we could easily get to it.

Easy solution to the problem of the scavenging toddlers…right? Sure!…as long as the “key” never gets misplaced or ends up on the INSIDE of the cabinet before it gets shut. Honestly, we’ve probably gone through a dozen “keys” and jimmied the cabinet open with butter knives and many mumbled curse words.

For the last few months we’ve just left the cabinets in the unlocked mode and trusted that at 5 and nearly 4, the littlest of the Langs have learned what they are allowed and not allowed to get into. I’m not sure what happened, but yesterday afternoon I came home to find that the cabinet that holds all cereal and snacks had been locked. I reached for the “key”. Hmmm…not there. I moved a few things for a better look. Nope, not there. I went to the junk drawer. Nope! I looked in jars and bowls, drawers and under the fridge. No luck. Maddi bent a butter knife and started the process of trying to break in. No luck. So, we left it alone and decided there wasn’t anything we needed from the cupboard for the evening.

This morning I went out to the kitchen, and went to open it, only to be reminded that tot locks are also adept at keeping adults out of things. Back to the butter knife. Back to the rummaging for the “key”. My best solution is going to be a trip to Target to purchase another “key”. However, the peanut butter, crackers, nuts, snack mix and cereal are all locked inside that cupboard. At this point it looks like school lunches are going to consist of bread with butter, canned fruit and water.

Wish me luck on handing those lunch boxes over with a smile.

I suppose I could always play the “Lent” card. “Hey, it’s Holy Week and we’re fasting. Offer it up.”

Have a great day~