Toddler Tricks - 67: Keeping the Clothes in the Dresser

Problem: You've got an inquisitive one year old and she loves to play with her clothes, meaning toss them out on the floor and laugh about it. Or you've got a mischievous two year old, always finding a way to cause trouble. Piles of clothes strewn about? No problem for her. And in my case, that one year old and two year old morphs into a headstrong three year old who wants to pick out her own clothing in the morning, but can't get the article she needs without going through every option...all clothes ending up, you guessed it, on the floor.

Solution: Well, we tried one of those plastic, childproofing devices for cabinetry. The twins broke it in less than two weeks. Snapped it in two. The one thing that has worked for us through the years is a sundress.

Yes. We "lock" the dresser using a sundress.

When I first picked this hand-me-down to use, the girls were so small, I couldn't imagine them ever fitting into it. And they've never worn it, even though by now it'd be too small for them. It's remained my steadfast companion and warrior in clothing-keeper-inner style.

Something about the give of the material when they pull on it keeps them from being able to untie the knot (so far). It's too spongy for their fingers to pry. And they can pull and pull without breaking the dress or opening the door. And the impact of the force is muffled, again by the give of the material, so that they'll not be able to tip the heavy dresser over on themselves. It's brilliant, really. It's saved me hours of refolding.

Plus, I can hear when someone perhaps wants to change her shirt. The knocking of the doors together alerts me. Then I can go in and supervise, while letting my child feel independent enough to make her own choice and do it for herself.

All I do it loop on of the straps through the back and tie it to the other strap in two regular knots. Easily clean.