Knock Knock

It seems we have a fear of doors in the family.

Several months ago, we were at a Subway restaurant, just me and the kids, and Katie went into the bathroom by herself while I ordered. All of a sudden I heard this terrible shrieking. She had panicked while trying to open the door. It had one of those pull down handles, and she wasn't turning it the whole way before trying to open; therefore, it wasn't opening and she thought she was trapped.

Then Nicholas did the same thing a few weeks ago at an ice-cream place.

But even better was his experience with automatic doors. Even though he is quite the heavy child, he doesn't weigh enough yet to trigger the automatic doors at our local library. And at this particular library there are two sets of automatic doors with just a tiny space in between. He had been told to wait for me while I finished checking out, but being the ever "testing the limits" child, he walked out the first set of doors when they opened for someone leaving, but then the doors closed, and he couldn't get back in, nor could he go further out. He was trapped. And the look on his terrified face was priceless.

Since then he is scared to go in any doors. He attaches himself firmly to my side at all automatic entrances, and he wants his bedroom door open at all times, in case it should lock on him mysteriously. He can't comprehend that the door won't magically lock, but he would have to turn the lock himself.

So for now, we have two kids that will not enter rooms with those special handles, and one child who has fears of all doors.

Probably not such a bad thing for that young daredevil.