LOCKED IN THE BATHROOM
What do you do when your 6-year-old with Down syndrome accidentally locks himself in a bolt-locked bathroom? Here’s one scenario. (Disclaimer: no guarantee this will work every time!)
Iron-Clad Lock
We’d replaced the bathroom lock several times, as nothing seemed to work for long. So one day Jonathan’s dad installed a sliding bolt. We were going out that evening, and grandmotherly Bea was staying with 6-year-old Jonathan and his little sister Becca. In the hurry to get where we were going, we forgot to show Jonathan the ropes of the new lock.
It didn’t hit me until we were driving home that night: “We forgot to show Jonathan the new lock!!”
Sure enough, when we got home, Bea reported a mini-trauma. Jonathan did indeed lock himself in the bathroom, and then couldn’t figure out how to un-bolt the lock. So there was a controlled panic while Bea tried to coach Jonathan through the door. No luck, and no freedom for Jonathan. Finally Bea prayed out loud: “Lord, You’re going to have to help us here. We’re in a pickle. We’re really in a jam. Please show Jonathan how to unlock the door!”
Ad then…success! Jonathan exited the bathroom and all was well and happy once again.
The Real Story
But that’s not the story I got later from 4-year-old Becca. “Honey, what happened?” I asked her.
“Jonafin was locked in the bafroom and couldn’t get out,” she explained. “So Bea said a prayer about pickles and jam, and he came right out!”
Pickles and Jam: The Solution
So there you go…pickles and jam can work miracles.
Pass the jam, please?
Find more stories and tons of helpful advice & information in Natalie’s book on Amazon…”Down Syndrome Parenting 101: Must-Have Advice for Making Your Life Easier”
Hi Natalie,
This actually did happen to my son who has DS, about 6 or 7 years ago. He is now 14. I panicked because in India the latches are not particularly easy to open. But my daughter who is older than my son by 8 years came to my rescue and u have tried to be like her since. She shooed me off and told him in a calm clear voice how to unlatch and in seconds he was out. Lesson learned was that children especially our veey special ones are very clued on to our feelings and fears. We have to overcome them to help the children in situations such as these.
I dont actuallg have a blog dedicated to DS but as a family we have put in a lot of work into my son Manas and he can talk, read and write though not very legibly amd plays tennis at a club. I would love to connect with you Natalie and understand more about how i can help him.