Reply to thread

So, the solution we went with for this is a nice old school cedar chest with a lock. I got it used from a local shop. We made sure that at first it was unlocked, and we let the kids see that we stored extra linens in there. Then we started leaving stuff on top so it was annoying to access. At that time, we started locking it and storing or toys and special clothing in there. Makes it annoying as we have to clear the top when we want to access but it keeps the kids from even realizing it's locked.

Heads up this trick did not work on the mother-in-law. She came over recently to help clean up and apparently, we didn't verify the lock had engaged last time we used it. I was out of town that weekend so thankfully I only found out via a text message and didn't have to look her mom in the eyes for a week or so lol. But since then, we cleaned up the mess and are much more careful on verifying the lock engages every time we put our toys away.

But great advantage is it gives us plenty of space for storing anything questionable. It also has a little top shelf lined with felt that moves out of the way when you open it. It makes a great place for regularly used small items. And the large area is big enough I could probably fit a sex swing or something in there with all the other items we already have.