A week ago, my mom figured out how to get through my bedroom door lock: using a screwdriver. I’ve heard her on a phone call with my uncle, and he showed her the trick. Whenever I don’t respond or give in, she could just insert the screwdriver through my lock, and bam, she can come in whenever she wants to.
I’ve searched online for getting around this, and I’ve decided on:
- Getting a lock. (or something that (b)locks the door)
- Using a portable lock. (Addalock, any others)
- Using a doorstop.
- Make your own lock. (like using a fork)
But then I thought that my mom would still enter using the screwdriver. The handle’s loose, so she knows she’s able to barge in. I could be wrong, though.
My door jamb has a dent, so she has a peephole to look in and might figure out why the door wouldn’t open.
Should I be able to get a lock? If not, are there any alternatives or other solutions?
Edit: Wanted to make a quick edit. My mom shows narcissistic traits, and would barge in the room for her own entertainment. I’ve tried asking her to leave a few times, even discussing about it with her, but she isn’t seeming interested to understand or listen. I would stay as far from her in my room in order to not attract her.
I’d look into replacing the lock with something you can’t stick a screwdriver into to open it
Might be a good idea. I’d have to replace the handle though, but it should do for a few months.
Keep in mind: if it’s her house, she can technically do whatever she wants to do to enter your room. She can literally remove your door if she wants to. At the end of the day, this isn’t a fight you can win by simply changing the lock. The issue isn’t that she is able to open the lock, it’s that she isn’t respecting the lock. Most interior household doors have locks that are easy to bypass for safety reasons. The purpose of the lock isn’t to keep people out, it’s to communicate that people should keep out. If she isn’t respecting that, you need to take a different approach. She isn’t going to suddenly start respecting your privacy if you make it harder for her to invade, she’s going to view it as an escalation, and as a challenge to her authority.
Would she not just remove the door? Sure it would stay locked for that moment but the next time it’s open she might just pop the hinge pins out. You know her more than the rest of us of course but that seems likely given the current behavior.
Yep, door already has a hole in it, get a cheap kwikset at the big box and slap that in there