Locked room for breakables when grandkids stay?

Be subtle, with your treasures, make your home safe, for your Treasures.
A week can be a long time.

What do the parents think?

My mum had very few things, some lovely china, but as we grew up they were always in her old fashioned glass cabinet which was her Mum's.
......and stayed there as her treasure place. We 4 didn't notice them much tbh. Not that everyone should be the same at all, but what she did was treasure us?

School holidays?

Apologies of course if I’m wrong but something about this doesn’t ring true.
Seven people for a week in a house with only three bedrooms, one of which is possibly being locked up so not being used?

Assuming it’s a genuine query, why not pack the items of sentimental value in bubble wrap and put them in the loft, or the garage ?

I would pack everything sentimental or valuable and put in boxes in the loft.

Tell them why you want to put a lock on the door and see what they say? It IS your home and your stuff etc. When we were younger, mums niknaks were out and about and we knew NOT to touch, they stayed out for years until they became known as dust harbourers! Eventually moving to a box! Bloody things still in a box, not been seen 40+ years but mum says 'they're hers'.

In all honesty when we were kids we were TOLD not to touch, look yes, but DON'T touch and we did as we were told. It wasn't ours to break! Parents these days are slightly less firm so to speak and most don't have the same kind of clobber!

(My niece with a 3 yr old, pictures on walls, that's it!)

It could be that DS and DDIL would be quite happy to have a room with a lock so that they can lock away anything precious or important they have to bring with them. Or the adults could take it in turns to lock themselves away for a bit of P and Q.

I do not have many valuables but the room they are in was out of bounds to the little ones when they were smaller

That's an awful thing to do

Look - perhaps if the O/P tells us how big the house is?

Because, as said upthread, if its a small room storage type in a big house, its a very different matter than a down or upstairs "key family room."

The real treasures are our wee DGC. Yes they need to learn to respect that which is for grown ups or "when you are 10" touching but.....

Never! Just teach them to respect. Look but not touch. Let them learn from all experiences growing up so long as not harmful.
I did with my children and also my DGC. Never a problem with visits anywhere. 💐

All very well saying that your DGC are your treasures but isn't it better to remove the obvious disasters-waiting-to-happen than weeping when the little darlings have left?

I would move anything very precious out of reach until they go. At that age it is very difficult. My sewing room is a “no go” room when the young grandchildren visit as there are too many dangerous things to lock away such as fabric scissors, needles, etc.

It's your house so you have a say in what goes.
I think your husband's comment about it will feel like a prison. Is over the top and frankly quite silly.

What if they cut themselves if they broke any of your glass possessions.?

Lock the door and don't apologise..

Yes, as others suggest, move out of reach anything that can be moved out of reach, and pack away other things that are of very strong sentimental value. It will save you feeling anxious whilst they are with you.

Karenmfred - unless locking the door is a suggestion from your daughter-in-law's own mouth you stand to totally alienate her and possibly find yourself writing to gransnetters in a couple of years wondering why you've become estranged from your son and grandchildren.

These people are your closest family, make some effort to keep it that way and move your precious ornaments into your own bedroom which I think you can legitimately claim as private. It's for a week only. You can talk about boundaries when the children are old enough to understand - a 3 yr old and two babies don't yet fall into that category.

That's a bit OTT GoldenAge, why would the OP be at risk from totally alienating her d.i.l.?

You're helping them out by having them to stay for a week or two Karenmfred and your d.i.l. may well appreciate the 3 year old being kept of the room containing your breakables, especially if he isn't being taught not to touch.

I don't think you need to talk to anybody as to why you want to lock the room. If your son asks, just say you have put the breakables in there. It's not unreasonable to want to protect your valuables whether they are expensive or just sentimental.

If it really worries you, you can buy a magnetic lock which you can put up high so that it isn't immediately obvious. You then use a a switch to break the magnetic field. My daughter used them for her kids when they were younger as they would cause chaos getting into the cupboards when her back was turned for a second.

Definitely put locks on besides losing valuable items, it then becomes dangerous for little children, broken items cut!
Your husband is talking out of his arse …

I’d pack breakables in a box and put them in the attic or garage, as I feel locking a room for the duration of the visit would seem aggressive. I’ve looked after my grandchildren from birth for one to two days a week and they have never broken any valuables and would recommend if worried that you put kiddie locks on display cabinets and for the safety of the children on any kitchen or bathroom cupboards that you use for storing cleaning products etc

It depends how much precious stuff you have, of course, but if it's 'within reason' I'd bubble wrap it, box it and put it on a high shelf in the garage or in the loft, assuming you have one. If all else fails ask a friend to store it for you. There is nothing more important than family but your home will probably be fairly crowded and you are allowed to care about other stuff too!

You sentimental valuables are one thing - but far, far more important is to ensure that all cleaning items are in a locked cupboard.

I taught my children, then my grandsons what they couldn't touch. We never had locks when I was growing ,no locks on our old house or in my bungalow inside.

They knew not to go into the cupboard under my kitchen sink and showeroom basin cupboard where chemicals are stored.

You teach children from a young age like saying please and thank etc. Touching things is just and extention on those things.

I break things all the time. I broke a beautiful scented candle in porcelain jar at my daughter's. It was her favourite but like she said it was just a thing and more concern I had cut myself.

What do you do when they just won't learn not to touch things? My granddaughter just cannot seem to grasp this.