A distressed mother spent seven hours locked in her 14-month-old son's closet after he shut the door on her.
Karen Kilgour's renditions of The Wheels on the Bus and Five Little Ducks could keep Harry entertained for only so long, and the 32-year-old had to sit helplessly listening to "crashing and banging" as the youngster ran around their Mt Eden home.
Mrs Kilgour was sorting through the clothes on a shelf in Harry's wardrobe about 9.30am on Friday when the toddler playfully pushed the door shut.
Her husband, Jason, was at work in Takanini.
He was to have attended functions after work, and was not expecting to be home until midnight.
Her 2-year-old daughter Lucy, who would have been able to open the door, was at day care and she was supposed to pick her up about 3pm.
Mrs Kilgour's brother Andrew, who lives with the family, would not be home until after 11pm.
Mrs Kilgour started screaming for help, hoping neighbours would hear her.
But her cries only upset Harry, who began sobbing.
She spent about three hours trying to open the door, first by banging it with her hip, then using a shelf.
She also tried to pull parts off an ironing board with which to prise open the wardrobe.
Mrs Kilgour sang to her son, who was wearing only a nappy and top, and pushed her fingers under the closet door.
He played with them, then wandered off.
Harry eventually tired himself out and fell asleep on his bedroom floor.
By that time, Mrs Kilgour was hungry and needed to go to the toilet.
She had a bruised hip and sore stomach muscles from screaming.
She had no idea what the time was, but said it felt like "hours and hours".
Mr Kilgour came home about 4.30pm after deciding not to go to the work function.
He heard his wife's muffled cries and rushed into Harry's bedroom.
"He was in shock," Mrs Kilgour said.
" . . . All I could say was `Get Harry some water'."
When Mrs Kilgour went into her lounge, she found Harry had eaten the scraps of his breakfast. The toddler was thirsty but unharmed.
