Hi Moms!
I am searching for some assistance. A week before Christmas my son decided it was time to climb out the crib. I was not planning on trying a toddler bed until the spring since he just turned 2 earlier this month. However, he made the transition time a little sooner. My problem is that he was a great sleeper in his crib. I could put him in his crib at nap and bed time and he would go right to bed, take long naps and sleep through the night. He would go to sleep for anyone and I didn't need to worry. Now he screams unless I am sitting with him to go to sleep (I sit right outside his door), he is taking much shorter naps and is therefore always tired, and wakes up multiple times during the night screaming for me. His dad goes in his room and he just screams and screams for me. I don't go when my husband is in there because he is trying to show him that he doesn't always need mom, which was never a problem before! I am not sure what to do! It has been 6 weeks now and he is still not transitioning well. Anyone had a similar problem or some suggestions - please!!!!! Thanks in advance for all of you help!
I would put him back in the crib. Just because he learned to climb out, doesn't mean he is ready. He must learn to sleep there, and not climb out of the crib....if he does sleep well there, then he should not be climbing out or screaming in the middle of the night. I know he's two,but ask him what he is screaming about. Is he scared? I know how hard this is for you. Hang in there, it will get better.
My son learned to crawl out at 2 yrs also, but we told him he needed to stay in and if he didn't that he would be punished. We explained that he could get very hurt and that it made mommy and daddy very scared. We'd stand outside the door and when we heard him crawling out we'd look in and catch him. He did have to get punished once or twice, but it was better than him smashing his head on the floor. He got the idea very quick and never did try to crawl out again. Also, after learning that lesson in the crib it transfered very nicely to the toddler bed.
I found Ethan highly preferred sleeping in the safety of his crib. For his 3rd birthday he got a "big boy bed" aka toddler bed and now he loves it.
Hmmmm...I kept my kids in their cribs for as long as possible. They were happy in there and slept well. Whenever my daughter tried to climb out, I would react very dramatically telling her to stop and that she would get hurt. I think I reacted so dramatically that I scared her. She would quickly climb back in and never made it all the way out of the crib. ha ha! Don't remember my boys trying to climb out either. Maybe a couple of times.
Why don't you tell or ask him if he wants to go back in his crib? He might want to go back. Not sure if you should ask him (what do you do if he says no?) or just do it. If you have room for the bed and crib, maybe leave the bed out but have him use just the crib. Maybe he'll be able to transition better later.
Sounds tough. Good luck!
We had the same trouble:( It didn't take as long for him to get used to it, but we had other issues with him getting out of bed a lot. You could put him back in the crib instead and get a crib tent to put over it.
Why don't you get a crib tent and put him back in his crib until he is a little older? Crib tents are great! They fit any style crib, and make it almost impossible for your toddler to climb out of the crib. Good luck!
I would try to get him back to a crib if you can. Tent it if necessary. Kids can stay in their cribs til they're 3 or too big! Otherwise, you may have to tough this out. I ended up gating my son's doorway so he couldn't just wander around the house if he got up. Many, many, MANY a night he fell asleep on his floor--it was like we turned his whole room into a crib! It took him a while, but he got used to it eventually. If going back to the crib isn't an option, you might want to consider ditching the toddler bed and go with a twin or full with rails. Because it's higher, he might be less likely to climb out/off the bed? Good luck. This is a VERY frustrating phase. :-)
My son was out of a crib by 2 years also. We put him in a toddler bed and just like you I was "required" to sit there till he fell asleep...for us...it didn't last that long. I would sit there at nap time and bed time till he fell asleep..and I did that for maybe a month. After that, I would just put him in there and he was fine and went right to sleep. The problem we faced afterwards was him getting up before us and trying to sneak outdoors..Good luck.
I help take care of twins. Their parents put them in twin beds (they were already used to separate rooms)just as they turned 2. There was an adjustment period of a few weeks but this is what they did. The kids had to learn that after their afternoon and nighttime rituals ie brushing teeth,story,drink and cuddling with Mom and/or Dad next to them sharing the pillow, it was time to LAY down, STAY in bed and GO to sleep. They were told No crying and with that if they got out of bed there would be a spanking. They have it figured out now and it all worked like a charm.
I would have to say just be consistent and don't back down and your son will learn too. Remember when he is screaming for you in the middle of the night, you need to go in, settle him down and explain to him that if he cries or gets out of bed there WILL be consequences. His behavior will change if he knows what to expect.
