Advice on Crib Climbing

We just bought a crib tent for my 2yo daughter who was relentless about climbing out of her crib. We were having a terrible time getting her to nap and to bed because she was climbing out and emptying her drawers and trashing her room. In no way is she ready for a big girl bed. The crib tent was worth every penny!

This happened with 2 of my kids. We did use the crib tent and it worked well. I felt that it was a safety concern and was willing to pay the money for the tent.

My 20 month old just started doing this. I put him in a toddler bed because after 20 times of trying to get him in his crib one night I gave up. for a short time he was sleeping through the night (in his crib) and now he never makes it through the night. I had sold my crib tent months ago so I couldn't use it - always used it to keep the cats out....never thought I should save it for him climbing out!!!! Good luck!

L., our kids are almost the exact same ages, and as you have seen, every child is different. But don't fool yourself into thinking he's too young for a youth bed. Our 1st son Wes threw himself out during a tantrum 10 days before his 2nd birthday and our pediatrician said it wasn't worth the risk of his getting hurt to leave him in the crib any more. So we bought a $25 bed rail and converted his crib to a toddler bed (it's the kind that converts and he was already on the lowest setting). Our 2nd son started "legging over" at 16 months and is now almost 20 months. He tries almost daily, when he's upset at being put in the crib, but no success yet, although he's come SO close. In fact, a couple weeks ago we dropped it to the lowest setting, and just 2 hours after that, he legged over it again!! Now we're playing a waiting game to see how long he responds to "get down" before we convert his bed to a toddler bed (he's never done it if we're not in the room), but it's probably a matter of a week or two at most. What's important to remember is that it's a SAFETY issue, not just convenience for us as parents. We weren't able to use a crib tent because they only work if all 4 sides are the same height, and ours is sloped in front because it has no moving parts. What worked with our older son was (1) converting to a toddler bed with a long rail, plus (2) putting a doorknob safety cover inside the bedroom door so he couldn't open it (he sleeps with the door shut) and (3) putting a metal foot-pedal gate in his doorway. That way he was safe in his room but I could still navigate it while half-asleep myself. It was and continues to be very effective, although it mostly works on our younger boy now (they share a room) since Wes is heavy enough to work the foot pedal gate and long ago figured out the doorknob cover. It took about 7 days for Wes to adjust to the freedom of being in a toddler bed, so naps were difficult during that time, as was bedtime. The night-wanderings weren't a problem because I'd hear on the monitor that he was up and would go in. But he would sometimes beat me to the door and just fiddle with the knob. Once he mastered that, he still couldn't get out because of the foot pedal gate (available from Babies R Us, from First Years $109 and worth every penny). Once he got used to the toddler bed, it wasn't a problem anymore and he went right back to his regular nap & bedtime routines. I'd definitely recommend the crib tent first, because it's a cheaper and easier route, but if that doesn't work with your crib, definitely switch to a toddler bed with a bed rail (I always see the beds and rails on my local Freecycle.org list) and get a high gate for the bedroom doorway. The metal First Years gate we have doesn't give any footholds so he's never been able to scale it and he's over 3ft tall now. Good luck! ~N.

It may help to start to put the side of the crib down and to let him get into bed by himself maybe with a little step stool. He will be excited with his new responsibility. He will get excited if you get excited about his new responsibility make it fun. It may take a few nights of him getting in and out but eventually he will know that its time for bed and this is how he is going to sleep. You are down right lucky that your 3 year old still stays in her crib lol.

He is done with the crib. Put the toddler bed up and he will get used to it. With my one son who started jumping ouit at 15 months I had to cut his door in half, take anything he could get hurt on out of room.(make sure dresser is attached to wall) So he doesn't climb up it and it tips over.Lock bottom half of door from outside and leave top half open (for your own peace of mind) Let him scream, play or cry after a couple nights it will be old hat.

My son started climbing at 10 months. What we did was to purchase a crib tent, since he was way too young for a bed at that point. They sell them online or probably at Babies R Us. It costs about $100, but I found it worth every penny. Not only did it prevent any climbing, my son loved it. It was kind of like his little cave and he slept very well in it. Here is a link to one:

http://www.toysrus.com/product/index.jsp?productId=2404625 and it is even cheaper than I thought. $70. Good luck.

My daughter did the same thing around 18 mos. I decided to keep her in the crib and not to use the crib tent. It takes a lot of patience. I stayed outside her room and every time she climbed out I would go in and put her right back in the crib and walk out without saying a word. She would scream and then try again. I was persistent and finally she would go to sleep. It was like that for a few nights and then she wouldn't climb out for a while. Then she would rediscover the fact that she could climb out and it would start all over again. I'm not sure how the crib tent works. People have had success with it, I just thought my daughter would try even harder to get out.

I felt my daughter wouldn't hurt herself climbing out and she never did. I have a friend that moved her son to a toddler bed early and he did a good job staying in it. It all depends on the kid I guess.

She's now 2 yrs and 4 mos and just gave up her crib a few months ago to her baby sister. I'm hoping her sis is less adventurous!

Good luck with your little climber!

Hi!
I remember when my son climbed out of his crib when he was
about 18 months old. It was scary to hear that thud!
After he climbed out the second time we had to put him into a regular bed. We stopped him from wandering by
putting a gate up across the bedroom door. We continued
his regular bedtime routine ant then just had to let him
get used to the bed. We also put a railing on the bed so
that he didn't roll out. We bought it from a store like
wal-mart. He did get out of bed, but we wouldn't take
him out of the bedroom. It took several nights and he
eventually adjusted.

A little about me :

I am a working mother of a boy who is 12 and a girl who
is 5.

Hi-- my daughter did the same thing at 22 months or so. I was horrified! I did go out and purchase one of those crib tents. It works like a dream for us. At first she seemed a little wary of it, but once she realized it was OK, she seemed to be actually comforted by it. You have to make sure it is installed properly, otherwise it can slip, and leave gaps that one could potentialy get a leg or head through. It is pretty easy to intall. We have 2 older boys who never attemted to get out of the same crib. She just seemed to be more of a daredevil! I highly recommend it, it may be hard to find, we found ours at a store in Portsmouth, NH. Good luck! J.

I would either, take the crib out of the room and put the crib mattress on the floor and let him try that out with a gate on the door before you invest in a toddler bed (because later you might move him to a twin bed).

Either that, if you really dont think he will stay in it, I would for sure get a crib tent. Even though you have thick padded carpeting, he still can get hurt falling from that height. It isnt worth him getting hurt.

They say, once they climb out of the crib, put them in a toddler bed. He is only going to keep climbing out, so, just make his room safe and put a gate up at the doorway of his room so he can't get out. Good Luck!

Hello 17 Months is a good age to move you're little guy to his new Big boy toddler bed. Its hard No lie you will have many sleepless Nights till he gets the hang of things. My Son was hard to move from Crib to toddler bed took us about 3 weeks of the new routine and then 1 week to get him to walk him self back to his bed... But it was all worth it....

Please i see a lot of people say use the doorknob safety on the inside if you do this Please Please know its agents the Law in most state My friend used one on her 3 year olds Bedroom door As she also had his 1.5 Year old Brother in there and he told his Pre school Teacher and they sent the state in and she got in a boat load of trouble for it. You are not allowed to use them on any door with the attempt to keep a child locked in..

Its Sad cause for the most part it really could keep a small child safe..

I use a sun ridge Tall Baby gate on my Sons room door just to be sure cause as he comes out his room and 4 steps top the left is a set of steps about 25 of them and i don't want him half asleep to fall down

This is a Link to the same kind of Gate but a Wal mart I got ours at a local Toys r us

Good Luck please let us all know how every thing works out for you…

http://www.walmart.com/catalog/product.do?product_id=5691050

no, he's not too young for a bed.. my daughter was 14 months when she climbed out.. if he's climbing, then it's to dangerous for him to be in it.. leave the side down while he's in it until you can get him into a new bed.. even just mattresses on the floor work well too if you are afraid of him falling out of the new bed.. and be diligent when you put him in the new bed about staying there.. give him a special blanket or animal to use only for that time.. he may surprise you.. my kids both stayed in their beds when I thought they wouldn't.. good luck

Hi L.,
My daughter (now 8 years old) did this when she was much too young for a bed as well. My neighber let me have a mesh tent that she used on her sons crib (also a climer). Basically it is a tent that fits over the crib. It is complete see through mesh and it zips open to get the baby out. It let me sleep better at night knowing that my kid wouldn't jump out of the crib and hurt herself. I believe it was called the Kangaroo something or other. I'm sure you can find something like it at BabiesRUs or Right Srart. Just a thought. Good luck.

Guess what time it is? it is time for a Big Boy bed! usually it is at 2, but he is climbing out and now that he knows this trick he will keep it up.

He can hurt himself and is a climber, so it is best to work on this now. Nap times & bedtimes may be hard at first, but try tiring him out closer to nap times as if he is able to get out of bed he will..

Good Luck!

My guess is that once the newness wears off he will settle down. And you may be surprised, he may actually do well in a toddler bed. It would take some time to adjust to, but you might be surprised. Just make sure that you have a gate either in his door (which he may actually promptly climb as well), or a very high one at the top of your stairs so he doesn't fall down in the middle of the night. This just reminds you that all kids are different, even with the same mom and dad. Good luck!

My daughter did the same at 15months on the lowest setting. Thankfully the crib we bought could be converted to toddler bed. We bought some big pillows and put around her new bed just in case she wiggled around the bed rail. After a couple of nights we just walked her right in and she would lay down with no problem.

When my daughter started doing that we just moved her into a toddler bed. We were really strict about her staying in bed because we did not want her to think of it as a fun game - getting up and running to us, etc. I think your son thinks this now... it is fun to climb and jump for him and getting mommy's attention too! Wahoo! Great game! When we moved my dfaughter to a toddler bed, we just talked to her and told her what it was about, told her why she gets to sleep in a big girl bed, etc. We got her new sheets and comforters. Then the second night she got out and came out. I grabbed her told her she needed to sleep and put her back in bed. She got up again 2 minutes later and I said nothing but put her back in bed. 2 minutes later she got up again I stuck her back in bed as fast as I could and did not even look at her. 2 minutes later I heard footsteps again. I gave her THE LOOK and she ran back to bed and went to sleep and has never tried it again since! It is wonderful! I used the SuperNanny technique! Worked for me anyway. Every kid is different and yours may take a few more experiences with the LOOK before he gets it, but give it a try. My daughter was a bit older - though only a couple months - 19 months.

Hi there,i know exactly what you are going through.My 2 year old daughter started climbing out a few months ago.She ended up with 2 fractured bones in her wrist the first time.We immediately got a crib tent.It is the best thing ever.Would highly recommend it.She now sleeps peacefully and most importantly is safe.

hi L. my son who is 10 now was climbing out of his crib at ten moths old i purchased a crib tent that was the best thing. i had peace of mind and he actually as he got older asked to be zipped in it was a securtiy banket for him. I purchased it through the right start catalog.good luck boys are definitly wired very different.... K. d

I have a 19 month old doing the same thing we are going to put her mattress on the floor i we cant get a day bed for her. That is what we were told bt several friends who have older children. I just had hand sursery an doing the other ne in 2 weeks. So we will be doing this in about a mounth. Good luck
C. & Adeline Mackensen ^i^
Temple NH

I'm not sure about those crib tents - be sure he can't get tangled in it. When my son did this, I just put the crib rail at the lowest setting - he wouldn't roll out during sleep, but he didn't have that far to fall if he climbed over. He needed his naps - 3 hours well past the age of 4 - so when he took to climbing out, I decided to put a lock on his door. A gate hook up high on the outside. He had to stay in his room, and I just told him he would feel better if he napped and then we could do XYZ when he woke up. Otherwise he could look at books (and no, 17 months is not too early to look and turn pages). You might also try one of those foam chairs that open up into small beds - they have them with different characters on them like Dora the Explorer and Sponge Bob and Spiderman. Put a pillow and a favorite blanket in that, put down the blinds, and maybe play a lullaby on a CD player. He can sleep "on the floor" but on a cushioned surface that folds/unfolds in 2 seconds. Also, if he is into climbing, be sure that any bookshelves and other furniture are bolted to the wall so that he doesn't climb up and then tip over. Same with dressers - if he pulls out all the drawers and climbs, it can tip forward. Good luck.

I had the same problem with my son about a month ago and he was 17 months, too. I spoke to his pediatrician and he said that if he didn't stop doing it, that he would recommend either putting him in a toddler bed or mattress on the floor. Because he is so young, he also recommended putting a gate up in his doorway at night so that he doesn't wander and make sure everything in his room is "safe" - nothing that he could put in his mouth and potentially choke on, plug all your outlets, etc.

I was just like you - there is NO WAY my son is going to stay in his bed. But believe it or not, and much to my husband and my surprise - he did! He was so excited to get a new bed, he "helped" his father set it up and as soon as it was done he had an ear-to-ear smile and said "my-bed", he jumped on it and rolled on it and was so excited. That night we made sure to do all his normal night routine and he did not budge! (The first few nights we put couch cushions beside his bed so he wouldn't get hurt if he fell out of bed). He has been in his bed for over a month now & loves it!

I've had a few friends who have had good luck with the crib tents. One of my 18 month old twins occasionally jumps out as well and I too fear for him hurting himself. I've been looking online and will probably be purchasing one this week. My husband drilled holes in the crib to make it go even lower than the lowest setting and my little guy can still hop over. The other night I was sitting downstairs watching TV around 9pm and I see Benji walk into the room with his blanket and bottle saying "Hi Mama". He managed to scale the crib, take 2 blankets and his bottle with him, open the gate at the top of the stairs, and proceed down the stairs to the living room. How scary!

L., Honestly my mom tells me I was one of those babies! They simply put a crib mattress on the floor for me to sleep on. Use a baby gate at the door if you have to (but it sounds like he might climb over that too? I tried that when we put my son in a toddler bed but we only used it for about a week) Either way if he's climbing out its a hazard - take out the crib. You can teach him to stay in his room, routines will have to change, but its the safest thing. Good Luck!! Jo

Something that I learned about while studying abroad-- I lived with a Swiss family who did day and overnight care for infants and young children-- was of a fitted bedsheet which has sewn into it a child's sleepwear outfit. I don't know if they sell such things in America, but it worked very well for the purpose. The child is comfortable, but safe. He cannot get out of the bed because he is zipped into the actual sheet, and so he cannot pull the sheet off the bed or roll off the bed either. It's also good for strengthening/straightening one's back, as it forces one to lay on one's back rather than flipping onto the side or stomach. (Even Jesus was wrapped in swaddling clothes which was a system of wrapping a child, similar to the papooses used by American Indians, to keep the child straight and still so the back would develop straight and strong. The Indians saw a man/woman with a weak back as basically useless, it is so necessary to any sort of survival situation.)

I have mentioned this bed-pajamas idea to others, but Americans don't seem to like it much, guess it interferes with our sense of freedom to explore, but it might work well for your purposes for a few months/year at least, until he's old enough for the next step up to an older child's bed.

God bless,
S.

hi
maybe it is the time for him to sleep in his toddler bed? is ur crib 3 in 1? crib change to toddler bed (daybed) if not then can buy toddler bed.. Ikea have cute cheaper toddler bed that are very low which s safe for toddler. you can put mattress on floor for now?

my son stopped sleep in his crib i would say around 13 mos. and i put the crib mattress on floor for his napping then i changed it to twin mattress (we already had twin mattress so no need to buy toddler bed). my son and i hve been co sleeping for long time since my son was older baby and he just start sleep on his own bed over 2 months ago when he turned 2.

It takes a lot of thinking for him to climb over so let him be proud of his accomplishment but it is time for a new bed. It can be dangerous for 'climbers' to climb out of a crib. All 5 of my children were out of the crib and into real beds by the time they were 12-13 months old. My first nearly strangled when her buttons got caught when she was halfway over. The day they learned to go over was the day the crib( with some ceremony) was packed away. They would sleep on the mattress on the floor for a few days to get used to no sides and then moved to a bed with a good pad on the floor in case of roll-offs and then no problems since.

I don't think 17 months IS too young for a youth bed - and it's definitely too old for a crib if he is climbing out of it. both of ours were in junior beds by then. there is some wandering at first as they get used to the new freedom, but they learn that sleep time is sleep time. They have to learn it one day. or just put a mattress on the floor in his bedroom. I wouldn't use a crib tent myself, same as I wouldn't shut my kids into their rooms (they are now 6 and 8, so no longer really relevant). good luck with it!

I love the crib tent! We bought it so that our 3 year old wouldn't drop things on his brother. Both boys want to be inside the tent now. The 18 month old has just learned how to climb out of the pack-n-play. We tried the youth bed for him, but like you said, he got up and wandered around. Then he stood at his bedroom door and screamed until we put him back to bed. I'm gonna use my husband's army tent for the three year old and put the tent back on the crib for the 18 month old. At least I'll sleep better.
The tent is easy to see through, easy to breathe through and once up, almost imposible to climb out of. I didn't figure out how to lower the rail with the tent in place, but that's my only complaint. My boys love it.

well, until you purchase your tent or toddler bed, you can use a sheet....like we HAD to do. =]

cuz, my dear, there is no turning back now!! ha ha ha

he has FULL control now...and he loves it!!!! ha ha ha

our little man put us through hell with all his "houdennie" stunts...(can't spell)

the first time he climbed out [or second] was awful!! he had such a big bump on his forehead that to think of it now...[2 years ago] I still get a big bolder in my stomach, to think of my baby getting hurt!!!

He is never going to be Miss Abby. please, try not to compare...its useless. lol I DO understand its hard not to.

good luck...and now its on to bigger and better worries!!

I will keep you in my prayers, like i do all these wonderful ladies!!

ohh and L., get a bell or chimes to put on the door or where ever!! that way you can get him before he gets into more mischief!!!

let him know whos boss!!!! hee hee lol

have fun!!!! time goes by soooo quickly...so enjoy all these memories, with safety first!!

My daughter did the same thing at 18 months- got right out of the pack and play on vacation! We have crib tents for her crib and her pack and play and we love them. I believe the brand is Cozy Kids or Cozy Crib Tent- something like that. The crib tent is a bit hard to find but I think you can get it at Babies R Us or else order it from WalMart.com. We ordered the pack and play tent from Walmart.com because Babies R Us didn't have it in stock.

The only challenge is that the pack and play tent doesn't fold up very well, so since we travel quite a bit, we have to lug this framed thing around. But it's well worth the knowledge that she's secure in her bed! She loves her tent (we talked a lot about it, calling it a big girl bed, etc) and she has never really objected to it. I'd like to leave her in there forever! I love knowing that she can't get out. I highly recommend it. Good luck!

M.

I've never personally used a crib tent, but my friend has twin girls who both learned how to bail out at about 17 months. She bought crib tents for both their cribs, and has never had a problem since. They sleep perfectly in the cribs. Good luck, i'm dreading that day with my daughter (2 years)...

I have heard scary stories of babies huring themselves in many different ways from climbing out of cribs. I have three children all of whom have received the crib tent for their first birthdays. They love it are safe and you have piece of mind. You can get them at Babies r us. I recommend them to everyone. However, my 2.5 year old has recently learned to unzip it. Not enough to move him into a big yet though! Good Luck!

My daughter started climbing out of her crib at 11 months old, and I bought her a big girl bed(a regular twin bed, not a toddler bed)and made a big deal out of it. She never tried to climb out of her bed and absolutely loves the fact that when she wants to get down, she can! Your son might just need that independent feeling of being a big boy. Give it a try!

Hi L.,
My daughter is an 18 mo old climber and I am just waiting for the "dreaded thud". I have not had to use the tent yet but I do know several people that have. It seems that it takes a bit of adjustment for the baby to get used to being in the tent (some crying) but then it is a total problem solver. I know that they are available at babies r us and I am sure you could find one some place else on the web. Good luck!

Definitly move him to a mattress on the floor. This is what I did for my monkey boy:
Double checked his room to make sure its baby-proof.
Started a new bedtime ritual by tucking him in and saying "goodnight I'll be right back, stay in bed".
Praised him for staying when I came back to check on him but I only waited 2 minutes then increased the time away untill he fell asleep.
Also I hated doing it but I put a doorknob safety on the inside so he couldn't open the door by himself.
Turned the baby monitor on the highest setting so I could hear if he woke up during the night.

hope this helps

Hi L.,
My daughter did the same thing at about 20 months and we purchased a crib tent from One Step Ahead (onestepahead.com), and it worked!!! We built it on the floor first and let her play in it, then put it over her crib. Hope this helps, good luck!

We have a crib tent on my son's crib and it is not so bad. It definitely prevents him from getting any limbs stuck through the sides. We also have him in a wearable sleepsack (they make them in large, XL and toddler sizes now), which prevents him from getting his leg high enough over the side of the crib.

L.,
I would definately get a toddler bed! He can get hurt pretty badly by bailing out of his crib, and if a crib tent is installed and he pulls on it gaps can be created and he can get stuck! My neice was the same way, we had to put her in a toddler bed at around 18 months. We gated her bedroom door, completely baby-proofed the room and had only a few stuffed animals within reach and after a couple of nights she was sleeping in the big girl bed like a pro. The first couple of nights are tough but stick to what you already do, put your son in bed awake but drowsy and show him that now you can snuggle in there together for story time, he'll love it! One other thing, with my other neice we did the mattress on the floor and it took us till she turned 6 to get her to stop sleeping on the floor, I would definately say it's easier to start a new thing how you want to continue it, not try to break in in stages with these big changes.
Good luck!

L.,

He is definitely ready to be out of the crib if he is crawling out of it so, yes, go out and get that toddler bed! And while you're at it, get one for your daughter as well! If they are in their own rooms, put a tension gate up on their doors so they can't get out if they do get up out of bed and child proof their rooms. It'll take anywhere from 3 to 5 nights, but then they'll be used to it and sleeping away as if normal! Good luck!

my son was 15 months when he figured out how to climb out of the crib. i thought he was way too young at the time, so i got the crib tent II. best thing ever. but next month he turns 2, and recently our daughter who is almost four outgrew her toddler bed, so we moved her to a twin bed. my son was most jealous, so i put her old toddler bed in his room to see what he would do. i gated his door, and baby proofed everything. i was expecting a fight because my daughter was such a handful for her transition. he surprised me tho, he cried at the gate for less than 15 minutes, and then crawled back into bed the very first night. 3 nights later, he cries for a minute, what he normally did in his crib, and then goes to sleep. it's amazing. i'm sure your little boy will surprize you too.

My son also got out of his crib at around the same age, we first put the railing down on the crib so he could get out without climbing, then we put a toddler bed next to his crib which he slept in twice, mostly he slept on the floor. Now at 2 he is back in his crib. He decided he wanted it when we tried to take it down. I do have a childlock doorknob on his room which we needed for a few weeks to keep him in his room until he fell asleep, then we would open the door for the rest of the night. I am a very light sleeper, so i don't worry about not hearing him get up. Now he goes right to bed, no problem, it was unsettling for a few months.
good luck

I LOVE MY CRIB TENT!!!!!!!! Seriously, my son was not ready for a big boy bed. I had the same prob- got a crib tent at Babies R US that day. He was pissed about it- but got ever it after one night. I could kiss the genius who invented it. Do it- you'll be so happy that you did (and well rested)!

Hi L., We just recently had to deal with this issue. My son was 17 months also and would throw his leg over the side of the crib flip out, hang and then jump. Then to our surprise he could open the door!! We bought a crib tent at Babies R Us unfortunatly there was only one brand that cost $69. The first night he cried but since then it has worked out great. We just say goodnight and zip him in! LOL. Good Luck

Oh no! Maybe if you tried a toddler bed with guard rails you would be able to keep him safe at night, and have him feel like more of a big boy?

Hey L., Im a nanny and a 53 year old mom of 3 grown girls. My advice is to use the crib tents, They are wonderful and put some books in there as well. Many families Ive worked for and know use these and your child is safe and you will be relaxed knowing he can not get out of there. Good luck, Pam H

L. C
OUr son is 18 months old and we had been having the same problem. We ended up putting the matress on the floor in his room and taking him out of the crib completley. We had also tried the pack and play which he could climb out of aswell. We put a gate up at his door so when he is put down for a nap or bed time he can't get out. So far he has not had a problem with this. You may think that it will give him to much freedom and he will be able to wonder his room. This may be true but it hasn't happend in our case yet.

my son was about the same age when he hopped out the crib. boys will usually hop out at a much younger age as they are more advanced in the motor skills much sooner than girls (something i read) we decided it was time to get him a toddler bed, we got him one with his favorite cartoon bedding he loved it! we kept the crip up as he was transitioning but he only wanted the toddler bed, once we knew he was ok with the idea we changed over his crib to the toddler bed setting since he was so young we did it this way to save us changing the crib to toddler bed over and over. hope this helps...

ah- boys...our son was very similiar (now is 5 in a bunk bed and VERY happy!)

Although all situations are different, here is what we did-

At about 15 months, we babyproofed his room completey, took the crib out and put the crib mattress on the floor. We then put a baby gate up in his doorway (of course if he can climb over that you are in trouble!) to keep him from wandering the house at night. Then we moved up from there, a regular mattress without a box spring on the floor, added the box spring a few months later, then the full bed frame.

My daughter on the other hand went to a toddler bed at about 20 months and lasted in that for about a year. Then went to a regular twin bed.

Good luck!