Experience with Crib Tent?

L.:

I posted the same question about 1 year ago! We did the tent to prolong the inevitable and it worked wonders. I was more freaks out about it than she was. At night she would ask to be "zipped up." After about 1/2 year, she grew tired of the bed and refused to sleep in it. And, after a very long attempt on my part to keep her in it, I gave up and did the big girl bed thing (she was 2.5y.o.).

Good luck in whatever you decide.

J.

I have a monkey too! I got him the crib tent and really hyped it up about how cool it was to have a tent over his bed and how sad I was that they didn't have tents big enough for my bed. I never mentioned that it was so he couldn't climb out. And he loves it. He even reminds me to zip it up every night! Good luck!

We had one of these originally to keep the cat out but it did a great job keeping the kid in. It gave us a piece of mind about his where abouts.

my twins never climbed out, but my youngest did. I used a crib tent at 18 mos old & she (once she got used to it)loved it. She moved to a big bed at 3y/o & has been in it for 3 months.......she STILL doesn't want me to take her crib tent down, or her crib for that matter even though she has never gone back to sleep in it LOL

At 18 mos, I definitely recommend it....at least until you absolutely need the crib for the new baby

I used the crib tent for my twin boys and then again for my daughter when they started to climb out of the crib at an age that was so young they were in danger of hurting themselves. I there is a chance they are in danger, either because they fall out of the crib (vs. climb) or because they wander around without you and could fall down stairs, etc., I don't see why you wouldn't use a crib tent. My daughter actually requested it, it made her feel like she was in a safe cocoon of an environment. It's a great product. And you'll know when you either want or have to remove it. Good luck!

I had a crib tent to protect my son from our cats. They are very nice cats but I was afraid they would smother my baby if they tried to cuddle with him.

The bed tent is really difficult to put on. It makes it really difficult to change the mattress. I didn't like it at all and didn't use it for my second son.

Yes. We had to use one when my daughter was about the same age and I was also expecting our second relatively soon. It was a little traumatic for her at the beginning, but then she enjoyed having the crib tent. We did not last long with it, but it was a safe alternative before moving to a bed. Good luck!

K.

You could put a gate across her door so if she escapes her bed she can't roam free.

due to cats both my kids had crib tents from day one. Well, day two, the first day they were still in the hospital. :)

I have also had daycare kids that had the tent and it was great. They sell them at Babies R Us. I have a tent for my pack and play because I have had daycare kids climb out and then get into stuff they shouldn't (like my daughter's IPOD that was the music source for his naps, he threw it across the room when I walked in after hearing the music stop). After the tent was on he started sleeping like a champ again and went back to 3 hour naps after having tried to not nap at all. The tent didn't bother him at all. And they can't get out.

Get it.
N.

I highly recommend the crib tent. It keeps them safe and gives you piece of mind. We use one with my son and it is the greatest child safety item I have purchased. Good luck!

What about putting her in a youth bed and putting a safety gate up across her door. That way she is not climbing and risking an injury out of the crib. Normally when they start climbing out of the crib that is when it is time for the big bed. I don't know what 18 month old child is willing to stay put until you go and get them! As far as a crib tent, I have never used or have known anyone to have used them. My thoughts would be, if the child wants out, they will find a way. My concern is - would they get tangled up in the tent in the process of escape?

C. T.

I use crib tents for both of my daughters (2 and 1) at our lakehouse to keep bugs away....and it works wonderful! I would definately recommend using one for a toddler getting out of her crib! My experience has been that the tent is relatively easy to put on and the mattress sits inside the tent so it is easy to change the crib sheet! I bought my tents at Babies R Us! Good luck!

Get the crib tent! I am a mother of 3 children, ages 10, 8 and 6. All three benefited tremendously from the crib tent during their toddler years - because it helped them get enough sleep, it eliminated parent-child power struggles over staying in bed, and it kept them safe. We presented it as a positive, fun treat, not as a punishment, so they thought it was an adventure to get a "tent" around their crib and enjoyed the feeling of containment, sometimes even requesting a little time in their tent during the day (when feeling overstimulated). I even kept the crib tent up for a while after my children moved to their big kid beds, so if they they were having a hard night staying in their bed, I'd have the tent as a back-up (e.g., "If you get out of your bed one more time, I'll know this is a night you need the crib tent and put you in there.").

I had to put up a crib tent when my daughter was about 17 months old. It was a hand-me-down from two of my friends so we didn't have to actually buy one. She loved it and would help us zip it up. When she was about 2-1/2 she did figure out how to open it and climb out, but by then she was ready for a big girl bed. Both my girlfriends loved the tent and I would definitely recommend it.

My son did very well with his crib tent. My nephew, on the other hand worked at it and figured out how to unzip the thing from the inside. To combat this, there is a way that you can tie the thing so that the child can't get to it. Good luck!

Sounds like it's time for a twin bed. Won't you be needing the crib for the new baby? If so, you need to start now. February will be here faster than you think. I got my daughter into a new and new room about this time too.

Yeah my little guy thought it was cool to have a tent for a couple of weeks and then he started climbing out again. He managed to figure out how to undo the zipper. Instead of risking him getting hurt climbing out of the crib, we just got him a big boy bed and put a gate up at his door. Instead of wandering around in the morning, he just gets up and reads books till I get to him. Works out kind of nice.

I used a crib tent for about a year with my daughter. I liked the security it provided. The only disadvantage is that it's not easy to get the mattress in/out if you need to change the sheets. You have to fit it through the part that zips, and that space is not very big. That is really my only complaint. I saved it to use with my son, but never had to. He stayed in the crib until he was almost three, and never climbed out once.

Why not just go to the toddler bed? We were terrified of this next stage as well, but when my daughter started climbing out, we had to prioritize safety over our convenience. Yes, mine is a monkey too, so I was really scared that she would never stay in, but it wasn't as bad as I thought it would be. I simply set up the pnp & told her she had to sleep - either in the baby crib or the big girl bed. She was so excited, she was more than happy to stay in her big girl bed. I just had to spend a little extra time helping her wind down at nap and bedtime for about 2 days, and that was it. I had to threaten the baby crib a couple times but never had to use it. I also got the bed rail and it worked really well for her - we got a longer one so she's covered on all sides and has just enough room at the end of one side to get in and out. I really don't think it's worth buying a crib tent at that age. Oh, and we gate off her room at night and then open the door. We got one of those cheaper pressure mounted ones so it's just set up at night, and then if she wakes up, she can get out of bed and read and calls me in. It really isn't that bad. Try it & good luck :)

K.

Hi L.-

I tried the crib tent when my son was about 22 months. We also weren't ready for him to be in a twin bed. He like your daughter did not like staying put. So we went out and bought the crib tent. It worked good for about a month, then with lots of determination and very tiny fingers he found his way out of the crib tent. He managed to get his fingers through one of the seems and broke out, he ripped the mesh along a seam. Not sure if your daughter will do the same, but it is a possibility. Needless to say he was sleeping in a toddler bed before he was two!
Good luck

I have had a crib tent for my monkey since she was 10 mths old. She's a climber and started walking then as well. She's just over 2 now and we still have it on her crib. Works great, I thought it was pricey when we got it, but it has been more than worth it in peace of mind. I too am expecting in November...twins, so I know what you mean about not being ready for the bed just yet. Good Luck.

You could try putting a gate in her doorway so that she at least has to stay in her room. Good luck!

Lover ours...our 2 1/2 year old even zips it closed..I just pull the zipper pull to the outside. We got the regular one without the mesh all the way down the sides. DS loves to kiss me through the mesh up top.

There is no way he is ready to be in his room on his own, even with a gate he'd most likely create a huge mess and possibly hurt himself.

B.

I felt the same as you as far as putting our then 18 month old daughter (now 27 months) into a regular bed, but ultimately decided to do it anyways instead of a crib tent. We were hoping she'd stay in her crib until she was at least two, closer to three but that did not happen. We ended up majorly baby proofing her room to make sure she couldn't get into to anything in there while we were aasleep, and we gated her room and it worked out fine for us, and we still do it, because she is one who is apt to get into trouble when she thinks no one is awake. Good luck with this decision.

P.S. We had a low twin bed, and she has never once rolled off that I am aware of, now my son on the other hand will still roll off his bed, and he is almost 6.

I used a crib tent for my daughter at around the same age. The first time I put it on she was very upset and so determined to get out. It closes with a zipper. She managed to pull the zipper open by working at it from inside. So... I tied a long ribbon through the zipper pull and then had to tie the ribbon low on the crib leg so that she couldn't reach it from inside. After 2 times of tying the zipper closed, she realized she couldn't get out and stopped working at it. After that, I just had to zip as normal.

Even if you are giving up the crib to the new baby, you have plenty of time to do that. You have enough going on for the next couple months without worrying about a injured/roaming toddler.

I loved my crib tent! My son was climbing all over at a very young and I, like you, was NOT ready to move him to a toddler bed. Our crib tent saved my sanity! Buy a brand new one, not used and make sure it's installed properly. We made it like a game when we put him to bed that he was going in his tent "camping" for the night--we had no problems at all--until he learned to stick his finger at the end of the zipper and unzip it himself-ugh. That didn't come until he was much older and ready for a toddler bed, then so it didn't really matter. Good Luck!!

The crib tent is the best thing invented. I purcahsed it from one step ahead right after christmas 07... my 2.5 yr old started climbing out and destroying his room and then would go into his sisters and brother room and do the same all in the middle of the night. He is in a big boy bed now and I still use it he crawls in every night and I zip it up and he is out. It is both comforting and safe all at the same time. I will tell you at first it was hard he did not like it but with in 3 nights he was fine... I just had to let him cry it out. He loves it now. I hopew this helps... belive me it is the safest choice because if she is anything like my little one... that is just the beginning. :)

My son (now 6) was a monkey too. We had the same problem. He also wouldn't nap when he knew he could climb out of bed. I got a hand-me-down crib tent and it worked wonderfully! I had to make sure every part was properly attached because he tested and tested it, but finally just accepted it. Nap time, especially, became so much easier and I didn't have to worry about him getting up at all hours in the night or hurting himself climbing out. I highly recommend it for all little monkeys!

I would total recommend using a crib tent. My son started climbing out of his crib at about 14 months. And he was certainly not ready for a big boy baby. So, he decided to go with the tent, which I purchased at babies r us. I made a really big deal of the tent, while saying that he had a new hiding spot. And it seemed to work. He is still using it and there has been few problems with it. Go for it!