Last night I woke up to find our 27 month old in our bed. I thought my husband must have gotten him up because he was crying or something. But talking tonight, my husband doesn't remember getting up, and he thought I'd done it. So either we were too tired to remember (that hasn't happened before) or he got out by himself!
He was climbing out of his crib when it was next to a window seat. Big brother showed him how to do that. I moved his crib to the other side of the room. My husband thinks maybe he climbed out onto his nearby dresser (a long, low one, not a tall one) last night.
Obviously, I don't want him climbing all over his furniture in the middle of th night. So I could rearrange his room again (I was going to do that anyway) or convert his crib into a toddler bed.
I worry about the staircase that is next to my door. I have a baby gate that I could put on his door, though. And I think he's proven that he won't stay in his bed. And I cringe to think about getting him to take a nap without confining him to his crib! I think that's the only reason he ever sleeps.
I'd appreciate any advice anyone can give me!
We converted his crib last night before bed time. I talked it up before-hand, calling it a big boy bed and resolving concerns (he was afraid that he wouldn't get to keep his pillow) and telling him that I expected him to stay in bed when I put him in it, just like Mommy, Daddy, and big brother do. Usually talking him through things doesn't work all that great, at least not as well as it did with my older one, so I was stunned that when i put him to bed, he stayed there! I put the baby gate in his doorway, but he didn't notice that until he woke up about an hour later. He stood at it and screamed for me, saying "Mommy, I stuck!" But I stepped over it and put him back in bed. He did that three more times during the night, so we're both tired.
But I just put him down for his nap and instead of screaming when i take his shoes off, he said, "I go ni-night now" when I took them off. He picked some toys and he got into bed himself, then said, "Ni-night, Mommy."
I'm still in shock! It's going much better than expected!
He's old enough to do stairs - teach him how. He can go down feet first on his tummy if you want, or slide down on his bottom or just walk down them at that age.
S.,
I am a mother of 7 children and even though it is scary children themselves tend to dictate to parents when they are ready for a change, try to make the new bed an adventure, sure they may not stay in it as well but I have twin girls and the oldest likes her bed when she is tired it is her sleep place, after having as many as I have you realize you don't always get the response you like, but sometimes they surprise you.
we run through the house searching for katee when she gets to quite and often find her enjoying her bed, quietly with herself. or oft times napping.
Hi there! I really hate to tell you this but he is probably getting out of his crib without the aide of any furniture. he's old enough now that he probably climbs the bars and jumps out or shimies up the bars and then shimies down the outside of the bars until he can touch the floor. So rearanging his room won't do any good. Best bet to keep him safe and (sometimes unfortunate natural progression) is to convert to the "Big Boy" bed. If the baby gate fits at the top of your stair case that might be a great place for it. I went through similar situations with my two boys and I was just lucky enough to catch both of them in the act of escaping they actually both used different methods which I found interesting. (the methods above) You're lucky he is only figuring it out now, my boys didn't even make it to two! Good Luck
Crib Tent. Saved our sanity. Got ours at Babies R Us because we couldn't wait for it to ship.
Our baby boy (21 months when he started climbing he is now 27 months) would not stay in bed at all once he learned to climb out. We couldn't put him to bed till he fell asleep sometimes as late as midnight and then he would be up and out and ready to go as soon as he realized he was awake. Usually like six.
He was mad about it for two days but now he self soothes to sleep and sleeps as long as his little body needs to rest because he can't get out on his own. He did this before the he learned to climb out of his crib and we got tent so it wasn't a hard skill to relearn.
We just have a little night time ritual. We watch a little cartoon or train video segment telling him that after it is over it will be time for night night. He gets to bring a safe little toy of his choosing. He has two stuffed animals in there he loves and gets tucked in with three little blankets. He sometimes he will make a 10 second or less protest and then he is asleep. Any soothing predictable ritual will do. We have a similar but simpler ritual for nap time.
Didn't feel comfortable with the toddler bed idea. He is too much of a climber. We tried for one night and he couldn't stay in the bed. He shares a room with his brother and the danger of climbing up and falling from the bunk bed or other furniture was too risky. What if he was quiet... he might be asleep or he might have have killed himself from his shenanigans. We wouldn't know till we checked on him or possibly till morning if he got up during the night.
I have five other children and this was the first time we had to invest in something like this. It was worth every penny.
ahttp://www.amazon.com/Tots-Mind-Cozy-Crib-White/dp/B00014...\
~D.
You could try putting a child-proof deal on the inside of his doorknob. We used one of those simple plastic ones and that kept my son in his room until he was three. Then you can convert his crib to the toddler bed and he'll just play until he gets tired enough to fall asleep.
I think it is time to switch to the toddler bed. I know of a lot of children who get out of their crib despite their parents attempt rearrange their rooms.
We converted my daughter to a bed (20 months) this summer when she started climbing out of the crib. It actually was a great transition. She sleeps better and stays in bed until morning. She usually even stays in bed until I come to get her. We do have a gate up so she can't get out of her room at night.
Good luck.
It sounds like it's time for the toddler bed. We had a staircase next to our Master at out old house. We installed a very sturdy gate (not the kind that just pop in) and every night we just made sure the gate was locked. It helped us sleep better that's for sure. I think if you put a gate on his door, he'll just climb it, my child easily did (but not the one at the top of the stairs), or he'll stand there and yell. Good Luck!!
He is well old enough to get out of the crib now. If you have something to convert I would do that for now. Toddler beds are very short lived as they grow out of them. Then after he has I suggest a twin bed.
For the bed you can get a bed rail on it, especially now he is climbing and safety reasons. Put a baby gate on his room and now is the time to make it VERY clear he is NOT to get out of his bed, period. I was blessed as neither of my kids climbed out of the crib but we have stairs right by their door too. I put a baby monitor on in their room, so I could hear if they got up and were playing or trying to undo the baby gate. I put the baby gate up, shut the door and they just didn't ever get up until I came in. I didn't threaten or terrorize them but made the rules very clear. It just wasn't an issue for either of my kids. My son moved at 26 mos and my daughter into a twin at 23 mos. Both did fantastic at bedtime and naptime.
Be very clear with him, if you hear him get up and out of bed, put him back and be firm he has to stay in bed until mommy comes and gets him. Both of my kids I could hear talking to themselves on the monitor when they were done with their naps.
Make sure he is tired at naptime, put up blackout shades if you have to and just set boundaries, like he is NOT to play with toys at naptime.
It is so much easier then it seems to be, promise.
I think it is definitely time for a big boy bed though and if you get a twin, put it away from windows and anything he can climb.
Having him help pick out fun sheets and a comforter and empowering him with now he is a big boy!!! :)
We have not experienced this yest. But I think we are on the verge. I will be curious to see what your responses are.
My friends whos kids are a bit older just converted to twin or toddler bed and put baby gate accross the door. They found that the kids played or got back in bed. Just a thought, not sure either!
Good luck!
You may be surprised hw easy transferring him to a bed is when he is this ready. Mine liked having a rolled p blanket on the side of the bed and the bed up in the corner. Other riends put the mattress on the floor but I didn't like that with mine. It is a pain...but the minute you hear him coming in the room, pick him up, put him on the potty (if training) and put him in the bed. You may have to do this seeral times in a row for like a week...which stinks. but don't say anything, dont turn off the lights, just be a robot. they are usually so sleepy, they go back to sleep. We had a baby gate at the top of our stairs which is also right in front of our bedroom door. We didn't always"lock it' as ours got older as it was more of a visual cue. We just took ours off with the youngest being 30 months...he never gets up out of bed any more. So let him grow up, feel like he has control of something, teach him the "rules' and safe boundaries, be loving, and being consistant. the parent's bed is the parent's be, end of the discussion.
Move him to a bed - twin or toddler. It's better than him climbing out on his own in the middle of the night. Mine was doing that by 20 months, so he got a racecar bed then and he loved it.
Here's a little trick I heard from a friend of mine to keep them in their beds -- when you put him down (nap or nightime) peek under the crack of the door so you can see when their little feet start to touch the floor. When they do, call out to get back in bed. She swore it only took about a week of that to keep her kids in bed (never worked with mine, but worth a try! plus it will help convince your kids you are "all-seeing". :)
Hi S.
My oldest son ended up in a big boy bed by 16 months because he figured out how to climb out and come into our bed. What we did was, purchase a full size mattress and we put it on the floor. I placed one side against the wall and then purchased 2 rails, one for the side of the bed and one for the end, these were really to just give him the sense of security he felt in the crib. Within a week he was napping and sleeping through the night in his big boy bed. I also took a very large teddy bear that he had and would place it right next to him, this gave him the same sense he had when he would climb into our bed and want to be snuggled up against me.
Hope this helps,
Robyn
