OT-Help! DD2 is now climbing out of her crib....

[frannn]

She has climbed out of the playpen a few times, but we still have it up for when we have to run out of the room for a few moments. Last night, she climbed out of the crib about 6-8 times in a row and kept running into our bedroom. I kept scooping her up & putting her back in. I tried removing any larger stuffed animals that she could be using to climb on, as well as anything on the floor that she could be climbing onto. Still, she got back out a few more times. I got a little exasperated with her, as it was 10 when I first put her to bed and almost 12 when she finally stopped climbing out. After a while, I closed the door to her room, and when I heard her jiggling the door to get out, I would go in and put her back to bed. DH gets up for work about 4 am, so he would just as soon let her into our bed, so he could get some sleep, but I know that would become an easy habit for her. Any advice to help me keep everyone's sanity?

 

[pyrxtc]

my advice is to either put her in a toddler bed so she won't get hurt frm climbing out of bed the wrong way or to get her a net that goes over the tops of the crib so she can't climb out anymore. They make them for that reason. My kids would never sleep ina crib and I ahve moved them very successfully to their own beds with no problems.

 

[ckoncurat]

I agree with the post above- 2 is more than old enough for a toddler bed. You can often get really cute ones in the pennysaver, garage sales or consignment stores. If she gets a bed she really likes she may feel more motivated to sleep in it.

Also, make sure she is on a consistent sleep schedule. My toddlers always got up between 6-7, napped from about 1-3 and then went to bed about 7:30-7:45 and slept through the night. (I have 5 DDs) We would start our bedtime routine of PJS, books, song, prayer and bed at about 7:15-7:30.

Good Luck!

 

[StephMK]

I agree with moving her to a bed. My son had gotten into the habit of jumping up & down in his crib (loud & squeaky!) & trying to climb out. He has come out of his room a few times, but for the most part, he sleeps much better in a bed now. I've also heard of putting a baby gate across the door so even if she gets up, she can't get out. Good luck! I'd do about anything to preserve my sleep too but you're right, bad habit to start.

Signed,

Mom of 5 yo DD who still likes to come into our bed!

 

[Colinsmom]

Crib tent!! Worked for us!

 

[billwendy]

hi,

here is another idea to try,,,,,

toddler bed, or put her mattress on the floor (my friend used crib mattress for her 1 son, and twin sized with box frame for the other)....then put a baby gate at the door if you dont want to close it,,,totally baby proof the room, so if she does roam a little, you know she will be safe....good luck!!

 

[JessetheCowgirl]

hi,

here is another idea to try,,,,,

toddler bed, or put her mattress on the floor (my friend used crib mattress for her 1 son, and twin sized with box frame for the other)....then put a baby gate at the door if you dont want to close it,,,totally baby proof the room, so if she does roam a little, you know she will be safe....good luck!!

this is what we did, too. toddler bed and a gate on the door.

Good luck!

 

[kejoda]

this is what we did, too. toddler bed and a gate on the door.

Good luck!

We did this also. Crib mattress is great. Easy to move into your room if the need arises.

 

[Belle5]

My almost 17 year old son got a concussion falling out of his crib at her age. It was a bloody mess! He hit some part of the crib as he was climbing out and we believe he was knocked out for 15-30 minutes as the blood on the walls was already dried to a brown color by the time he cried and I came to find him. (Pre-baby monitor days) We loved our crib tent that we bought for our now 12 year old. It gave us another couple of years in the crib after he climbed out the first time. I like the idea of the toddler bed with a gate as long as the room is COMPLETELY childproof. If you have a climber she will pull drawers out and climb upon dressers. If you go the toddler bed/gate route I would only have a bed and a few books. Nothing she could climb onto.

 

[newtowdw1]

I agree with the post above- 2 is more than old enough for a toddler bed. You can often get really cute ones in the pennysaver, garage sales or consignment stores. If she gets a bed she really likes she may feel more motivated to sleep in it.

Also, make sure she is on a consistent sleep schedule. My toddlers always got up between 6-7, napped from about 1-3 and then went to bed about 7:30-7:45 and slept through the night. (I have 5 DDs) We would start our bedtime routine of PJS, books, song, prayer and bed at about 7:15-7:30.

Good Luck!

I am in almost total agreement ... the routine is a life-saver!!! My kids are far far from being perfect, actually very difficult, but bed time has never been an issue. The only thing I would change is that I would not bother with a toddler bed. Seems like a waste of money to me, but to each his own

Also, she will get out and play the first few nights. You're doing great with just putting her back. It will be frustrating, but SO worth it in only a few nights!! Move her to a big girl bed, and hang tough. Now, onto potty training and you've almost got a 'big girl'

 

[disneychrista]

IMO, as soon as they start climibing out it is time to get them out of the crib and into a bed.

 

[vettechick99]

First, watch Supernanny on abc. It comes on Monday nights I believe and she tackles this problem quite often. Maybe you can google her show or name (Jo Frost) and learn some tactics first hand, I know she has a book out.

But I just wanted to make sure that you weren't inadvertantly praising her when she gets out of bed and comes to you. Are you hugging her or talking to her or otherwise giving her a reason to hop out of bed? The Supernanny has the mom/dad put the child right back in with no talking, hugging etc. If they get no positive attention, they have no reason to get out of bed.

Just a thought! Good luck!

 

[Nicolepa]

I just stopped putting the railing up on the crib. We were in a temporary housing situation while having a home built and we didn't want a toddler bed, but we couldn't do a big bed at the time either. So I just started keeping the railing down. That way she couldn't roll off the bed, but if she climbed out she wasn't going to fall a long ways. After awhile I just took the side off her crib and used it like a toddler bed. (her bed was designed to be used w/o the drop down railing.

 

[adisneymama]

We had the same problem. When my DD was 14 mos old we found her "flipping" out of her crib. Believe me I would have been much happier had she been climbing out. We moved her to a toddler bed immediately. We bought an inexpensive one from Walmart. About $40. I have always had her room completely baby proof. Only her bed and dresser and a few books. I did not go with the gate though, I would sit outside her room the first few nights putting her back in when she got up. Then I started moving a little farther and farther from her room until she was used to going to sleep without getting up. She still gets up around 5 am to come to mommys bed but that is ok with us. Toddler bed worked great for us. We have recently moved her to a twin bed with a safety rail and she loves her "big girl" beds. We also made sure to make a big deal of moving her from the baby bed to the big girl bed (toddler). Since it was a fun thing she gave us no resistance.

Good luck!

 

[Rachie0507]

I agree with trying a bed. Neither of my kids climbed out of their cribs, but just stopped sleeping well in them between 18mos-2yrs. Their pediatrician swears that moving a child out of a crib by age 2 creates better sleep habits. I don't know about everyone but it worked for us. My 2 yr old has been in a racecar toddler bed that we picked up used for $30, for almost a year. We went through one phase of him not wanting to sleep, but he can't open his door himself so he was just locked in! I also second the idea of a set bed time ritual. My kids know what to expect and it goes well.

 

[my3princes]

My now 28 mth old started climbing out of his crib 3 - 4 mths ago. He also learned to open doors in the same week. We immediately moved him to a toddler race car bed. The transition seemed to go well, except we can't keep him in his room now. He will go in and go to sleep with no problems, but when he awakens in the night he comes to our room which is on the opposite end of the house. We have a tv monitor on him, but he is so quiet that we don't know that he is awake until he is standing next to us, by that time he is very awake and it can take hours to get him back to bed. He also knows how to climb over gates so that is not an option. I have had suggestions to put a baby lock on the doorknob to his room so he can't get out, but I worry about fire and don't think that is safe. Our solution at least for now is to put him in a playpin in our room. He does not try to climb out of it and will cry or talk to wake us up. Are we starting a bad habit, probably, but you can only go so many nights without sleep. He was the best sleeper when he stayed in his crib and I miss that, but it is all part of the process of growing up. Hopefully this is a phase he is going thru and he will return to his room in a couple of weeks and his good sleep habits.

 

[GeorgiaAristocat]

Our daughter started climbing out when she was two also. No suggestions to add to the postings above, just be aware that to your daughter being able to come out is an assertion of her independence and ability to control her world. Once we removed the drop rail on her bed, our daughter would get in and out of her bed repeatedly (and she was getting scolded for doing so after we had put her to bed at night.) She always did better if we followed the bedtime routine, if we missed a step it caused havoc. BUT, she eventually stopped getting up so much (the newness lost its appeal). So, be patient, she will eventually figure out that it is not so cool to keep getting up. (And I say this after a BAD night w/ my two little ones - 2 yr old WOULD NOT go back to sleep last night after waking at 1:00 a.m. until I sat w/ her in her room until she fell back to sleep (at 3:30), meanwhile 9 mo old also up for several hours - so you may want to ignore my input completely!

 

[piglet33]

My 2 1/2 year old DD has been in a toddler bed since she was 18 months old. She started trying to pull herself up to get out of the crib so I moved her to a bed. She loves it because she can climb in and out of bed all by herself. She usually doesn't wake up in the middle of the night, but if she does, I just put her back to bed. I like the idea of the toddler bed since my parents purchased a very good mattress for her crib and it's still being used.

 

[sskem96]

I put both my kids in a toddler bed at 15 mos. I laid down with them til they fell asleep (good thing I'm short!). Yes, at 5 and 8 they still like me to lay with them and pat their back til they fall asleep, but this is a nice calm part of the day to talk to them and dd8 will tell me more in that situation than at the dinner table with dad present. Sometimes I wake up in their bed still, but they won't be little for long, so I will enjoy what time I get to spend with them. They're in a twin over full bunk bed now. There was a time when dd8 was 17 mos. that we woke up in the morning and found her in the living room watching a Pooh video! We couldn't believe she managed to turn the tv on, put the tape in, and find the right channel on the tv! I guess you could say she's the type of kid who when she knows what she wants, she will make it happen!