Tired Mom needs help keeping toddler in a crib

[Mommy2Lots]

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[2002Disneybride]

Our DS, now two, never climbed out of the crib. However, we moved to a new house and suddenly, he decided that sleeping in his crib was not something he liked! We bought him a toddler bed at 15 months, and we never had a problem with him crawling out since he loves his firetruck bed! That was the best decision we made...

 

[busymomma123]

Well last night was our first night in the toddler bed. We thought we should try it before he broke his arm. We put up big brothers old yellow car bed and put up the baby gate at the door. He thought the car bed was pretty neat to play on. We had company last night, so it probably wasn't the best night to try this. He fell asleep in my arms and I put him to bed. Around five this morning he got up and came to his door crying. The gate is a retention style gate that we haven't used a whole lot. Well I didn't have it up quite tight enough so I heard that fall down. I got up and comforteded him, but couldnt get him to stay in his bed. The only way I could get him to stay is if I was in the bed with him. So I nursed him laying down in a car bed. That was an experience. Anyway I finally got him to calm down enough to get the gate up securely. He cried after I left him by the gate for a few minutes and then went to his bed and went back to sleep. So as long as I can get that gate up right I think it will be o.k. Thanks for all the support and advice. Its getting scary, I have to consult disboards before getting anything done.

 

[sara74]

We've had a terrible time with a not sleeping toddler in the last few weeks. He has been in a twin bed - at his request (no crib! want big boy bed!) for a couple of months with no trouble so this is new to us.

Now he is waking around 4 and crying. I talked to the pediatrician at his 2 year check up last week and he told me to put him back in the bed and let him cry. Well, we did it over and over the other night when he decided to get up at 2. At 3 we put the gate on the door and he cried on the floor for another hour. The next day he cried for over an hour instead of taking a nap! And we have another baby coming in 3 weeks! I was in hysterics myself crying.

The next night...he slept from 7:30 pm until 5 am. The best night we've had in a long time! Now he is getting up at 4:30 but if I go in to tell him to go back to sleep he will until about 5- 5:15. I just hope that the new baby doesn't want to eat at 1 and 3 and then I am up again at 4! I'll lose my mind!

My thought on the toddler bed is that it's a lot of money for just one more thing that they won't be in that long. So we opted to spend the money elsewhere and we go straight from crib to twin. Luckily we haven't had a climber yet, but we have to get them out of the crib at just about 2 since we always seem to have another little one on the way!

 

[vhoffman]

Make it easier on yourself and get the tent. He's probably not ready for a toddler bed. The bed isn't the issue here--its getting out of it in the middle of the night. We went through this with our kids--twins! They just decided one night they wanted out and figured it out. It was a game to crawl in and out. I put them in seperate rooms, hoping they would settle down if they didn't have a playmate to spend the night with. But by then they had figured out how to get out of the crib. I caught them both wandering the house at all hours of the night! We had an alarm with a motion detector, and it went off routinely in the middle of the night! One night I found ds(about20 months), standing on a chair trying to open the front door!!!! It was at that point I disovered the tent. A lot of people don't like the idea of it, they liken it to play pens, harnesses, etc., but when you're the overworked, stressed caregiver you have to do something to keep them safe and get some rest. You can't stay awake all night chasing the kids around the house! DD adjusted to it the first night, took ds some getting used to. No harm came to the kids by staying in their cribs and I could get some rest!

 

[vhoffman]

Oh, I do like the idea of putting the mattress on the floor! Now why didn't I think of that? With my children it became a game of crawling in and out, sort of like a jungle gym! Then when they figured out they could get out they started roaming the house all night long!

If the mattress is on the floor it isn't a game. Also, they can't fall out so it isn't a safety issue like a toddler bed. I'd give that a try first. Of course, you have to child-proof the room, but I'm sure you've done so already. Here's something we did to keep the kids from roaming the house all night--we found single-handle door knobs. There's a knob on the outside, but just a smoooth plate on the inside. There's nothing to open, so they can't get out, but we have instant access to the room via the outside knob. They were hard to find, think we finally found ours at WalMart, but can't be sure now. Just don't tell them at the store what you're using them for or they might think you're locking the kids up ! Well, essentially that's what you're doing but its for their own safety. You can't be expected to stand guard 24/7 and you can't let them roam all night!

 

[zookeeper]

OP, I feel for you. Middle dd would not stay in crib, not sleep either. We put the tent on her crib, she chewed through it and we found her on top of it. :

Oh Man! I thought my DD gave me some trouble as a toddler!! What an image!!

We also used the gate at the door method for when our kids start sleeping in beds. Thankfully, none of our kids were too anxious to get out of their cribs so we haven't had any broken arms or night-wandering babies. Although, DS18months has been looking like he's thinking about climbing out lately so I might have to go down that road yet!

I totally understand the point about wanting to get a little sleep.Letting the kids sleep with you is not the answer. After a night sleeping in the bed with one of my tossing,turning, limb-flailing children I usually look like this

 

[mommy*RN]

Ooo, I hope I'm not a bad mommy...but when DS starting climbing out of his crib at 17 months, I bought a sleep sack in the largest size for him to sleep in. It was summer so I bought the light cotton one and left him in just a t-shirt and diaper underneath it. This bought us some time since he couldn't swing his leg up high enough to get out of the crib...eventually he did figure it out, but it gave us time to go find a bed for him and such...

 

[DisneyMommyMichelle]

i think you should go with DH on this. My DD has been in a toddler bed since she was 11months old. she loves it and sleeps through the night. It helps a otn since she can not come and get me if she has to potty in the middle of the night. She is now 18months old and still doing great in it! We will be doing the same for DS.

 

[PA Princess]

We also have a just turned 19 month old! Luckily for us she is on the petite side, so she cannot physcially climb out of her crib just yet. We moved all three older kids to a bed (usually a twin) at age 2. With her (our surprise baby) we had to buy all new baby things and we went ahead and splurged on a crib that converts to a toddler bed, so if we start to have climbing issues we will simply change to a toddler bed (and no new bedding required since it is the same as the crib). DD is not one for sleeping with us...she never falls asleep in our arms or even in a stroller is rare. She likes her own space and likes her crib at the moment, so we are lucky. But I know from older kids how unnerving it is when little ones start to roam in the middle of the night. Hope your new arrangement works well for you both!

 

[busymomma123]

The gate has contained him for a few nights. Last night I thought for sure he was going to go over the gate. I feel like I am dealing with a super like from the Incredibles. Now I am not sure what to do.

 

[belle&beast]

The gate has contained him for a few nights. Last night I thought for sure he was going to go over the gate. I feel like I am dealing with a super like from the Incredibles. Now I am not sure what to do.

I have heard of people using 2 gates- one at floor level and one above that. I feel for you! The single gate was enough to contain our climber.

 

[justhat]

The gate has contained him for a few nights. Last night I thought for sure he was going to go over the gate. I feel like I am dealing with a super like from the Incredibles. Now I am not sure what to do.

Not sure what kind you have, but my daughter gave up on climbing over it and figured out that if she pushes on it enough that it will eventually slide out of the door.

 

[KristinU]

How about a door knob cover? That worked for us.

 

[busymomma123]

Whats a door knob cover?

 

[Mommy2Lots]

They sell door knob covers in the baby safety section at Wal-Mart.
The gate thing, they sell gates that are taller and install into the wall, so they can't be knocked down (Wal-Mart also).
Good luck.

 

[KristinU]

Whats a door knob cover?

A plastic gizmo that goes over your doorknob so the child can't turn the doorknob and open the door. There are little gripper things on it that you squeeze to turn the knob so adults can open the door. I got ours at Babies R Us in a three pack I think.

Here's one at One Step Ahead, not exactly like the one we have but you'll get the idea: Door Knob Lock

Good Luck!

 

[justhat]

Do you know if they make them for non-round doorknobs? Ours are all levers, but not like the ones shown in the lever lock version cause there are no locks about the levers.

 

[TinkInPink]

Duct Tape

 

[MyLittlePiglet]

It seems like OP already moved to toddler bed but here is a suggestion I heard (which I just might have to start using as 21 month old is like a ballerina and gets her foot (toe pointed and all) over the crib and then pulls.... anyway.... turn the crib so that the higher "wall" side is the side that is out and the "climbing" side is against the wall. Not to convenent with a young baby but doable with toddler to put them in on the side. Does that make sense? Its late and I should be asleep.