I have a 2 1/2 year old boy who's fairly big for his age. He has just figured out he can climb out of his crib. It started a couple of nights ago. I put him in his crib to go to sleep and shortly after the power went out. He was so scared that he jumped right out of his crib to find me. After the power came back on, he continued to jump out of his crib and will be right behind me as I try to leave his room. Finally, daddy had to go into the room and sit with him till he calmed down and fell asleep.
Now, he's done this the last couple of nights. But only at night, he doesn't get out in the middle of the night or in the morning or after his nap. I really hate to put him in a bed, but I am worried about him getting hurt or wandering around at night. And he may get out more often if it's easier for him to get out. Don't know what to do! Any suggestions? Or advice?
Thanks for all the suggestions. We're going to bite the bullet and get a big boy bed! It's all part of growing up!
I say go for it too. We switched my son around that time too. He climbed out once and that was it. The one tip I can give you is, if you are going to do it, take down the crib and only have the bed. It will make the transition so much easier. I made that mistake.
We moved my son to a big boy bed a few weeks ago too - he was about 20 months. Tall enough to climb out, but hadn't figured out how and I didn't want to risk him falling. I also didn't want him wandering around at night so we keep his door closed until we go to bed and then put up the baby gate. I knew he wouldn't stay put so the gate at least keeps him in his room where it's safe and he can only get into his books.
howdy...well this is what my husband and i have done...we have a 19 month little boy, we put him in a fire truck toddler bed 2 months ago when the crib was getting too small for him, it went well...just kept telling him WOW THIS IS A BIG BOY BED AND YOU ARE A BIG BOY NOW,,HOW COOL,,,YEAH FOR KONNOR BLAH BLAH BLAH!!! well at first we would put him to bed (in the toddler bed) the same way we did for the crib we gave him his milk (warm) in his sippy cup and put him in his toddler bed gave him a kiss told him night night time and covered him up and walked away and shut off the light and shut the door,,,BUT thats what we did when he was in the crib the first couple of nights we cried but then stopped, in the begining after he would fall asleep we would open the door up and put up a baby gate incase he would wake up and wonder around the house when we were sleeping god only knows what he would get into--- but after a few weeks of that we stopped cuz he doesnt ever try getting out of the bed when hes ready to get out he will sit there in the morning and cry until we go get him (kind of like his crib) so try the baby gate it will work OH ANOTHER TIP THAT I THINK HELPED US AND MADE OUR SON FEEL MORE LIKE HIS CRIB WE TOOK THE BUMPER PADS OUT OF THE CRIB AND PUT THEM AROUND THE TODDLER BED SO IT MADE HIM FEEL MORE LIKE HIS CRIB... :)
My son did the same thing. It's time for a bed. And be prepared for him to not want to sleep alone. You'll have to find ways to work with him to get him to sleep in his own bed, in his own room.
After we read and tell stories, we stay with our son (lay down with him in the bed) until he falls asleep and then we leave him.
If you have security concerns, you can do what we did at first and put a gate on his door. That way you'll know he will stay in his room and yell for you when needed. But be sure there are no stools, chairs, etc. for him to use to climb over the gate. We don't use the gate on our son's door anymore (he's now 3), but we still use the gate at the top of the stairs so he can't wander around downstairs on his own, or get out of the house. (which I heard stories from friends about)
Good luck
This might help. I have a 3 1/2 yr old, a 2 1/2 yr old, my baby will be 1 on Sunday, and I am due next month with baby #4, so I have tried a few things when it comes to sleep time. Usually when my kids turn 1 and can walk and get around I put them in a toddler bed. Usually something with cartoon characters. Something that they will enjoy being in. My 3 1/2 year old slept with me all the time when she was a baby, but that was only when it was just her and when the others came and she was still attached to sleeping with me I knew things had to change. I started her toddler bed in our room so that she still felt safe knowing that we were around and then I moved it into her bedroom, which is right next to ours. Even now, I still put up a child gate when the kids sleep so that they dont go wondering around the house. So the only place she can go if she gets up is in our room. My 3 and 2 year old both have their own toddler beds in the same room, but I pushed them together. I let them go to sleep with a doll or stuffed animal. My children used to fall asleep in our bed and then we would have to carry their sleeping bodies back into their beds, but now since they sleep with a Scooby Doo and a couple of dolls, they fall asleep in their own beds and dont wake up to get in the bed with my husband and I. hope that helps. Tiff
Hi A.,
We moved my almost 2 1/2 year-old daughter to a big-girl bed a couple of weeks ago. She has been doing wonderfully, except for falling out once. We made a big deal, saying she had to stay in the bed until mommy or daddy came to get her. So far, so good. My son was almost 3 when we moved him and he did great, too.
I also let both my kids pick out their bedding, making it a cool and special milestone.
I say, go for it!
J.
