Can your child "wander" at night?"

[dianna]

Once you move your DC into a big bed, there is no more containment! Yikes! We have a 3 level house, so there is a lot of places to wander if DS should get out of bed in the middle of the night, and we'd never know. He is downright stealthy!

That said, he really doesn't get into things he shouldn't, so I don't worry too much. But, at the same time, he is just 3 and I'd hate for him to groggily do something that might bring him harm.

But, unless we keep a gate on his door, he is NOT going to stay in his room. He is wayyyyy too independent. We just started leaving his gate open, and he's taken to wandering. This morning he cheerfully bounded into our room and announced that he'd been everywhere looking for us - basement, office, kitchen, etc. and we were nowhere to be found (ummm...because it was REALLY early and we were in bed!)

At what age do you feel comfortable with the fact that your child might roam at night without you knowing? Its creeping me out!

Dianna

[Ceepa]

Fortunately, and unfortuantely, if DC ever get out of bed they just head to our room.

I would put the gate back up if he's wandering during the night. If it's in the morning that's different. Can you put some quiet toys in his room to keep him interested in staying in his room when he wakes early? Also put a clock in his room or a light/radio on a timer so he can learn about when it's OK to leave his room in the morning.

[pb&j]

DS is now out of the crib and free to wander. I was pretty concerned about this initially, as our bedroom is on the first floor and his is on the second. We keep the baby gate latched at the top of the stairs. However, he hasn't yet figured out that he can get out of bed whenever he wants, and will cry for us to come get him if he is thirsty, has to go potty, etc. We also still use the baby monitor in his room, so if he were to get up and open the door, we'd hear it.

[MamaKath]

We gated the stairs at our last 2 houses to contain them to the floors we were on. Now in a rambler it is not the same issue. They never have wanted to wander, they always come jump in our bed, lol.

[hillview]

DS #1 will get up and come to our room. I can hear him as soon as he gets out of bed. I am a light sleeper. I do have a gate and if I am really tired, I do put it up. He won't go far.
/hillary

[BeachBum]

My DS is 3. He just doesn't wander. If he gets up he comes right to our room.

[fortato]

We keep the gate in front of his door... I don't want to risk him falling down the stairs or worse.

I'm a light sleeper, but sometimes I have to wear ear plugs because DH's snoring keeps me up. So having the gate there gives me peace of mind.

[WatchingThemGrow]

I'd be keeping his gate shut or I would install one farther down the hallway, maybe not at the staircase, but back between some walls so he can still get to the potty, if you feel comfortable with access to the bathroom.

[Moneypenny]

DD is 4.5 and we still keep a gate up in the hallway. She doesn't realize she could just climb over it, I guess, lol! She can get to our room or the bathroom (and darnnit, I wish she would actually USE the bathroom in the middle of the night so we could get rid of these nighttime diapers!)

At any rate, I'm not sure when I'll be comfortable with her having free range of the house while DH and I are sleeping. I have one of those irrational fears that she will somehow get out of the house and get hit by a car or freeze to death or wander around lost and crying for me. (Yes, I have issues!)

[mecawa]

My DD is 4 and it still freaks me out. We have a gate at the top of the stairs that I close at night, so if for some reason she gets up to wander (which she never has) she is contained to the second floor. My second floor is just bedrooms and a bathroom( where everything is very child proof, plus the fact that it is right next to our bedroom so you can hear her if she's in there). There really isn't much for her to get in to on the 2nd floor. I know a lot of people who put a gate in front of there child's bedroom at night.