Newly 2 y.o is climbing out of her crib repeatedly

[elephantmeg]

What should I do. Poll coming with the general advice seen here in the past. I'm pretty sure a crib tent won't work on our crib.

[LMPC]

I think it's time for the toddler bed. Not a BTDT, but just IMO what I would do in the same situation. GL....and a glass of wine wouldn't hurt either :wink2:

[mom2binsd]

Have dealt with this at that exact age....two words - CRIB TENT! They work great and kept DS safely and happy in his crib well past age 3 1/2 (at that point he could undo the tent zipper but he liked staying in there).

We were NOT ready for him to have the freedom to roam, we have a balcony overlooking the downstairs hall, we are very sound sleepers and we not interested in his room turning into a free for all/or gating and securing the upstairs.

IT worked great! We got the regular crib tent, without the mesh sides, easy to set up and lasted almost 2 years.

I should also preface this by saying DD stayed in her crib until age 3 1/2, she never tried to climb out and was happy in there.

[Jo..]

I voted other. We got a crib tent, which kept DS and now DD (who is a monkey), contained.

[wellyes]

I'm right there now. We got DD a toddler bed about 2 weeks ago, and it's actually been REALLY easy. She just wanted to play on it the first day, but since then she is fine with going to sleep there.

What I was most afraid of was her getting out and wandering around her room at night, but at least so far she hasn't figured out that she can get out of the bed when I'm not there. Which is funny since she was always trying to climb out of the crib.

[Corie]

My daughter climbed out of her crib about a month before she turned 2 yrs. old.
It just took that one time and my DH dismantled her crib. We took the
Queen mattress off our guest bed and moved it to her bedroom. We just
put the mattress on the floor. She was in heaven!! She never climbed
out of the bed.
Once her new big girl furniture came in, we put the Queen mattress back
in the guest bedroom and she had her own twin bed. She absolutely
loved it!

[Melaine]

I agree at that age I would do a crib tent. Our transition to toddler bed went fairly well at a little over 2.5, but it was soon after that we lost the nap. I wonder if a crib tent would have saved my sanity for a few extra weeks?

[Piglet]

I have kids that seem to like their crib and never climb out even when they are definitely ready to and old enough to do it. Sometimes it is a novelty and it wears off soon enough. All of mine have tried to do it while I was in their room with them, but they never do it at night. I am of no help, but the glass of wine sounds like a good start!

[DietCokeLover]

I voted other. We got a crib tent, which kept DS and now DD (who is a monkey), contained.

Amen! Hallelujah for the individual who invented the crib tent!

[nrp]

My 21-month DS started climbing out of the crib a few weeks ago (like eight times the first night), and a crib tent wouldn't work with his crib. So, we ended up just putting him in a sleepsack for every nap and at night and it works like a charm. He doesn't seem to mind it at all and he can't swing his leg over the side anymore. I'm hoping it will buy us at least another few months. DD never tried to climb out, and we transitioned her seamlessly to her twin bed a couple of months before she turned 3.

[JBaxter]

I'm actually shocked Jack hasnt climbed out already Logan and Connor both climbed out by about 18 months. I dropped the side down so they could get out easier and but a gate on the bedroom door. Im not a big one for crib tents.

Im betting Jack climbs out as soon as he is out of footed sleepers --- I cant wait

[sidmand]

I always forget that one of the reasons DCs never tried to climb out (still have time with DD though) is because they always sleep in sleepsacks. If a crib tent won't work and you're not ready for a big girl bed maybe that would be an option?

[Toba]

I say Crib Tent too. We used one for a while with much success and my DS could escape out of anything, but not that!!

Why do you think that it won't work with your crib? The one we had went under the mattress and then was a freestanding tent (made more solid with long, strong plastic pieces in the shape of an "x" on top) ... the zipper is on the outside and it's impossible for DC to get to it.

Hope that helps!! We went right from the crib to a regular full sized bed. Our crib was a combo thing (crib, toddler bed, then headboard for a full-sized mattress) but DS got much more into the whole "big boy" bed. Even at just-turned six, he still tries to climb into our bed in the middle of the night sometimes. And he's ALWAYS there after DH leaves in the morning for work (5:45 AM) ... he wakes up and wants to snuggle. And I know these moments are going to be coming to an end in the next couple of years, so I love waking up to him all snuggled up against me. :)

[sariana]

I would probably modify the crib to the toddler bed (wish ours had this option) and put a gate in the doorway so she can't wander from her room.

[Melaine]

The sleepsacks should definitely help, we did that and I know it bought us some extra crib time. They started unzipping them, though, so then we had to put them on backwards. Then they were able to unzip them almost half way and still started climbing out of the crib.

[elephantmeg]

sleep sack. What a great idea. I'll do it! She finally is asleep in her crib. She does have an ear infection so maybe that's part of tonight's issue.

[bubbaray]

I voted for the wine b/c of the day I've had. LOL

I'm with the PP who said put a mattress on the floor. That is what we did.

[AnnieW625]

DD started doing this at just over 2 and since our crib is not convertable we just bought her a twin bed. It was hard at first but she eventually got used to it. I am really happy we made the switch.

[KrisM]

I'd do a twin mattress on the floor, if the sleep sack doesn't work. My kids both loved it and switched at about 25 months. We did gate DS's room because his door is near the top of the stairs. We didn't gate for DD, but once she was asleep, she was done for the night, whereas DS woke up for a couple more years.

[lmwbasye]

I would try the crib tent or a sleepsack (grobag) so they can't climb out.

[KpbS]

My 21-month DS started climbing out of the crib a few weeks ago (like eight times the first night), and a crib tent wouldn't work with his crib. So, we ended up just putting him in a sleepsack for every nap and at night and it works like a charm. He doesn't seem to mind it at all and he can't swing his leg over the side anymore. I'm hoping it will buy us at least another few months. DD never tried to climb out, and we transitioned her seamlessly to her twin bed a couple of months before she turned 3.

:yeahthat: Sleepsack, turned backwards. That is, put the sleepsack on with the back facing front and zip up in the back so they can't unzip it. Works great plus they don't lose their covers.

[american_mama]

Crib tent. There are two, Crib Tent I and Crib Tent II, and I would ask detailed questions here before ruling them out. Hopefully, one will work - why do you think they won't work on your crib? Or even buy them, try both and pay return shipping if they don't work out. We just put our Crib Tent II on last week.

I just tonight put DS in his crib for literally 1 minute while trying to get the girls through the last seconds of a hectic bedtime, and I didn't zip the tent so as to not make him feel more punished/ostracized (he is not loving the tent). It was only supposed to be for a minute, but he climbed out in about 30 seconds and fell, proving that he does not have the ability to get out of his crib safely but does have the desire to try. The Crib Tent was always for my benefit, but tonight showed me it's for his benefit too.

Barring that, I have twice successfully gotten DS to sleep in a pack n play by sitting in the room with him, ignoring him completely and doing something else (computer), except to say "No" when he tried to climb out. He'd scream, pause and try again in a minute or two, repeat, repeat, repeat. It was an unhappy night for all concerned, but he did give up trying to climb out after about 20-30 minutes, laid down, and fell asleep. I wonder if I tried that for several nights in a row, he would get the message in his regular crib. But I don't know - the message may recede after a few months and need to be repeated and the temptation/ability to climb out is so great and constant, and sleep is so needed by everyone, child and parents. I just prefer the crib tent, if it's at all possible for you.

[MoJo]

Thanks OP; this is also my issue of the week!

DD (21 months) climbed quickly and quietly out of her crib three times two nights ago, and would have done so another six times if I hadn't been standing at her door and telling her "no."

I tried staying in her room 'til she was asleep, but she woke up and climbed out as soon as I touched her door. (She sleeps with the door closed to keep out noise.)

I ended up sleeping on the baby's new crib mattress on the floor just to get her to stay in her bed.

Then last night, I got her to sleep in her crib, but after a couple of hours, she woke up screaming. . . and we both ended up sleeping on the floor in her room. (And I woke up with bad charlie horses in both calves. . . and she woke up when I did, and now is sleeping on the floor in this room.)

I researched crib tents on here yesterday, but it looks like the closest place to get one is three hours away. Does anyone know if/where you can get sleep sacks/grobags for a very tall child? She hasn't had one that fit for well over a year. My husband says she's almost 36"; I know she's around the 85th percentile for height.

Pg mama needs her sleep (preferably in her own bed!), and wine is not an option!

(My friends say use the toddler bed, which we already have, and the baby gate, but she can get through the baby gate & she can open the door to her room too. DH "can't have" her crying because he needs sleep. I can't have her wandering through the house, and I am AMAZED at how quickly and quietly she is climbing out.)

[MoJo]

I checked BRU online and the largest sleep sack they have is 24 months. Grobags are apparently from the UK, and I didn't see a store locator or listing of prices in US dollars.

[Corie]

It was only supposed to be for a minute, but he climbed out in about 30 seconds and fell, proving that he does not have the ability to get out of his crib safely but does have the desire to try. The Crib Tent was always for my benefit, but tonight showed me it's for his benefit too.




This is the exact reason why it just took my DD ONE time of climbing out
of her crib and we moved her. For us, we were extremely concerned about
her safety. We knew that she could get seriously hurt if she fell while trying
to climb out. We weren't willing to chance it by giving her the opportunity
to repeatedly climb out.

[sidmand]

I checked BRU online and the largest sleep sack they have is 24 months. Grobags are apparently from the UK, and I didn't see a store locator or listing of prices in US dollars.

We do use Grobags, but the largest sleepsack I've seen goes up to 4T/5T. I know for sure I've bought them in B&M stores (TRU/BRU/Marshalls).

I bought some Grobags on Mamabargains but in general they are pricier but last forever and fit many sizes (i.e., DD is in a 6 to 18 month one and it still fits)!

[elephantmeg]

we use a doorknob cover on the inside of their door already. She did finally go to sleep after an hour or so.