2 Yrs Old Climbs Out of Crib

My daughter still loves her crib, but when she starts trying to escape I WILL buy her a crib tent. I used to nanny for a 3 year old who used one. The zipper had a little lock that was done from the outside. I know it is right for some families, but I personally think two is a little too young to be asking a child to regulate their behavior all night with all the temptations around his room.

Sounds to me like it is time for a toddler bed.....he may be young but when the climbing starts it's time to move to a bigger bed that is more safe. Also, about the lock on the door that doesn't sound safe even if it is for night time...in case of a fire anyone other than you would have a hard time getting to him...not a good idea. My son was 18 months old when put into a toddler bed with a rail on the side. You are right in putting up a baby gate at the top of the stairs. A good friend of mine has a 2 year old and what she did was baby proof his room as much as possible and put door knob saftly holders on the doors so that only adults can open it from the inside but that is safe to get to him if need be.

I think putting a lock on the door is the smart and safe thing for now. Also look into baby gates and see if you cant find one that attaches with screws...he will probley climb that too. He is at the age where you can tell him no and time out or a tap on the hand and he will understand. Good luck.

Take the lock off! That is SUCH a hazard. Get a door knob cover for his side of the door, if he can open the gate you have, get a different one. And try the toddler bed route. He might surprise you. If you are afraid of him falling out of the bed, there are temporary rails you can put up or, my first son had a race car bed that was very low to the ground. Good luck, but definitely go with your instinct, get the lock off.

I have a totally different answer - my daughter could climb out of her crib at 11 months - she is super strong and just jumped and hoisted herself over the railing even with the mattress at it's lowest. Obviously, I wasn't going to move her to a toddler bed. They have a crib tent at Babies R us for $20. It's worked perfectly and she loves being in there. I'm leaving her in there as long as possible since I have another baby coming in Oct and don't want her getting up and interfering with his sleep. My pediatrician is also of the thought that they should stay in a crib until age 3 - There's good info on babycenter on why to wait until 3.

Hi B.-

I'm wondering why you feel he is not ready for a toddler bed? If he is able to climb out of the crib, what's the difference? Also, does he manage the stairs independently during the day? If he's usually unassisted on the stairs, I don't know why it would be more worrisome at night. Put a nightlight in the hall so he can see the stairs and continue to use the gate so that he'll be less likely to fall if he's still half asleep when he gets up. If he has to be awake enough to maneuver the gate to get through, he's probably awake enough that he won't fall down the stairs.

To answer your question about the lock, we used a door knob cover on the inside of our daughter's door when she was in a toddler bed and we had trouble getting her to stay in her bed to go to sleep. I don't see anything wrong with it although for our purposes we did remove it once she was asleep for the night.

Good Luck,
K.

My son was a climber too- get a hardware mounted gate with vertical slats for the top of the stairs. Those collapsible gates are easier to push over or climb over.

You could also install a gate in the doorway to his room. I've also known people to use a door lock for safety. I've also heard of people installing a tent over the crib, but that is not something I have tried myself.

We transitioned my son to a toddler bed with side rail at that age, but you could also put the crib mattress on the floor. We made sure his room was childproof though- no hanging drapes or blind cords, heavy/tall furniture was bolted to the wall, and we installed slide plates on the electrical outlets.

You can buy a crib tent they sell at babies r us this is what i did because i did not feel my son was ready to be out of the crib yet good luck
J.

Hello B.,

Both my girls climbed out of their cribs early (one at 15 months, the other at 13 months). I put them both in the toddler bed as soon as they started climbing out and they did great. They knew they could get out when they wanted so they seemed to actually stay in bed. I think it gave them a little more control. It was also much safer. We videoed our oldest climbing out of her crib and were horrified at the danger she put herself in. I don't know about the stairs since all out bedrooms are downstairs. Maybe one of the heavy duty gates that screws into the walls wouldn't wiggle so much but if he's a climber he might just climb it. Good luck!

B.,

One of my neices could climb out of her crib, also. She could be out in 30 seconds, once you laid her down. She was about 1 1/2 and a bit young for a bed. You would think she took lessons from Houdini. lol

My sister had to put the child protection doornob on the inside of her room (the little thing could also open doors). She thought she would be sneaky and get out of her crib and out the door but the plastic stopped her. Each night, before they went to bed, my sister or her husband would go pick her off the floor (thank goodness it was carpeted) and put her in the crib and she's wake for a moment and then be asleep again.

Just a suggestion and not for all parents but at least you wouldn't worry about him going down the stairs.

Invest in a crib tent. I've used ours with all three children. I never have to worry about them getting out, cats getting in, or lovies on the floor.

I agree with PP. If he can climb out, he is ready for a toddler bed. get one with rails if you are worried about him falling out of bed, but if he can climb it, he could just fall from the top instead.
We put a baby gate on the inside of her door way in stead of at the top of the stairs. That way if she got through the gate, she wouldn't be playing around the stairs. You could also put a bell on the gate to wake you should he get up.

take the lock off. get a door knob cover for his side of the bedroom. Also, if they can get out of their crib it can be very dangerous. They could fall and hurt themselves. Maybe put a toddler bed in your room and slowly move it to his room.

take precautions and get all the safety gear. And a new gate for those stairs. that is what I would do at least.

best of luck to you, let me know how it turns out.

L

I put my 2 year old in a toddler bed when she started climbing out of her crib (also, we are getting ready for baby #2). I think I was not ready for her to grow up, but turns out that happens regardless. :-) The transition took us about a month. She kept getting out of bed and coming to the door of her room. (She can't open her door.) I just took the same steps as teacher her to fall asleep on her own. I would lay down with her for a few minutes, then leave. She would cry. I would come back in ten minutes, same thing. So on and so forth. After about three weeks, we had it down. Now, I just say it's bed time, and she goes to her room and climbs in bed. I tuck her in and give her a kiss. As with EVERYTHING, it takes time, it takes discipline, and it takes consistency. Good luck! As for the locking of the door, personally, I think that it fine for the night. Of course people will have their opinion, but if your child learns to fall asleep on their own in the toddler bed, then that becomes less of an issue. My daughter does not try and get out of her room. She calls me when she wakes up and I go get her.

B.,

First of all how is it you think he's not ready for a toddler bed??? The first sign they are ready is when they climb out of the crib. If you can't keep him in the crib, then yes he IS ready for a toddler bed...

Just a thought.

My second daughter did this starting at age 18 mos. She had full reign of the house while we slept! It was very unnerving. Have you tried putting the childproof doorknob covers on the knobs yet? Once our dd mastered those, we had to resort to a hook and eye lock on the outside of the door. It truly was for her own safety. We made sure her room was completely safe, and she had lots of toys to play with. More often than not, she'd be asleep on the floor with a blankie just as happy as can be.

We had the same problem with our son at 18 months and we actually did switch him to a twin bed (with side rails) at 2 so he wouldn't hurt himself climbing out of his crib. We had many a battle of the wills, but eventually he adjusted. He is 2.5 now and we have no trouble with him getting out of bed. (We had many a life-changing event (moving, new baby, etc.) in the interim, so that may have prolonged the training phase.) We, too, blocked him in his room for a while, which, I agree feels so terrible, but it kept him safe. I have talked with many a mom who felt that was the safest solution for the short term. (All of the other options (gates, door knob covers, etc.) are just as unsafe: if there is a fire the child can't get themselves out, but that is our responsibility no matter how their room is secured.)

The bed tent sounds like a great idea. Some kids like the closed in feeling and stay in there just because they think it's cool. Even if nothing works right now, hang in there it does get better!!

Get a toddler bed and a more secure gate. DO NOT LOCK THE DOOR! I can't imagine locking a child in their room. :( That is a very big safety hazard. I would even be very cautious about putting a door knob cover on the inside. My 2 year old comes to me in the middle of the night to ask for a drink, diaper change, etc and he would panic if he wasn't able to get out of his room. Granted we don't have stairs but he is perfectly fine with stairs during the day and that wouldn't concern me much.

I agree with someone else that if he's fine with the stairs during the day, maybe just a night light so he can see where they are. Even with the gate you have now, he would have to be awake to wiggle it so it wouldn't be like he was walking around half asleep and could take a tumble.

I don't understand why you don't think he's ready. Is it because you think he'll get up often? Switching to a toddler bed will take a little more nighttime parenting but it's better then him falling out of his crib. For the first week or so, you will have to take him back to bed a lot but having him pick out sheets, etc will help him realize that he's a big boy now and he may be perfectly happy being in a toddler bed or a twin bed w/ or w/o rails.

Why do you say he is not ready for a toddler bed? If he can crawl out of his crib, then yes he is! A toddler bed would be much safer for him. I would invest in a better gate. We had one of the stationary type gates (that your mount to the wall) and it was very, very well worth it. I hated to put the holes in the wall and banister, but the reality of what else could happen is much worse. They also sell door knobs covers that keep little hands from being able to turn the door knob. As long as you can get into his room in the event of an emergency, and a lock might impede that. You might could use that until he learns that when the door is closed that means it is time to stay in there.

Good luck! :o)

Hi B.,
Just like most of the responses, your son is ready for a toddler bed. My daughter was 22months when she went from a crib to a bed. To help make the transition smooth, we took our daughter bed shopping with us. She was able to help pick out her new bed and bed covers-this way when you do remove the crib,with the child watching and explaining what is going on, they do not have an anxiety over their new sleeping arrangement.
My daughter was very excited about her new bed and new bedding and did wonderful, there were a few hiccups but for the most part the transition went smoothly.

And instead of bedrails,which we thought it made her big girl bed into a giant crib, we used a suggestion out of a parents magazine--the giant water noodle. It is awesome. She still had the security of having a wall and a reminder that she is at the edge of the bed, but most of all it enforced that she was in a bed not a crib.

As far as the stairs, baby gates are great!!
Good luck,

BB

Hi B., like the others, I agree he is probably ready for a toddler bed. I put both of my children in toddler beds (one is now 5 the other is 2 1/2) at 2 years old. We also co-slept with our first child so I know how you feel. However, my daughter had issues sleeping through the night until she was 4 because we did what was easiest for us at the moment instead of what was best for all of us in the long run. Trust me, you'd rather deal with a few nights of crying and lack of sleep for all of you than a couple of years of it! My advice, get the toddler bed, make a big deal out of his "big boy" bed and get him excited about sleeping in it. My son is 2 and sometimes gets out of his bed (usually at 3 am!), comes downstairs and gets into bed with us. I started putting a gate in his doorway (not the old wooden kind but a plastic one that fits snugly)to keep him in. I leave the door partially open so I can still hear him on the monitor. I also told him that he is not allowed to get out of bed if it is still dark outside (and I will keep telling him this until he fully understands). Usually after a couple of nights I stop putting the gate up because he stays in bed then after 3 or 4 weeks he'll come down again. Obviously, you could just put the gate up everynight. Goodluck!

Well the consensus is that he is ready for a toddler bed. So I won't worry about that issue. I would not lock him in his room, I would either put a stronger gate in the doorway of his room or dutch the doors. My mom and dad dutched the doors when we were kids. We could get up at night and play in our room while still being safe.

My now 2 year old son started crib hopping at 16 months and learned how to open a door the same day. So we had to convert him to a toddler bed b/c at that time he was so little that it wasn't safe for him to climb in and out of a crib. We also had to lock him in his room for safety reasons. Just make sure his room is safe and you are essentially turning his room into his crib. Don't worry about it seeming cruel, safety is much more important when you have an escape artist. Hope this helps, and good luck.

B. ,,
you never lock a child in it's room for anyreason all night !!!!!!!!!!!!!shame on you learn to take care of him ,,,hear for him when he wakes up ,,you are sleeping to sound what if he fell out of crib you dont here that a mother stays alerts 24 hours a day yes you need to sleep you have a nother person live in you hands you babys you are to protect him not lock him in his room so youdont have to worry
get a grip really think about this and all the letters you get yes he is old enough for a toddler bed at least he may not break his neck
good luck you need it L.

Hi Brandi!
I can sympathize with you. We also have a 2 story house and my son is 2 1/2. We moved right before my son's second birthday and decided to just put him in a toddler bed. We fitted the top and bottom of the stairs with a safety gate. If your son can wiggle the gate open you may need to get a new one. When ours lock we have a tough time getting it unlocked and I think it will be a long time before my son will be able to figure it out. My 8 year old nephew cannot open it yet.

Anyways, it is tough in the beginning when you put them in a toddler bed because they have freedom to move in and out. We ended up getting a little metal gate on my son's bedroom door and we leave it open during the day and lock it shut for naps and until he falls asleep at night (we open it after he falls asleep). He is confined to his room and I do not have to worry about him wandering and falling down the stairs. My son is completely ok with his gate at his door. He can see out of it and we can see in. He is not tall enough to climb over it.

These are the gates that we bought for his room and the stairs.
http://www.toysrus.com/product/index.jsp?productId=2580941
http://www.toysrus.com/product/index.jsp?productId=2632194

Anyways, I hope you find a solution that works for you! Take care!
J.

If he can climb out of the crib, then it is time for a toddler bed. Buy a new gate, obviously that one is not right for you. You can also gate his room instead of locking him in. I could not bear to lock my kid in and not be able to check on him w/ out opening the door.

I have had different kinds of problems. BUT I have had success with a night light with a timer. The night light is on from 8:30 pm until 7 am. "If the night light is on, you stay in your room."

Good luck

You must think of safety first. I think he's ready for a toddler bed. We use the doorknob safety things for our son. We can hear him easily through the vents and are there quickly whenever he wakes. Use a monitor if it makes you feel better to jump to his needs.

They have gates that can be secure and childproof. They may be costly, but cheaper than a broken arm or something if he falls down the stairs. I kind of freaked when we switched to a toddler bed, but the safer the environment, the better my nerves were. He's adjusted great and so have I.

I think you will, too.

Good luck!!

If he is climbing out of the crib, then he is ready for a bed. It is much safer to have him getting out of a bed than having him climbing out of a crib. As far as your concern about him getting out of his room and to the top of the stairs, try a safety knob on the inside of his bedroom door. That way the door is not locked and you and your husband can get in quickly if you need to, but your son is not getting out. You could also try putting a pressure mounted gate on the outside of your son's bedroom door. Most 2 year olds are not tall enough to climb over these types of gates or strong enough to push them down.

We had the same problem when my son was just a little over a year. He REFUSED to sleep in a crib and was pulling himself out of it at just over 1!!! We were going crazy. We decided to go to a toddler bed and once we got the crib taken apart, went ahead and went straight to a full size bed. We put the bed up against the wall and bought one of those bed rails. He loved it. I think he wanted some space and freedom or something, because he slept through the night with no problem. When he was a little over 2 we moved to a house with stairs. We were more than a little worried about how he would handle them!! We put bells on the doorknobs so we could hear him... it didn't work. He is stealthy at night!! When he wakes up in the middle of the night, he comes down the stairs and creeps into our bed. I worried about the stairs at first, but he clearly has it down well enough that I don't have to worry to death about it. We praticed going down the stairs with him different ways, so if he's tired, he can scoot on his bottom, etc... Sounds like its time to let your little baby become a little boy and move into the big boy bed! Make it special for him and he'll love it!

You are going to need to replace that gate with one that screws into the wall. If the gate does not work, it is even more dangerous than not having one at all. I had to put all of my kids into toddler beds by 2 years because they could crawl out. I put a gate at the door to the child's room, so you can leave the door open, but he can't get out.

I know this is a late response, so I hope you will still read it. If your child can crawl out of the crib then it is time to get RID of the crib. You will not be able to keep him in it. He could crawl out of the crib and break his neck! I know someone who's little boy did not survive the fall he made while crawling out of his crib.

We screwed gate to the door frame, like the ones for stairs, to lock my son safely in his room at night until he could be safe unsupervised at night.

Hi B.,

My daughter climbed out of her crib at 10mths old, we went straight to a toddler bed and now she is 20mths old and sleeping in a twin :) I know how stressful it can be worrying about our little ones. My daughter also sleep walks and can get out of her room. One of the things we do is turn the monitor up in our room really loud and we put a little bell on her door handle, that way when it opens we hear it. Hope this helps.

I honestly think 2 yrs old is old enough for a crib, but that's just my experience. I waited with my boys until they were 3 and I had the most horrible time getting them to sleep on their own and still do and they are almost 7 (they are twins). We put my daughter in a toddler bed right after her 2nd birthday and she did wonderful. We always close her door and once she figured out how to open the door herself, we put one of those baby proof door knob thing you can find at Wal-Mart, Target or any other store with the baby proofing stuff. It snaps over the door and then you have to be big enough to squeeze it around the door knob to twist and open it. My daughter is now 3 and still can't open her door at night. I know her room is safe and I still use a baby monitor, also.

Good luck!

I think you should not puta lock on his door. What if your house were to catch on fire, how would he get out. You should think about things like that. If he is climbing out of his bed it is time to put him in a toddler bed. Good Luck!!

I think he's ready for a toddler bed, if he's crawling out he could fall and injur himself. Its alot further fall from a crib than a toddler bed.

Please dont' lock him in his room, what if something happens like a fire and you can't get to him quickly. I would buy a more secure gate for the stairs and teach him not to mess with it.