Co-Sleeping/ Family Bed Mommas

Updated on October 22, 2013
G.B. asks from Christiansted, VI
5 answers

My Little Monster has become adept at sneaking out of bed at night, without waking either of us and exploring the family bedroom :(
I would consider transistioning him to his own room but we would still have the safety issue of an unattended toddler (20 mos).
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E.E.

answers from Denver on

Do you have a co-sleeper he's climbing over? If not, that may help, as co-sleepers have high sides, other than the side that attached to the bed, where (presumably) you'd be cozied up and he'd have to climb over you.

If you already have a co-sleeper, then toddler proofing your room to the extreme may be your best bet. That would include a door knob cover to keep him in there!

Good luck!
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3 moms found this helpful
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G.B.

answers from Oklahoma City on

We put the kids in toddler beds by the time they were 14-15 months and by 18 months they were all sleeping in them just fine.

With one of them, well, he wandered more than the others. So we put the toddler bed across the foot of our bed. The bedroom was big enough so it was a good idea. We also had a baby bed in the room for his little sister so when she came to visit we already had a bed up for her.

I think if your little one is going exploring it's time to shut the bedroom door and not let him out at night. IF you want him in your room so he'll just come get in bed with you then keep the toddler bed in your room. If you want him in his own room then shut him in his room and put a baby monitor in so you can hear when he's up and moving around.

IF he has a bathroom off his bedroom you must find a way to keep it locked. He can drown in the toilet at this age.

1 mom found this helpful
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P.K.

answers from New York on

Time to go to his own room. Put up a gate!

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H.W.

answers from Portland on

Ditto Patty K... gate time, even if you still want your son to sleep with you.

I will just say this as a concerned person-- usually if the parents are sleeping so soundly, it's probably time to stop co-sleeping. I'm not sure there's really an over-laying issue at this point, but if he can actually get up and out of bed without disturbing you, then there is a false sense of security in his being in your bed. So, maybe time to transition him to a bed on the floor of your room if you aren't ready to be a room apart... we did this with our son, as our bedrooms were on different floors. I'm also a lighter sleeper and would wake when my son stirred.

So, get a strong gate, and think about what you want to do about the sleeping situation. Be sure that anything you think might be a potential hazard is removed from your room if he stays in there. (medications, weapons -- hey some people have them, scissors, etc.)

1 mom found this helpful

T.F.

answers from Dallas on

Our daughter ( now 18.5+) came out of the crib on her own at 17 months.
We had a queen bed in the room with her crib that she loved. It worked for us at the time because we were all upstairs in the house.

At 4ish, we moved to our new house that we built. In this house... Master bedroom is down and her bedroom is upstairs and on opposite end of house.

She ended up being in the bed with us more than not. I inquired with my pedi at the time and she said...." There will be a day when you wish she would come to your bed."

So we let it go. We have multiple bed moving per night anyway even after daughter has moved out. Hubby snores, I can't sleep etc ..You just go where you can sleep... That's the thought!

I can say by later elementary school, daughter realized how good she had it upstairs all alone in 2000+ SF and I swear.. If we had a kitchen up there we would never have seen her!!

We just let it run the course and in the end we still had an independent child and we enjoyed all the times we had all cuddled in the same bed.

My daughter has her own place now and I miss her! Enjoy your time while you can. It flies by!

Best wishes!

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