14 M/o CLIMBING Out of Crib!!

N. ~

Mine did the same at that age and out of desparation, we took the crib down and put the crib mattress on the floor. For you, I would lean toward setting up the toddler bed and getting the safety rail put up; however, then comes the tricky part. I would read different articles on how to keep him in his room (and not crawling in bed with you).

Good luck ~ M.

I'm sure someone has mentioned this but CRIB TENTS are great for this age..
L

The first time my daughter did this we moved her into a big girl bed - but she was much older.

I'd first suggest a tent - see if that works. You are right in thinking he is too young. But maybe it will work. On of my friends put her daughter in a toddler bed and told her - she had to stay in it. To this day she's over 3 she doesn't get out without permission. But don't count on that working for every kid.

I think it is time to either lower the side, or put him in a big boy bed. This will make him more able to come and wake you up at any time but it more important to keep him safe.

My daughter was in a big girl bed at 18 months because she had been not sleeping day and night. They have those safety rails that go half way down the side. I just had one because the other side of her bed was on the wall. When I put her in the bed I told her she had to lay very still because she might fall out. It worked for her.

It worked for her because she understood what I said--she was very, very verbal.

I don't know if it would work for your son, if he is not verbal but it is a suggestion.

I'm guessing you already have it on the lowest setting right? If so I have heard of people just putting the mattress on the floor in the crib... On the "SUPER" low setting! Hahaha.

We put our son in a toddler bed with a side rail at 14 months. Our reason wasn't because he was climbing out but because we moved and we didn't want to put the crib together again. He is now 2 1/2 and stays in his bed until we come get him in the morning. He transitioned very well to the new bed, we had been prepared to put the crib up if he had a hard time with it but he was excited to use his new bed.

Hi:
I have had 4 children 2 boys 2 girls and I always put them in regular twin or full size bed depending on the size of their room. One of the fun things with that is you find them joining you in your bed as they are very social. Mine never got into cabinets or trouble and they are all grown now.
Sometimes I miss those days, but now I have grandchildren and they are very special! Good luck in whatever decision you make.

Our son was only a few months older when we switched him to his toddler bed! I think that it's better safe than sorry. I think that I'd rather switch him to his bed with a bed rail than chance having him fall and break an arm from his crib! Trust me, a broken arm is no fun. My son broke his when he was two (not from jumping from a crib though).

They do get creative..yes take it down to ground level!

I had one child that made a pile with a blanket and a stuffed animal to jack herself up and slide over and another, my son, would bounce and bounce and bounce over the top like a flying acrobat!!( I was watching how and the world did that little Houdini get out...OH!! The shock!!)

Your son will be more mobile and you'll have to put things up. On to the next adventure!!!Good luck!!

I transferred my son to a toddler bed at 15 months. The first couple of nights he fell asleep on the floor, but after that he figured it out.

Our son started doing the same thing so he now sleeps in a Halo sleep sack. He can still stand in it...but can't climb. It doesn't seem to bother him either. Good luck!
L.

My son did the same thing starting at 10 months old. He actually managed to get all the way down and to the door (but couldn't twist the knob yet) before I knew he was out. His crib changed to a day bed too, but he was such a floppy sleeper, that he would fall out of bed, so we just got him a twin mattress and put it on the floor.

Pretty much all kids do this at some point or another. One other solution is to use a crib tent.

That happened with our son at 15 months and I agree it's too young to give them the freedom of a toddler bed. We already had a Phil and Ted's travel bed which had a zipper that he did not figure out for quite a while. Sure it was a little weird to put your kid to sleep in it every night, but it worked for us, he loved it and it was something I already had. You could also try the crib tent- I've heard the II is better than the original and I see them on Craig's List sometimes- Good Luck!

Hi N., oh my what a picture of your tot balancing on the rail. I am sure your son was quite happy that you showed up to rescue him at the precise moment. He may even think twice before trying it again (which he will).

Have you taught him "stay" If you can teach him to stay put and not climb the rail you will be better off at least for a while longer. Cribs make life easier for the parents because it can keep the child confided and therefore safe. It can become tiresome having to return an escaped child back their bed (over and over again).

Both of my daughters would climb the sides of their play pen and the rails of their crib. By the time they were 2 1/2 yrs old I couldn't keep them in.

Back in the day we did not have a toddler beds so I put the crib mattress in a corner on the floor. That way they at least didn't have as far to fall.

Teaching any child to stay on or in any bed is a challenge for all parents of all ages.

Best of luck to you!

I.

"Love, patience and forgiveness for all things always"

I can relate! My 14-month old son did the exact same thing. I believe it's too early for a toddler bed. What if he gets out in the middle of the night and wanders, goes downstairs, etc. So, we got our son a canopy made out of netting that velcros on to the top edges of the crib w/ sides that come down the side of the crib attached to a bottom that sits under the mattress to keep it secure. It looks just like a tent (it extends about two feet above the crib so he can stand and move about), but see-through w/ a zipper (kid-proof) entry. My son never had a problem with it. You need to have peace of mind that your son is safe while you're asleep too. We kept it until he was ready for a regular bed, much later. I don't remember what site, but we got ours online.

Good luck!

Wow! What a talented little guy!

My son also was an escape artist, but a little more towards 18 months, I must admit. I acutally lowered his side bar so there wasn't as much room between him and the floor when I saw it had become habit for him to climb out anyway. (My boy has also always been a dare devil... I think it comes from having 3 siblings 7, 10, and 11 years older than he is.)

I stopped letting him sleep in his crib and found a toddler bed for $10 on CraigsList the day I found him with his left leg tangled in his crib spindles and I couldn't get to him fast enough to get him untangled because he was panicked and wouldn't let me work with his legs because he just wanted me to pick him up. I was afraid I was going to break his little leg with all of his pulling. If I had it to do over again, I would have taken away the crib sooner.

Since his crib converts to a toddler bed already, convert it. I know that you will miss your sleep and quiet time... believe me, my son is in our bed at least twice a night... but it's better to think of his safety than your comfort. Besides, you are already up with your new baby (Congratulations) and with practice your little man will be back to sleeping in his own bed soon. That's the theory anyway.

Of course, for me that's a pipe dream since my son shares a room with us and seems to think that he can come and go as he pleases. I think in our case, we've adjusted to his schedule rather than him to ours. LOL.

Good luck!

I went through with my son, I first bought him a netting for over the top of the crib, kind of like a tent, its clear netting and zips open, so it is safe and also keeps pets out. I then later was talking to my peditrician about it and she suggested a halo sleep sack. alot cheaper than the tent.