HELP - 21 Month Old Climbing Out of Crib

I moved both of my kids to toddler beds by 18 months old for the same reason. They both adjusted very quickly, and we only had to use a baby gate in the doorway for a short while. If YOU are really not ready for that transition, then look into crib tents.

I'm sure someone already said this but CRIB TENTS. They work great to keep little ones in and safe.
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If she climbed out of the crib, she is ready for a toddler bed even if you are not. I transitioned my sons at 16 months. The first couple of nights my son cried at the gate, and fell asleep on the floor. I would put him into the bed, so he would wake up there. After a couple of nights he got it.

Hi N.. I have to agree with Jen C. Once your daughter starts climbing out of her crib you have to know it's not safe for her to be in it at night as you run the risk of her falling out of it and getting hurt. My daughter was 16 - 18 months old when I walked into her room one morning and she had both legs hanging on the outside of her crib. She was holding on for dear life as she was no where near able to touch the floor. We went and bought a toddler bed that same day. The first night was a bit of a challenge, but she was SO excited at the thought of sleeping in a "big girl bed" that she did so without too many problems. We did use a gate at her door for a while to keep her from wandering around the house while we were in bed. It took a few nights for her to adjust and everything went smoothly. Best wishes for you!!

We had this problem when our son was little. I looked on the internet and found a tent that fits on the crib. Our son loved it and he slept great. Look on amazon.com and type in crib tent. They are a little spendy but in my opinion worth every penny. Hope this helps.

Now that she is able to get out of her bed, of course she wants to come to you. Listen to her! Listen to your heart! Bring her mattress into your room so that she can easily come to you (or you to her) when she wakes up and needs you.

My daughter (now 4) went into a twin bed at 14 months, my son (now 21 months) went into a twin at 18 months. I think she is plenty ready. But remember it is a transition and it will not go perfectly. Get her excited about her big girl bed. Let her help pick out a new blanket or sheets, let her pick her favorite animal to snuggle with. Our daughter was/is a terrible sleeper, but didnt really have a problem with her getting out of bed, she tried a few times, but that passed. We just recently got her a loft bed for Christmas, she was so excited about it that we couldnt figure out why she was having problems sleeping, then she started asking for her old bed back (which became brother's big boy bed)...it wasnt until then that we realized that too was a transition and she needed time to adjust...They jsut grow up too fast dont they! Hang in there. I really urge you to make the transition from crib to bed an exciting time that she can be proud of (even if you are crying inside all the while).

In this situation we bought a crib that had the greatest distance between the lowest mattress setting and the top of the rail. Our kids were not able to climb out. But we knew we would eventually need a second crib anyway. We extended crib using to almost 2.5 with our son, and to just after 2 for our daughter.

Another idea is one of those net thingys that can go over and enclose the crib, without risk of trapping/suffocation. Look at One Step Ahead or First Steps.

Or just bite the bullet and adjust to the big girl bed. You can take her back to the bed every time she comes out, I've heard that eventually they give up and learn. We also lock our own bedroom door so as not to be surprised in the middle of the night. We unlock it when we're ready in the morning and enjoy some early morning cuddles, but it only took a few nights of our 2.5 yr old rattling our doorknob before she stopped trying to come in to us.

Good luck!

My son is 20 months and is close to doing the same thing. My friends daughter is 22 months and has been in a toddler bed for about 2 months, they said that they have to lay down with her until she is asleep and then they are able to get up. Hopefully your little one doesn't have that for very long. ALthough i think it is normal to have trouble when you first go from crib to toddler bed. Maybe moving her to a toddler bed would make her more comfortable rather than just having mattress on the floor. Plus it is alot closer to the floor than the crib. She may surprise you and love it after a few nights. Expecially if she is in a big bed like her big sister. Good luck :)

Hi N. - Another Mom posted a question like this last week. Some of this is what I shared with her and I hope that you can find some useful suggestions too. Before our boys were born we were given a crib tent (a mesh netting with a strong frame that fits over the crib top and has a zippered front for easy in & out) because we have cats in the house & I did not want the cats sleeping with the kids when they were babies. It was a good thing that we had that tent because both of my boys were able to climb out of their crib way too early. The nice part is I could zip up the cover and know that they were safe. We were also doing remodeling on our home and their room did not have a door on it at the time so it was the best way to make sure they were safe no matter what. When they were a little bigger we moved them straight to a twin mattress but just had that on the floor with no box or frame under it. This way if they "fell out" it was only a few inches. Do not waste your money on a toddler bed, kids grow way too quick. Just get a regular twin & put a plastic cover over it to help with any future "accidents" when potty training. N., I am sure why your daughter is crying at the door is because this is something new that she is trying to figure out. It can be heartbreaking for us moms to hear any of our kids cry, so reassure her that things are ok, put her back on bed (quietly), and leave the room. If you have to go back in a second time, then don't talk, it will work. After she realizes that her room is safe and that mom & dad are still near, then she will relax and get comfortable. One thing you may start having problems with now that she is getting out of bed is her room will be the "new" playground and you may have problems getting/keeping her asleep. Unfortunately kids don't realize that they "need" sleep would rather play in their new found freedom of a "big" bed. Your daughter is now realizing that she is not a baby anymore and is venturing into the toddler world and all of its "new" things that she can do. If things with the toys get to be too much of a problem you may have to take all the "fun" stuff out of her room for a little bit, we had to do that too but it worked. Good luck & we hope for a smooth transition for you. Take Care

My 21 month old did the same thing. First he learned how to jump out of his pack n'play, where he slept when we were at Grandma's. Then only a couple days later we found him perched on the railing of his crib, calling out to us to see what he had done, he was so proud of himself! We knew it would be rough on us, but we decided rather than letting him fall we would transition to the big boy bed. We really wish he could have stayed in his crib longer, (like all our friends with kids that age!), but I knew I wouldn't sleep at night wondering if he was about to crawl/fall out. For about a month he got out of bed as soon as we left the room, and he cried and tried appealing to us in all the ways he knew how. I will say that he did learn to stay in bed even though it felt like ages, we had a great bed time routine and consistently put him back in. When he realized crying wouldn't get him anywhere, he would get out of bed with both his stuffed animals, go to his door, lay down, and fall asleep, every night without making a peep. Some cute pictures came out of that one! We have a stubborn one so it was tough, but I think no matter what age you transition to a toddler bed you will have the same issues. We just had to resolve ours sooner than our friends. Good luck!

I know you said she isn't ready for a toddler bed , but I think it is the best soluation for her safety. And the crying at the door , I think is going to be a rough time for you all. You could be in for a rough week or so ,but keep putting her back in bed and tell her it is time for bed. She will eventually understand that no one is giving in and that you set the bedtime. Good Luck. I remember those days all to well.

My very tall 20 month old just started doing this too. Her crib is a little taller in the back, so we turned it around and so far she hasn't gotten out. It won't work for long though, so please post any other good suggestions you hear. Good luck!

If she climbed out of the crib and isn't ready for a toddler bed, then just try putting the mattress on the floor for a while until she is ready for a toddler bed. I would feel much safer than chancing she climb out of the crib and hurt herself.

Good luck!