My Son Keeps Coming Out of His crib...HELP!!!

Updated on January 06, 2008
N.I. asks from Deltona, FL
16 answers

Hi, I need some help asap! My almost 2 year old keeps coming out of his crib. Unfortunaly, his crib is right next to my bed, because my husband works @ night, and I get afraid. So, he started just jumping out of his bed into mine. And it's getting kinda scary when he does it automatically w/out me being there or that he can fall. Which he did and fell between my bed and his one time I had moved his bed to the side. Can anyone give me some ideas please!!!!!

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So What Happened?

Thank you everyone!!!! I really appreciate everyone's suggestions!!! The type of crib he has is one of those that become a bed afterwards and it has a small railing (one of those half) so I think he will be a Big Boy this weekend. I'm just afraid he might fall since while he sleeps he moves all over and that's one of those half railings, so will see!!!

Update: He loves being able to get in and out!!! He is very independent! He still gets up and talks to me before getting out, so we can say "yes". But at night to sleep there is the small problem. When he is not tired no matter what we do he won't stay in his bed. You can see him getting up and out and then running back to his bed. But we are working on it!

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K.K.

answers from Boca Raton on

I know it stinks, but once they can get out, and keep displaying that abilty by jumping, climbing or otherwise getting out of the crib, it's time to take them out. You can either convert the crib to a daybed (if it's a convertible)- but I didn't do that with ours- they are too high off the ground! Why do they make them like that?!

It's definitely time for a big boy bed. Once they are climbing out it is NOT SAFE to keep them in the crib, as much as it stinks for us. I know it's inconvenient, hard to get them trained to stay in their bed, and also upsetting for us that they are growing up, but his safety comes first and it's time for the big boy bed!

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C.G.

answers from Miami on

I think it's time to switch to a toddler bed. If you don't he's going to get hurt trying to get out of the crib.

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J.C.

answers from Daytona Beach on

I would seriously think about a bed with railings. If you are not ready for that, there are tents that you place the crib matress into and can zip up top. The only problem with that is that you are dealing with a toddler, who is probably going to figure out the zipper. Good luck! Jen

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G.P.

answers from Boca Raton on

Hi Noelia,

Well this sounds like a very familiar story. My husband worked nights when our first baby was born and I had a difficult time keeping him so far away from me so I kept him in my bed due to the fact Daddy didn't know and it made nursing easier. When he was 3 months old I found out I was pregnant again...
It was very difficult to break the habit of my first baby sleeping with me every night. I bought him a toddler bed and let's just say that was a huge waste of money. He climbed out and climbed into bed with me every night.
I finally broke down and bought him a twin captains bed and he started sleeping on the bottom one that pulled out. If he fell off it was very close to the floor and he couldn't get hurt. When he assimilated to becoming more of a sound sleeper without all the moving at age 3 we moved him to the bigger bed. He has slept in it just fine without rails. He turns 4 in May.
When our daughter was seven months old she by passed crawling and moved right into walking, running and climbing. I was not prepared for this stage...our son didn't start crawling until he was 7 months old and walked at just shy of a year.
Anyway, our daughter the on the go gal climbed out of her crib in her own room @ a year and a half old. The next day I dismantled the crib and bought her a big girl twin bed with double rails and put a step-stool at the foot of the bed and showed her how to climb up and down. This worked for us for about a month. She realized she could climb up the changing table next to her bed and jump onto her bed from the changing table. Her and my year older son found this to be a fun game. I found it to be scary and dangerous so bye bye went the changing table and hello gymnastic classes at the Little GYM in Royal Palm Beach to cure her innate ability to climb and jump on any and all things.

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A.H.

answers from Charlotte on

What I did was place him in a twin bed and put a half rail in once side and a big pilow in the other side. Just leaving about enough space for him to get off the bed. It works great because I didnt have to put two rails and the pillow (preferably under the fitted sheet so it wont move) prevents hims from falling. I hope this helps.

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V.S.

answers from Orlando on

Hi Noelia,

If his crib turns into a toddler bed just make it into a bed. It will be closer to the floor and he won't be able to jump out of it and hurt himself.

HTH,
V.

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D.R.

answers from Port St. Lucie on

Get him a toddler bed. At two, he is more than ready especially since he keeps jumping out. The toddler bed is much safer and it can be his big boy bed since you are due to have another baby.

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S.B.

answers from Port St. Lucie on

Noelia,

I would hate for something dangerous to happen. Try to play safety games with your baby and reward him when he stays in the crib. 2 is a very curious age and they have no fear. You definatley want to try to keep him in your sight all the time. That should help. Congratulations on being newly married and pregnant. I noticed you expressed your love for your family. I am thrilled to hear that. I feel the same about my family too. Let me tell you a little about me. I work with a team of moms like yourself, who are focused on the well-being of their family. We teach moms to live healthier and safer lives with their families and if some moms choose to get paid for doing what they do best, taking care of their families, we team up with them and help them do so. I definately would love to share some information with you about some safety issues for your 2 year old and unborn child. You are welcome to email me @ ____@____.com

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M.H.

answers from Orlando on

he's ready for a toddler bed. we just got one for my 21 mos old and she loves it. the transition was alot easier than expected i am know she is safe because she can't fall out.

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H.L.

answers from Miami on

My son kept "flipping" outta his crib at 15 months old. I bought a twin bed mattress and box spring and placed them on the floor without the frame. I placed a comforter at the side of the bed so if he were to fall out it would break the fall. He was walking at the time and so it was very convienent. He is now 2 and 1/2 and sleeps in a big boy bed fine on his own. The frame was added about 5 months ago and he is capable of climbing in and out on his own. Sometimes it's hard to be strict with a baby but rules and regulations are necessary in order to raise a child who follows direction. GL!

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J.F.

answers from New York on

If you're worried about him falling out of the toddler bed, then you can line up his pillows, stuffed toys or whatever along the edge....this helped us when we took the side off the convertable crib when he was approaching two and climbing out. At 3yo, he still falls out sometimes if the animals get pushed out by physical sleeping, but we put pillows and larger stuffed animals on the floor as well- on top of his foam alphabet tiles. BTW, we put the mattress on the lowest level & he never even wakes up when he falls out!

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L.H.

answers from Miami on

this is what I would do, but I'm one who likes to keep her toddlers in their cribs as long as possible:
when you put him to bed, wait for him to jump out.
then put him back in & say firmly: NO. NIGHT-NIGHT. IN the crib. IN.
then keep doing this as long as it takes. every time he climbs out, pick him up & put him back. it might take many many MANY times. but, if you don't get emotional and just matter of factly do this as long as it takes (it's hard not to show you're getting frustrated!), then he will understand that YOU are the Mama and YOU make the rules.

if this didn't work (I'd really give it a good try!), then I would look into buying a crib tent.

Or, you can put his crib mattress on the floor and call it a day...

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S.B.

answers from Orlando on

My son started climbing in and out of his crib by the age of two also, however, he wasn't "jumping" out, I'd be scared he'd hurt himself too. I'm sure if you replaced the crib with a toddler bed and got all excited about it, maybe let him pick out the sheets/comforter, he'd get excited about a big boy bed too. There may be some resistance only because of the "change", we know how 2 yr olds deal with that, but it will pass quickly.

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C.D.

answers from Boca Raton on

My daughter was not quite 2 when she was able to escape from her crib. We moved her in to a regular size twin with the frame and all. She tumbled out twice and that was that. We toddler proofed her room by attaching the backs of furniture to the wall, a latch on the closet and a baby gate at the bedroom door. The baby gate let us sleep knowing that even if she got out of bedroom, she would remain in the safety of her bed. When she was just under 3, she cracked the code on the gate! My son went directly to a twin on a frame when he was 2 as well. He also fell out a time or two but they quickly adjust.

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T.B.

answers from Boca Raton on

We switched my DD to her convertible toddler configuration on the crib at 21 months. Since we're having a second child soon, we started with that, then went out and bought her a big girl bed last month so that she could transition slowly. We now have the crib set up again in the new nursery.
You shouldn't have too much trouble with the falling out issue. The mattress isn't far from the floor on that setting... and the kids adjust. It is less traumatic to fall out of that then it would be to fall off the crib railing when he jumps from his crib to your bed!
Good luck.
One piece of advice to pass along... when/if you go to a twin, you can get something called a "bunkie board". It is instead of a box spring (which you could purchase later) Basically it adapts a twin bed with a mattress to sit very low to the ground so that your little one doesn't have a long "roll" out of bed. (Our salesman at Haverty's suggested it, we are thrilled!)

T.

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