Climbing Out of Crib - Rexburg,ID

Crib tents are the BEST! They give you peace of mind, and prevent you from switching to a big kid bed to early (often resulting in sleeping problems). I highly recommend a crib tent. My son is almost three and he still sleeps in his crib. I am a firm believer in waiting to switch to a big kid bed!

See if you can figure out how he's getting out. When my first son first climbed out, he was really proud of himself and showed us how he did it when we asked. He just climbed over the side very carefully. He was older, and could have gone to a big boy bed, but we talked to him about not climbing out, and it worked. He stayed in and called for us instead. But that's his personality.

My second son was older when he started climbing out, too. We had to spy on him to see how he was getting out, and it turned out he was using other furniture! He could climb out onto an extra deep window sill, then down onto his dresser, then jump down to the floor. After a quick rearranging of the room, he couldn't do that anymore and stayed in for a few more months.

17 months is quite early to be in a big boy bed, IMO, especially for a boy. They're just not as mature. And we tried doing it at 18 mos. for my oldest son so he'd be out of the crib when his baby brother came, but it was a disaster! He'd wake up in the night and get out of bed just because he could. Then he'd sob because he was so tired and groggy. After 8 days of that, I got the screw driver at 3 am and put that stinking side back on the crib! I bought another used crib for $50 and it was worth every penny because we were all happier.

If you want to keep him in the crib I would suggest having him sleep in a sleep sack then he can not lift his leg up to climb out. Because he is standing on one leg the bag keeps his leg span to about 6 inches.

We moved our middle daughet out of the crib at 15 months she kept getting her thighs stuck in the slots. She had no poroblems with going into a toddler bed. We had a kids gate at her door she would get out of bed check to see if she could leave the room, then go back into her bed. At nap times I did have to put a child proof the closet door to keep her from taking all her clothing of hangers.

I have had most Ped recommend moving a toddler out of the cribs when they are around 18 months. As soon as they can put thier arm pits agains the top railing.

I tried everything for my son. He was such a restless sleeper that taking the side rail off his convertible crib wasn't an option & we had tile floors so I hated for him to fall. I gave up. Before he went down for naps or bed I double-gated his doorway. It took one wooden gate stacked on another to keep him contained-he could climb the first one & w/time was able to climb the second as well! They're little monkeys! I'd dress him warm (in case he escapes in the middle of the night & doesn't take a blanket w/him), take anything hard out of his immediate drop zone area & don't stress it. I pulled the crib side off when my boys were each 2 & they were escaping long before that-I just didn't want them to accidentally fall out & crash.

My youngest son turned 1 this past October. We made a move this past week and prior to it had been having a killer time trying to get him to sleep in his crib. He tried and, luckily, failed to climb out.

After the move my husband decided to change the crib to a toddler bed *so that he could get out in the morning and play, and so that my husband wouldn't have to change it later* and he has stopped having hard times sleeping in his crib. He will actually wake up and call for us before trying to get out *Which is very very cute* and all we had to do was babyproof the room. He can wake up and get up and we don't have to worry nearly as much.

I don't know that this is as relevant to your situation or not, but I just wanted you to know that if you end up switching to a toddler bed, it may work better, but I don't really know of a way to keep them in.

My son climbed out of his crib when he was about 17 months old too. It happened sometime in the summer when he wasn't wearing a sleep sack and we had placed a chair by his crib. We were moving around furniture earlier in the day and didn't realize he could use the chair to climb out. Anyway, I moved the chair and have been using a sleep sack for his naps and at night which has helped in keeping him in his crib. He hasn't climbed out since. Hope you find something that works! Good luck!

Crib tents work like a CHARM!!! Our 2 year old jumped out of his crib over & over for almost 2 weeks. It really freaked us out because it sounded like it would hurt, but he just kept doing it. I felt he was too young to switch to a toddler bed & we'd have the same problem keeping him in that. We got a crib tent at Babies R Us and told him it was a cool Buzz Lightyear tent. The first night I zipped it up he fussed not even as long as it took me to get out of his room then never again! There's no way he can get out of it and it has made everyone's life easier at our house! When he's closer to 3 and understands more we'll make the move to the toddler bed.

Hi T.,

He seems a little young to put in a bed just yet, but you may have to consider it. I would put pillows by his crib to soften the landing in case he tries it again. If he does, it's time to lower the side of the crib so he doesn't hurt himself or move him to a bed with a side rail and/or step of some sort.

He is a busy little soul so watch for him to be climbing up the chairs onto the counter, tables, etc.

Best wishes,
L.

My first 2 boys did this same thing at about 13 months or so. Once they figured it out, they did it again and again to the point that I couldn't sleep. With my first boy I tried the crib tent to no avail. Some how, some way he was able to disassemble it and get out anyways!!! I never caught him in the act so to this day I have no idea how he did it. (This same boy figured out how to get out of a car seat as well, he made me nuts.)

Needless to say, with both of them I just did the big boy bed (I skipped the toddler bed stage) at about 15 months. I didn't even bother with the crib tent on the second one. As far as keeping them in the big bed, there are no easy answers. My first boy got up a couple of times per night and eventually just stopped as he got older and my second boy never got out of the big boy bed, he loved it. All I did is bring the older one back to his bed when he got out. The nice part was, I could go lay with him for a minute or two which I couldn't do with the crib.

From what I understand, not a lot of babies do this and the ones that do have been found to be very smart. So "Good Luck" you have a smart one on your hands! = )

My daughter climbed out of her crib and I caught her right after. I went in and looked eye to eye with her and told her how dangerous it is and that we don't climb out of our cribs. I asked her if she was hurt- she wasn't, but said that she landed on her stomach. She never did it again- she would motion like she was going to, but never did it again. After, we spend the day talking about how dangerous it is and that we don't climb out of cribs- she got it! I have to say that personally, I think 17 months is quite young to be in a toddler bed. All kids are different and yours might do fine, but I think at this age they have a hard time understanding that they need to go to bed and need to stay in bed. If he continues to climb out of his crib I would consider a crib tent. Good luck!

My cousin swears by the crib tent. I never had to use it, but she used it with her son until he was 3 and now uses it with her 18 month daughter.

I moved my daughter to a bed at 2. We just told her that she has to call us when she is ready to get out. She has never gotten out. We did also put a gate on her room in case she does. My friend had a hard time keeping her daughter in her bed. For 2-3 weeks every night they had to keep bringing her back in her bed and not making it a game. They were stern, put her in bed, and left.

Good luck.

My little boy is a MONKEY! He is now 16 months old and has been climbing out of his crib since Jan. (yes he was only 6 months old!) and with money being tight we couldn't afford a crib tent. He now sleeps with a pair of my socks over his jammies so he can't use the grip on the bottom of his feet. I have to use my socks so they go up his entire leg and he can't get them off. It has worked like a charm, I've caught him trying to get out but has been unsuccessful. Good luck!

My grandson climbed out of the crib when he was about nine
months old. I purchased two crib tents, one for my house
and one for their house. They are wonderful and well worth the price (approx. $60). I purchased the crib tents at
Wal-mart on line and had them delived by "site to store"
(no charge for delivery when you use "site to store"). My
grandson just turned two and he still sleeps in his crib :)