14 Mo Climbing Out of Crib

My daughter was like this. @ 15 months we just put her crib matress on her floor, baby proofed her room and put a baby gate at her door. I hope that helps.

Hi - My girfriend tried this to keep her son in his room. Move him to a todler bed or a twin (but use the guardrail on the bed so he can't roll out). Use a child gate across his door and tell him that if he needs you he should call, but he isn't to leave his room at night unless you or your husband is there. She also spent a few hours with him some nights while he fell asleep - this helped reassure him that it was okay to sleep in his own room. I've also heard of mom's who tell their children that they can have a nightlight and play until they get sleepy, but if they make noise it is lights out and they aren't to come out of their room.
Good Luck

My twins used to crawl out of ther cribs and into the siblings, to play in the middle of the night. I finally put crib tents on and it seemed to work. Eventually the did figure out how to get out, but by then they were comfotably settled in a sleep routine. As a matter of fact they considered their crib with the tents as their little safe cubbie.

My son was moved to a toddler bed when he was 13 months old, not because he was climbing out, but because we are expecting #2 and wanted him out of his crib for long enough time to feel comfortable with the baby sleeping in "his" crib. My son is also very small, but he does fine. The only reason we didn't get a twin bed with a rail is due to space in the nursery, but the toddler bed is wonderful as he can climb out and in himself and he did fall out once in the middle of the night, but he was fine...didn't even wake up! I wouldn't be afraid to transition him...he seems ready.

We bought a travel-size pillow and put it under the fitted sheet, which he loves and the comforter and sheets don't go all the way up to the top, so I don't worry about him getting buried. As far as safety, we put a tall gate at his door and childproofed all this room, put a few safe toys and books in his room so when he gets up in the morning, he can play a little before waking us up. Granted, I often walk in to all the toys and books off the shelf AND the drawers emptied of clothes, it is worth it. At bedtime, we put him in bed and then if we hear him get out, we put him straight back in and tell him good night. Sometimes it takes 5-7 times of putting him back before he goes to sleep, but other nights we put him in once and he goes right to sleep. Anyway, good luck with transitioning. It is well worth it (especially not having a kiddo in your bed all the time...)!

S., 26, mom of 15-month-old and #2 on the way

You are wise to get him out of the habit of sleeping with you, though cosleeping when they are sick is one thing, dependency on parents for sleep will be ongoing and more of a power struggle as they get older. Everyone gets much better safer sleep if in their own beds. After two these habits are super hard to break. Plus I think you deserve that alone time with your hubby!

I say put his crib mattress on the floor, Tuck him like usual, put a baby gate on the doorway (if he won't climb it), if he does put a doorknob cover on his side so he cannot get up. This is for his protection so you don't have a 14 mos old wandering the house!

Be firm, don't give in and let him pitch a fit. If he gets up put him back without saying a word! He is young so it is harder to reason with them or have them understand reward charts. Consistency will be key for him.

As he gets a little older or even now move him into a twin bed (toddler beds are a waste of money), have him pick out his cool new fun sheets and make it a big deal.
A bedrail adds security too for them not falling out of bed.
Mine went to big kid beds at 26 mos and my son at 22 mos so he is young but kids that climb out of cribs need the change so it isn't a safety hazard.
Try putting just the mattress on the floor for him for now and try it a week. If he seems fine then go get him a twin bed. Good luck!

This is your child, not a prisoner of war we're talking about. . . . I would not suggest the crib tent or endless crying.
The other choices just become budget-oriented. If you only want to buy one thing, you could get a twin bed with a guard rail and use it forever. Or consider using a twin mattress on the floor if you are concerned about him rolling out. If you're willing to buy another piece of furniture, you could use a toddler bed with your current crib mattress. I own a toddler bed, mainly because I found a used one for $10. It's not a necessity.
Consider reading "The No-Cry Sleep Solution" and/or "The No-Cry Sleep Solution for Toddlers" both by Elizabeth Pantley.
Perhaps he needs to be parented to sleep a bit more. He does seem to be making it pretty clear that he values contact with you, and that's actually really healthy and not unreasonable. He's still very much a baby and it's healthy to instill a sense of trust in him. Maybe he could have a little spot on the floor near your bed, so if he comes in he can be nearby but not in your bed.
My children have enjoyed stories at bedtime. I've gotten a lot of mileage out of children's books on CD, since my kids feel like they are getting one more story even after the lights are out and I've kissed them goodnight. If you put the CD on repeat, it can re-tell the story for half an hour until they are really sleeping.
I will say that this stage does pass, and you will eventually miss a snuggly child who seeks contact with you so often. Handle with care and good luck!

Hi A.,
A natural option you can try is putting a magnetic/infrared pet pad underneath the sheet. There are many kids that struggle with getting good quality sleep. It also helps kids with colic too. I have many amazing stories I can tell you about these natural technologies as well as research studies. www.nikken.com/sleepcenter has an overview of the adult sleep technologies. Email me if you want to know more info or how to get the products at the best price. Sleep is so critical to good health.

Please let me know how I can help you.
S.

Hi A.,
Keep your bed for your marriage.
Your son is totally old enough to move to a regular bed and probably should since he is climbing out of his crib.
Just put it in the corner and use a side rail that "hooks" to the other side of the mattress (One Step Ahead has a good one). Leave a space at the bottom of the bed and show how to roll to his tummy and scoot off to the floor.
I moved my son to a twin bed at 14 months and my daughter at 10 months. They both did great. I got fun sheets and a cozy blanket and let them pick a cool night light. I made it an adventure.
Have fun with it!
S.

Once they start climbing you are in trouble.
I started my daughter out in a twin bed on the floor when she was 16 months because we needed the crib. I think you could do it with your little guy. Just a mattress on the floor to begin with so that it isn't a scarey fall if they roll off and then you don't have to try and transition them into a twin from a toddler bed later.
I also got a door knob that locks and turned it the wrong way out so the lock is on the outside. It was really helpful in getting them to stay in their rooms. Although don't be surprised to find them sleeping right behind the door when they don't get their way.
It took you 14 months to get him into the habit of sleeping in your bed and wanting to be there. Don't be surprised if it takes you a couple of weeks to get him transitioned to his own bed. Just be consistent and it will work.
Good luck

You can try putting his crib mattress on the floor or buying a twin mattress and putting it on the floor. That way he will not fall a far distance if he rolls out of bed at night, and of course he will not fall from the crib to the floor. You will probably find him sleeping on the floor occasionally though!

Hello,

Our son was also a climber (by 18 months he could get out AND back into his crib on his own). We tried a toddler bed with no success. We ended up leaving the side down on his crib (so it was easier for him to climb in and out) and shutting his door. We put one of those things on the door handle on his side so he couldn't open the door himself. We have a small house (so you can hear everything), and we used a baby moniter. Typically, we would put him in his crib at night, and we think that he may have climbed out a little while he was settling down, but he still ended up back in his crib for the night. As he got older, then we went to a toddler bed. It just seemed like he was too little to go to a big bed, and taking the challenge out of climbing out of the crib also took some of the fun out of it. Hope that this helps!

K.

Most of the women here have already suggested what I would do: My son began to escape from his crib at about a year old. So we put the mattress on the floor and let him sleep there. He's also been one that hasn't seemed to need much sleep right from the beginning so we would close his door and tell him he could stay up and play if he stayed in his room. He took to this pretty well and often we would find him asleep among blocks and toys in the morning, after that, we never had any trouble with him coming to our room or crying in the night. He was a bit sleepy in the morning but not so much that he was grumpy and a side benefit was that he would retire to his room earlier to play, giving his parents some much needed "alone" time. I'm not sure I'd put up a gate though, too much chance I'd stumble over it at night and hurt myself. Anyway, by putting his mattress on the floor, you reduce the risk of him falling or climbing out of bed and you don't have to buy a new piece of furniture immediately.