Help Me Keep My 18 Month Old in His Bed.

We had challanges too. Put one of the "childproof" doornob covers on the inside of his bedroom door so that he can not get out of the room. At least you won't have to worry about him wondering about the house. Be persistant and keep putting him back into his bed if he is getting too "wound up" in his room. If you don't already have some consistant bedtime routines to help him calm-down/wind down try to establish some. Good luck. I know every child is different. My daughter has a real challange winding down each evening and it's been a struggle for us too.

I will admit that I am not great at the tough love thing, but I think that this is what you need right now. I would put a gate across his door that you are fairly certain that he cant climb over, and then prepare yourself for a few nights of battle!! Put him in his bed after his normal routine, tell him good night etc, and then sit by the door..no talking or even looking at him. Each time he gets up, put him back in his bed, maybe say good night for the first one or 2 times, but after that, do not aknowledge that he is there, just put him in his bed. (This is a suppernanny thing BTW, but I have experienced it myself and it can work!) It willl take a few to many nights, esp because he is so young. Be sure that he has done enough to be tired in the day, he is getting older so his routine might be changing too. But no matter what, stick to it, take turns with your husband, and he should settle within a week or so. Good luck! ~A.~

I vote for a crib tent too. It worked for both of my boys!
Great product. You can get it at Babies R Us.
C.

You could put him back in the crib and get a crib tent. I've never tried it, but I heard it works pretty well.

http://www.securebaby.com/crib_tents_all.html

My son did great in the big bed at first then started getting out every night, he was 2 when we moved him. Almost 6mo later we are just now having more nights (1-3 a week)of him staying in his bed all night. Can't use a tent on the bed, he knocked over the gate, he can undo the door knob covers, he does not sleep with us, I do not sleep with him, he goes to bed early, doesn't nap too long, our house is cool enough, we don't excessively talk to him....etc. he still get's up! Pedi said he could have reset his internal clock to just getting up and the only thing that can reset it is time, patience, and persistance. We just walk him back over and over. He has also learned the taste of freedom that comes with a big kid bed so he's going with it. Some things can only be cured with time so don't get discouraged. Pick the route that work's best for you and stick with it b/c it may change fast/easy but be prepared that it may not no matter how hard you try. I have just had to accept it and rest as much as I can and let the anger go, it is very frustrating for sure. Good luck!

I think that if you go to onesteapahead.com they sell a canopy that you attach to the crib so that your baby will not climb out of crib. It is made out of netting and I think snaps onto the rail in several places, then when you want to put him to sleep there is a zipper on the outside you unzip and zip it back. I have never used it, but I was going to purchase one when I caught my daughter trying to climb out of her crib. I was lucky for now she stopped, but when she starts up again I am going to get one.

Get one of those sturdy two-step stools (you know, like the white one at WalMart or Home Depot with the wide steps and handlebar at the top for folding/carrying). Lower the rail on the crib, put the stool next to the crib and make him climb in and out using the stool (he'll love it that you appear to be all about him getting in and out on his own). Show him how you must raise the crib rail and move the stool away after he's climbed in and how you lower the rail and move the stool close when he wants out. Hopefully, after a couple of days, he'll be dependant on the stool. The idea is to get him to convince his mind that he needs to wait for the stool before getting out. This technique works best upon the first climbing-out. It may be too late if yours has been climbing in and out for too long - but its worth a try. Good luck.

Hi K.! We moved my daughter to a toddler bed when she was just over 18 months. For the first month she stayed in it perfectly! Then all of the sudden she started getting out of it. I put a gate up and she went over it. I stacked two gates up, one over the other and she worked until she knocked the bottom one out. So, my mom suggested I put one of the child knobs on the inside of her door. The ones that just spin in the childs hands. It took 5 nights of her getting out of bed, wandering around her room in the dark, but she finally stayed in her bed. Its not fun to play in the dark. I will admit, the first few nights I would wait until I knew she had fallen asleep on the floor and I would go in and put her in her bed. She would stay the rest of the night! We haven't had a problem since and she is almost 4 now!
Good luck!
C.

Please let me know if you try the tent thing and if so how it went. I have the same problem. :(