How Do You Handle a 16 Month Old Climber?

I have a 2 year old and everyone has told me if they are able to start climbing out of their crib they're ready for a toddler bed.

I also went with the toddler bed and gate in the doorway for my kids and then my grandson. They were all around 18 mos at time of transition and it worked for all of them. Make sure the door to their bedroom is open so if they get up you can hear them. I used toddler rails on both sides of the bed unless it was against the wall on one side...you can even use one at the end if you want to. They always came to the gate when they woke up and let me know they were awake, it's safer than taking a chance of them getting out in the night and getting hurt. Good luck

Crib Tent?-
There is a product on the market called a crib tent. I saw one recently and I think it was made by a company called "A Step Ahead" or "Baby Steps". It is an ingenious idea that is safe and allows your son remain in his crib for longer. My experience is that the toddler bed seems like a good idea, but then other problems like roaming around the house and falling out of the toddler bed. I will look for a website too and see if it has the product I am talking about.
Just an idea, B.

I switched my son into his toddler bed before he started climbing out but thats only because we have another one due here this month and we will be putting him in the crib. I would try the toddler bed. Maybe he is ready to be switched. I mean, whats it going to hurt to try it when he doesnt stay in the crib anyways;) and this way, he wont get hurt! Good luck!!

Yes I would wait on the toddler bed and see about a tent over the crib. We used on for my oldest son who kept falling out. It was great and let us decide when we wanted to put him in bed. We got ours at baby r us or what ever they might be called now.

A.

my now 14 year old and my 3 year old are and were both climers of everything they could climb. they climbed before they could even walk real good. I put them both in a toddler bed at about 12 or 13 months. I put a blanket around them ( like a comforter just rolled up like a circle around them) it made them feel more secure but if they felt they want out of bed they could without getting hurt. they both adjested to it my 3 year old loved sleeping in her big girl bed. no matter how bad you want them to sleep or stay in bed unless you tie them down (which is temptong lol joking) they will get up because you can not stand over them the whole time they sleep. so I felt safer and better putting them in a toddler bed. I hope you find what is right for you and your children.
Good luck
Kathy

We had a problem with our daughter (just turned two) and her toddler bed. Once we set up the toddler bed she wouldn't sleep in it at all. We would put her in it and then when we would go into her room to check on her she would be asleep by her door! so sad, it broke my heart. I don't think she felt secure in it since the rails on toddler beds don't really serve a point. they don't go down far enough to keep a child in them. we thought about buying the rails that they sell in stores to add to beds, but they say on the packaging "not for use on toddler beds". that is when we did some researching. we now have the most perfect bed. it is a regular twin bed and it is called a captains bed or cargo bed. it has a pull out drawer (for extra storage) or you can put an additional mattress in it for sleep overs (we will do that years down the road). On top of drawer is the main bed area. it uses only a mattress. it sits down inside the main wooden platform. then it comes with a set of wood rails that slide into the head and footboard. she therefor has rails all the way around her. she feels secure now, like she did in her crib. we use body pillows to put against the rails on each side so when she does roll around in the night she won't bonk her head on the rails. the bed is a regular twin size so she will be able to use this bed until she moves out! the rails just lift right out and can be stored away when she gets older. the extra storage underneath is great when space is limited. I would think if you have two children in one room you could use the pull out below as another childs bed, but then during the day it wouldn't take up the extra space in a room because you just push it back under the top bed. the bottom pull out bed/drawer is on casters and is really easy to move in and out. hope this helps.

My son did this to me. I chose to go to a toddler bed at that time because he climbed out of his crib during nap time and got his leg caught in the rail on the out side of the crib while climbing over. He got his leg between the slots and when he feel, his leg got hung up and he was stuck upside down. If you are worried it is best to act on it. Plus he took to his "big boy bed" quickly. I got his a race car bed form Toys-R-Us and it is only a fw inches form the floor. As for keeping him in his room, I use a small kiddy gate and I can just step over it when I check on him.

Good Luck!

My 19 mon. old daughter fell out of her crib over this last weekend. This was during naptime. She wasn't hurt to bad besides a couple little bruises but it was enough for us to immediately take down the crib and go get a toddler bed.

We struggled the first two nights and ended up letting her sleep in her playpen but then two nights ago I decided it was time to try again so I sat with her next to her bed, played soothing music and then snuck out as soon as she was settled. She came into the living room once but I simply picked her up and said "no, no, it's nite nite time" and carried her back in. After that she slept thru the night that night and last night.

Everyone I asked said just to be consistant and keep a routine and also make sure she is good and tired when I put her down. So far so good.

I had an 14 month old that was a climber... to the point where she would come into our room then go to bed w/ us... nap times were the opposite than you.

I just set up her real bed and she's great now..wont sleep anywhere but there and yes... she'll run around here and there... but for the most part she does really well... just a schedule and stern actions is needed...

Just a food for thought!

16 mos. seems pretty young for a toddler bed. My daughter started climbing out of her crib around 2 yrs, and we moved her into a toddler bed at 2 1/2. There are mesh tents that you can buy for the top of the crib. I know One Step Ahead sells them. I would check into that before moving to a toddler bed. I discovered that even now at 3 yrs old, my daughter has too much freedom being in a toddler bed. Plus, she still moves around a lot when she sleeps that she falls out of bed fairly often.

I agree that it is time for a toddler bed. I don't like the idea of a net over the crib at all. The toddler beds are low enough to the ground that they won't get hurt falling on to carpet. If the floors are hard a couple of pillows could be layed on the floor to cushion the fall. I don't think that my two ever fell out of the toddler bed though they did end up in some funny positions in the bed.

We had the same problem when our son was 15 months old and we put him in a toddler bed with saftey bars on both sides in case he rolled in the middle of the night and never had a problem at bed time again :) good luck