My Son Climbs Out of His Crib at Night

LOL. You poor thing, but what a fantastic little mind you have on your hands. He will go far!
They have magnetic alarms that you can put on his door. Once engaged, it will sound until the door is shut again. I would suggest putting one on his bedroom door.
NO joke here. Put his name and address on the inside of his PJ's I have been a 911 dispatcher for years and you would be suprised how often this happens. Far more found children are reported found than are reported missing and most can't be returned home until the parents wake up to discover just what you have discribed.
I took a call of a 2 yr old that didn't know where she lived, but the dog followed her out and they were able to get her back home that night because the dog had a tag with the address. Many times they don't find the homes until the next day when the parents wake up to find them missing, then they are already in "the system."
It sounds silly (horrible and neglectful too), but it happens to the best parents too (like in your situation). I like to plan for the worst and hope for the best. It sounds like any obsticales you put infront of him is only a matter of time before he figures it out. You have a smart cookie on your hands. Good luck. LOL.

My daughter was a sleep walker - she's almost 17 now. She actually has gone outside as late as a year and half ago. We finally got door jams - that you can put at the top of the door ... The latch is difficult for a sleepy or alert child to undo ... You might look into those options. As to keeping him in his bed at night ... I don't know how to help you. Keeping your door open - or sleeping on the floor outside his room, might be a temporary solution. You are thinking - is she serious?! I am. With a traveling spouse, your reponsibilities can be daunting. Best of everything to you. He'll eventually grow out of this phase, but when ? No one can say for certain.
San Antonio Mom - as well.

Wow! What a smart little guy! My daughter has not tried any of this yet...but once we moved her to her big girl bed I was terrifed that she would just get out of bed one night and go out the door. We have an alarm on the door too...but that wasn't enough for me. We bought some extra locks that we attached to the top of all the doors that lead to the outside. There is NO way she will be able to reach them...even standing on things...until she is old enough to know better not to leave in the middle of the night (or day for that matter). They are fairly cheap and you can pick them up at Home Depot or Lowe's. They are just metal sliding locks. Hope this helps!

Babies R U carries a crib tent just for escape artists like yours. I've seen parents who put a little lock on the zippers so they can't be opened from the inside. Don't feel bad about doing what you need to do to keep him safe. A good nights sleep is important to keep you being the best mom you can be, and once he knows he isn't going anywhere he'll sleep better too! Good luck!

Have you tried disciplining/spanking for this?

You could install a sliding lock on the OUTSIDE of his bedroom door which you would lock once he's asleep at night (or during nap time even). You have a monitor, so you'd hear if he was distressed during the night.

Good luck and welcome to San Antonio!

My kid did this at 15 mos. We put one of those hook and eye latches on the outside of his door. We turned his crib into a toddler bed so he wouldn't hurt himself getting out, and then he was locked in his room. Alarms are great for telling you he's into trouble, not preventing it.

In the new house, we switched out the bathroom door handle with his door handle, with the lock on the outside. We lock him in his room when he's sleeping. Problem solved, and for a lot cheaper than a dog crate.