Stopping My Two Year Old from Getting Out of Bed!

I was having the same trouble so this past weekend we bought them big beds (singles)....and last night was the first night...they did GREAT! I know it is scary to think about putting them in a big bed but I think it was just the change my kids needed. And if I am doing it with my 2 year old triplets I challenge you to try it too!!! Good luck!

Hi,

My two year old daughter wouldn't stay in bed when we switched her to a toddler bed. My first thought was "What would Jo (supernanny) do? Well, we stuck with the sitting outside her room and when she came out, we immediately put her back in bed. We did this, several times.....I mean several :-) It eventually stuck. She sometimes comes out now, but only once. At first we were doing this for two hours a night. Good luck!

If he's crawling out of his crib it's probably time to move him into a bed before he gets hurt. I suggest putting a gate in the door way. That way you can keep the door open but it will keep him in his room. I assume it's baby proof therefore there is nothing in there that can harm him. Once he realizes he can't get out of his room getting out of bed won't seem so much fun. Before you go to bed you can always take the gate down.

There are netting canopies that fit over cribs for just this situation. Never used one myself, just have seen them in magazines.

Buy a crib tent. Babies r us sells them and sometimes you can find them on Craigslist.

This might seem a little mean, but it worked for us. If your child uses a nightlight, don't leave it on after they fall asleep. Our little explorers were very unenthused about wandering around a dark house and would after attempting to come to our room get too scared to go all the way and just stay in bed. As soon as the explorer phase passed, we'd use nightlights again..especially during the potty training phase. You want them to wander then...to the bathroom and to bed that is. ;)

The only downside was if they woke up in the middle of the night in a dark room, sometimes they'd freak out and we'd have to sit with them until they fell back asleep. It didn't happen too often...the freaking out that is. Most often they'd just go back to sleep.

One other thing to keep in mind, be sure your safety gate at the top of the steps is locked secure at night to prevent accidental falls. My DH got a little lazy about this at night because he got used to the babies being safe in their crib, and I had to get after him about this.

How you train him to stay in bed is an issue almost all parents address at one point or another during this particular transition phase. Because this phase may last a long time the question is how to provide a secure venue for your son during the transition. Switching him to a big boy bed with side guards is safer than making him work his way out of a crib. If he continually gets what he wants when he gets out of bed he will continue to do so because we learn from the consequences of our actions (as children and as adults). Each time he gets out of bed you need to patiently return him to his bed, every time as your consist behavior will modify his consistent behavior. Be sure he is in his pajamas as preparation for bedtime, and you might try reading to him as part of the process. Children respond well to structure that includes processes that get them mentally prepared for procedures. Good luck, this is a transition that will test your patience over and over again.

My kids never got to the point of crawling out of their crib. However, I did switch both of them to Big Boy/Big Girl beds(with a side rail) at about their 2nd birthdays. For about a month or so...my son loved it and never crawled out. But then we went through a phase where he would get up and want to come out with us. I just started shutting his door at bedtime(definetly make sure things are "safe" in his room). He would lay by the door and end up falling asleep EVERY night for awhile. Then I would have to go in and move him. I remember calling my mom and telling her how bad I felt that he was falling asleep on the hard floor...and to this day I remember her response...."If he doesn't like it, he will quit doing it". And that he did. It was a short phase and has been fine ever since.

I also think the posters advice about a good bedtime routine with things like bath, jammies, read a few books quietly in bed may help.

Once again it all depends on the child...they are all so different. Just like the whole "let them cry themselves to sleep" thing. Never worked with my daughter, who by the way, had NO problems switching to a big girl bed. YA NEVER KNOW!!! :) Hope maybe some of this works for you. Good luck!

Oh yeah, before I started just shutting his door, I tried all kinds of different ways of putting him back in his bed: sweetly, being firm, rewards...none of it worked for him. I just had to shut the door and let him figure it out!

My daughter also started crawling out of her crib about the same age as your son. It was quite frustrating, and I remember counting one night of how many times I had to put her back in bed (around 30, if I remember correctly!) Aside from not speaking or giving her any kind of communication while putting her back in her crib, the thing that worked the best was giving her a hand stamp of her choice (we bought a few that we think she'd like along with a non-toxic kids rainbow colored ink pad). She knew that if she stayed in her bed all night she got a stamp. We also stamped the calendar to visually remind her and us that once she filled up a week she got a small reward of some kind.
We put a digital clock in her room and told her that she couldn't get out of bed until the clock read nine-zero-zero. A few times we would set the alarm to go off so she would know that it was an ok time too.
Hope this helps!

I would transition him to a big boy bed. At least you don't have to worry about him falling or getting hurt when he crawls out of the bed. We put a gate up at our sons door so that he couldn't get out of his room. He did spend some nights falling asleep on the floor, but we would check on him and put him in his bed after he fell asleep. Eventually he got the idea that he was to stay in his room. But, no child is the same. Hope this suggestion helps.

L.,

Turn out the light (2 year olds usually don't have enough imagination to be afraid of the dark) and lock the door. You can use a baby lock or take the door knob and flip it so it locks on the outside. Or leave the door open and put up one or two baby gates on top of each other.

If your child will play or climb in his room, take the knobs / handles off the dresser, put the bookshelf inside the closet and lock the door, and put the toys up or in containers he can't get into.

He will get bored after a while. Be patient. He may fall asleep in front of his door for a week or so. Put him back in bed after he is asleep if you can. After a while, he will give up (especially if he wakes up in the bed) and sleep in the bed.

The most important thing is not to interact with him when he misbehaves like this. Everytime you go to his room and tell him to get back in bed, it reinforces that acting up gets Mommy's attention. Contain him in a safe environment and leave him alone. He will catch on eventually.

Good luck,
S.

Actually, sitting with him while he falls asleep is establishing a healthy, safe bedtime routine L.. After a while, he will get the hang of the fact that bedtime is quiet and dark and includes YOU.

What you CAN do to help him to fall asleep faster is to sing to him - softly and sweetly, or read to him from quiet, sleepy chapter books (Little Bear books make great bedtime stories).

Before you get him a big boy bed (which I do recommend), leave the rail down so that he doesn't feel penned in. Since he can crawl out anyway, the rail being up will encourage him to climb out even more than being down.

Then, sit as close as you can to the crib, hold his hand or pat his bottom and sing or read. He'll love the attention and fall asleep knowing that you love him and that he is safe.

My husband and I had the same problem with both our girls. We had picked up a tip from watching Super Nanny. First of all you should really think about moving him to a toddler bed and then get him on a routine schedule every night. Sit near his bedside sideways don't make eye contact just sit there until he falls asleep, it make take awhile, but will eventually decrease in time. If he tries to get out then give him a warning then just put him back in w/out saying anything. Do this as long as he gets out of bed don't say anything he may cry, but let him be he'll get tired out soon enough and figure it out that he has to stay in bed. Try it! It worked for us hopefully it'll work for you to! L. F

I cant tell you how many nights i sat at end of kids beds-on their floor or just outside their door. its a phase and im sorry to say there is no magic cure.

i do have a suggestion though. since he is already getting out of bed maybe put him in a big bed so when this phase is over it wont start again when he has more freedom of an open bed. plus you dont have to worry about him falling while crawling out of crib.

grab a book and just read and "ignore" him while you are waiting for him to sleep. the more you ignore him the faster he will get bored- especially if he isnt busy actually crawling out to come find you.

good luck- they do grow up. i became an empty nester this week and although im excited and not really sad- i certainly remeber all the hectic toddler stuff with fondness. :)

Hi L.
My advice should only be tried after you move him out of his crib.
is the chair in his room? If so you should sit outside the doorway so he can not see you and wait for him to get out of bed and without any words walk him back to his bed and if you are consitant he should start staying in bed in a few nights.
Good Luck T.