When to Move to Toddler Bed? - Charlotte,NC

Hi K.,

We got an extra 6 months in the crib by using a crib tent. These are wonderful and can be purchased at the Babies R Us or online (~60.00). Our son was a climber too, and no amount of "stay in your bed" helped that. When we finally moved him to the toddler bed it was such a short time that we wondered why we hadn't gone directly to a twin bed with rails. We put the twin on the ground (boxspring and mattress) at first so that it did not seem to high. After he got his "big boy" bed, we have had no trouble with him staying in it. We made a big deal about how he had grown and how he was being given a new bed and new responsibilities. It worked!

As for doorknob covers: my husband and I disagree. I think they are a form of restraint which can go awry should the child need to leave the room (think: emergencies or simply potty training), and he thinks of them as a form of security for the child. In the end, our boy just circumvented them by dismantling them so they were useless anyway.

I really believe the real key is communicating with the child about things that are harmful (when they are old enough to understand~24months) and to toddler proof the house. It is imperative to do this. Once they start to feel independent they can put themselves in much danger. I also agree that moving the computers is very important. Space is always tight and I know that having away space for the computer is ideal, however this is your child's room and he must be able to be secure and safe and comfortable in it. As he grows, there will be less need to keep things so secure, but until that time, if you can it would really benefit your son to move the computers.

Best of luck with this!

S.

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My child is on the second floor also. We just put her to bed, tell her not to get out and she does just fine. When she started trying to climb is when we changed to a big bed.
Sounds like yours is ready also.
As far as the computer goes, you will just have to get really firm with him and let him know you mean business and that is off limits to him. It will take some time i am sure but once he learns it, it will be alright. Also I would try not to make such a big deal out of it either because sometimes that just makes it more inviting. I would get firm and then drop it. Not saying that would work. If it doesn't..... I am not sure what I would do. Maybe put a cover over it and strap it so he can't get into it. I am not sure.
Good luck.

I would agree that your son is old enough for either a toddler bed, or a twin bed with rails (which is basically the same thing, so if you don't want to spend a ton of money, I'd go ahead and get the twin bed and buy the rails to add to it.)

As for your computers, I would invest in one of the baby gates that is designed for irregularly shaped areas. Yes, they're expensive, but it would provide a definitive boundary for him while keeping your computers safe. That being said, I would recommend putting the computers in your living room or another common room before I would put up gates. I know it looks rather tacky, but studies have been done that show that people don't sleep as well when they have computers or tvs in their rooms at night.

I also agree with one gate at the top of the stairs, or gating him in his room rather than locking his door...At least that way you can hear him.

My kids never climbed out of their cribs nor playpens. I left them in their cribs until they were 3. However since he's trying to climb out he may be getting ready for a big boy bed. I never used the toddler beds because they only stay in them for a short time and then you have to spend more money to buy a bigger bed. We have one of those twin size beds that's in a box from Wal-Mart. She loves it. It's perfect size too. It's a bit big but she will grow into it. You may want to consider getting a dog gate to put at the top of the stairs. You can get the gate from any pet store. These gates are big and they can adjust up and down to keep the biggest dogs out. If you use a baby gate, I think your son will be able to climb over it, if you use a dog gate that adjusts up and down, he won't be able to climb over it. To keep him out of your electroincs, just tell him not too touch, I know your saying, yeah like that's going to work, but the more you tell him, the more he'll understand and he'll eventually leave them alone. It will take a while but consistancy works. I hope this helps. Good luck with everything. J. A.

That's right around the age that my oldest son went to a toddler bed, I think your son is a little too old to even use a play pen, though. By now, he should grasp your rules well enough to be able to walk the house all day. I agree with Dawn B; it's not going to work with the home office IN the baby's room; that's just asking for trouble, in my opinion. As for the doorknobs, do you have a safety gate that you can put in his doorway at night, and leave the door open?

maybe a video monitor would be helpful?

We put both of our daughters in twin beds by the time they where 18 months. Like the other woman, we pushed the bed up againist the wall and put up a side rail we bought from Toys R Us (about $40). My daughters now 12 & 9 years old still sleep in those twin beds.

ok one just put a gate at the top of the stairs. i wouldnt pen him in his room unless you have serious saftey hazards in your house. as for the computers they have play yards that can be formed in to diff shapes for things like door ways you could try putting one of thoes around the computer to see if that keeps him out. hope this helps!

http://www.toysrus.com/product/index.jsp?productId=2266978