HELP 22 Month Old Getting Out of Crib

When my boys did that I went to babiesrus and bought a crib tent to keep them in a bit longer. Just a suggestion and I hope it helps you.

Sincerely,
J.

L.,
My sons never were able to get out of their cribs. However my oldest son was put in a big bed just after his 2nd bday. If I had to do it again I wouldn't have move him so early. My middle some is 26 mths and we are going to move him into a big bed in the new week or so. My middle son is a better sleeper than my oldest and I personaly think he is ready. You could always try it for a night or two or even just at nap time to see how she is going to do. I would definately keep her gate up though, it's for her own safety.

I have put my little ones in thier big "girl" and big "boy" beds when they were around 18/20 months, they did wonderful with it. There will always be some sort of training involved considering children have to learn everything, so it may take a few nights of putting the child back to bed, but in the end you will be on top of the game!

H., 25 a SAHM of 3 sweethearts

I agree that she is old enough to be out of the crib. My daughter was into a toddler bed by that age and she loved it. By her 3rd b.day she was in a regular twin bed.. with posts and pretty high up off the floor (use bed rails). There was nothing cuter than her climbing off that little bed and dragging her blanket down the hallway first thing in the morning...
That said, the gate on the door is a good idea if you are worried about her wandering. Some kids apparently DO wander, and do it at night. Mine never did and I never used a baby gate. The most wandering mine did was that if they woke from a bad dream or felt ill, they came straight to the side of my bed and stood there. (My "mommy sense" woke me before they got far past my bedroom door, so I knew they were there without them even saying anything). Usually they ended up climbing into bed with us (my husband slept thru it and never knew until he woke up next morning). I'd let them snuggle a little and then gently take them back to their own bed. It worked for us. Don't be intimidated by the idea that they can't find you, either. Our house had a split bedroom design and it was a LONG walk... but it never bothered them if they woke up and needed some comfort. And they never detoured into another room to get into mischief... came straight to the side of my bed with stuffed animal clutched in arms... In fact, I told them that if they needed me they could come and get me... Maybe that's why they didn't have any trouble with the transition (?).. The only light on in the house was the night light on the refrigerator door (they had to walk past the kitchen to get to our room).

We have moved, and they are 9 and 6 now, but it's the same in our new house. Long walk, have to maneuver around furniture, split bedroom design, the only light is the night-light from the microwave over the stove, and still, every once in a while, I'll sense a little shuffling and open my eyes to my youngest standing there with her stuffed dog, having had a bad dream and scared - or there's a big thunderstorm that woke her and she is scared.

We have a dog, by the way, and she has never once been startled by the kids getting up in the night for anything... so if you have a pet and are concerned that they may become agitated by "strange" movement in the middle of the night.. I wouldn't worry (unless your pet is aggressive towards your child already-then you already have bigger problems).

This is an exciting time.. I was so excited to get the crib out and redecorate! It's so much fun! And it might be your last chance... before you know it she will be opinionated about her room, her bed, her clothes, how she wears her hair, what shoes you buy, etc etc etc! lol
Enjoy it now!

oh, one other thing... I didn't get new sheets for the toddler bed. (wait for the next one, or until she has made the switch)... use the same bedding from the crib... mattress too... then it is still familiar.. if a little different...

I feel for you. We had this happen when my daughter was barely 18 mos. I was TERRIFIED to change her to a toddler bed, however it worked out really well. I heard about a family who didn't and their child fell out and broke their leg! I really didnt' want her to get hurt so we converted her bed to a toddler bed. we also put a door handle cover over her doorknob on the inside, so she could not get out and closed her door at bedtime and naptime. We also childproofed her room and put locks on her closet doors and bolted her bookshelf to the wall. (She's a climber!) It was a little tough for about 3 days but after that, it worked really well. She seems to even sleep better now that she's in a bed rather than the crib. She even won't get out anymore unless we come and get her! It's amazing! good luck!

E. (mother to almost 20 mos. old daughter.)

Hi L.
Wow, I went through the same thing with my son years ago. But this is an exciting time. It's time to turn this crib into a toddler bed if it is, or time to go shopping for that special small person bed with side rails or low to the ground. They make such cute beds now for little ones. But once they learn how to crawl out, it's all over. And it's way too high up and they could get hurt falling out. So, take pictures of her nursery now the way it is, so you can put a few pages of pictures in her album, of course with her in the crib, a pic of you and her pointing to the walls of paintings or whatever and put all those pics in your book. Now plan out the room on how you want to put up words, letters, labels of toys on shelves and a brand new bed for your child's next phase of life growing up!!!!
T.

My daughter is almost 3 yrs old and still really isn't ready for a big girl bed. We are getting her one just because of her asking to go potty at night but she could possibly open the front door or the door to the pool at night you never know. My daughter started climbing out of the crib much earlier what was a life saver for us was a crib tent. Since then she has learned to open the zipper on crib tent so we rap the end around 4 times. Our daugther definately was not ready for a big girl bed at that age. I feel better knowing she was safe then waking up one night and finding she was missing. YOu need to look at your child individually and see if she is ready. If not get a crib tent, the perfect solution.

Yes Yes Yes. It's time to convert to a toddler bed. I converted my son to a toddler bed about that same age and he wasn't trying or getting out of his bed. I have one of those door knob plastic pieces on the inside of his door so he cannot open it. But a gate works too. And don't worry once we convert if your child does not use the bed right away. It probably took my son 1-2 weeks before he would get into his bed every time it was nap time or night time. Good luck.

Hi, L.,

I am a 41 year old first-time SAHM to a 2 1/2 year old boy. I just wanted to comment on the fact that it's difficult finding other women who like I am to relate to.
About your issue, I keep hearing how girls seem to get out of the crib earlier than boys. A big girl bed sounds a lot safer to me, since she can get out anyway.

Have a nice day,
A.

i would definitely take her out of the crib if she is able to climb out. i've always been told by the dr that once they're able to do that, they are able to sleep in a toddler bed. i moved my son into one around 18 months. i live in an apt, but if he gets out, he comes straight to my room. my brother also has a 2 yr old, and lives in a very large house, and when she gets out of bed, she goes straight to their bedroom, & doesn't roam the house. but if you are still worried about that, i'd continue putting the gate up. if all else fails, always ask your dr! :)

I moved my little gril from crib to toddler bed just this past month she is 17 months old and like yours she kept getting out of her crib. I went and got a toddler bed and at first she did not take to it very well. The first couple nights I slept in the bed with her until she fell asleep if she woke babck up I would go back in there and do the same thing. Then I slept on the floor days 3 and 4 and after about a week she got used to it now when it is time for bed I walk her to her room tuck her in and give her kisses and she goes right to sleep. Also another thing that might have helped her was a gave her one of my sheets that I slept with and she had my scent right next to her to soothe her that I was still there. I also put the gate at her door incase she did wake up and wonder around.

We put our daughter in a full size bed at 20 months. Just put a side rail up and at least she will be able to safely crawl in and out of it. Good luck!

I actually put my daughter in a toddler bed when she was 21 months old and she was really excited about it. We took her with us to get it and she picked out a princess bed she wanted. Then we we brought it home and put it together she was so excited, she kept getting in it and we never had a problem with her going to sleep in it. I think your daughter probably understands more than you think. My biggest concern would be her safety in the climbing and falling out of the crib. Good luck

I put my son in a toddler bed at 18 months. As soon as they figure out how to get out of the crib it safer to upgrade. I used a bed that is close to the ground and it has bed rails at the head of the bed. You can put some kind of soft mats in front of the bed in case they fall out but he never did. The only problem I had was getting him to stay in it for the first few weeks. He's now 21 months old and all I have to do is sit in the room with him until he falls asleep. I put a baby gate in the door way so when he wakes up he can't wander around in the middle of the night.

If she is climbing out of the crib, it is time for a "big girl" bed. At 22 months, I would think she is ready. Your other alternative is to get a canopy that goes over the crib to keep her in. I am not sure how well they work. We never went that route, we just switched our son to the toddler bed when he started climbing out (he was 19 months). We had a crib where one side came off, which was convenient so he didn't have to transition to another bed. I was concerned also that maybe he was a little young, but our ped said if they are climbing out (at any age) they need to be removed from the potential danger, or contained. He suggested the canopy or the toddler bed. He said even as young as 15 months they can switch to a toddler bed if they are climbing out. If she is a night waker and a wanderer, then I think the baby gate at the door is a good idea.

When she can crawl out, it's time for a toddler bed, or a small mattress on the ground.

They are as individual as we are! If she is getting out, it's time, that is what she is telling you. The gate is a good thing though it may not last, that might be her next 'big climb' the twos are approaching so get ready! Just keep checking in on her, praising her development and although the ride is a bumpy one it's one you will treasure in just a few short years with memories and stories for the telling! ON TO THE BIG GIRL BED, MOMMY!!!!

A.

My daughter was about the same age, she fell out one time and that was it, I went and got a toddler bed (we had a conversion bed but it would not allow a railing guard to be placed). I just took her to the store, told her what we were looking for and let her pick out the one she wanted. Of course that was Dora the Explorer, haha. But she had no problem with it at all. Just keep her involved so she knows what is going on and if she is okay with it, there shouldnt be any problems. Children are capable of handling changes, it is harder on the parents sometimes to see their little one growing up.

If she can get out, it's time to change the bed into a toddler bed. The reason is her safety. I'm sure you agree it's not worth it if she were to break her arm or leg falling over the side.
You can try different things to make the switch easier for her. Put the bed in the same place, use the same blankets nmd let her "help" you change it around. It will be new and different to her, but she'll adapt quickly.

Concerning her roaming over the house, when you put her in bed, close her bedroom door and use a baby monitor to hear her, or leave it open but put up a baby gate in the doorway that she can stand at and yell for you. I wouldn't want her to be roaming around either; too much potentia;l for danger.
Good luck!
~C.

Hi,

I watched my 15-month old daughter almost throw herself over her crib rails one night and decided it was time for a toddler bed.

I purchased one immediately (on Craigslist!) and put it in her room. We had discussions about what was going to happen, what was happening and what it meant for my "big girl." When we put the sheets, comforter and some of her cuddly friends into her new bed, she ran right over to in and jumped in. She never showed any signs of distress or an adjustment period. I did put a gate on her bedroom door, too, so she couldn't roam. It was a great decision for us and worked out well.

Good luck to you!

My daughter started trying to climb out of her crib at 15 months. We soon after got a toddler bed for her. It was hard to keep her in it, so we made space for the bed in our room. That helped a little. After she got used to it, we moved it back into her room and would put up a baby gate in the hallway, so she would only have access to her and our room. It definitely took a while to get her used to the new bed and that she had to stay in it, but consistancy worked. Good luck!

L., I have a little one that was just like your little one. She is now four and still full of energy. I had the same concern because we have a flight of stairs that end at a window then turn to another room, so I understand that fear.My daughter was a couple months younger than your child and we put he in a full size bed, but we did not put the box spring on. This way it kept the bed low, so if she fell out it would not be a bad fall. We also put pillows on each side of the bed. We also put the gate at her door and at the stair way. Have as many blockades so this way you will hear any noise and wake up. Just to prepare you she will most likly be a climber. I have found mine in many strange places calling for help to get down. In a matter of seconds, I would find her on the top self in the pantry,dancing on her dresser or swinging on the clothes in the closet. She did grow out of it but still very active. Thank God..Enjoy and Good luck....

Good morning, I had the 4 in 1 crib but it was to much of a height for them to fall..I ended up getting a little toddler bed..It is much lower to the ground..I will convert the crib later...The gate helps...

WOW! You made it to 22 months! My daughter who is now 7 started that at 18 months. I went ahead and switched her to the toddler bed and kept the baby gate in the doorway of her bedroom. For the first month I'd wake up in the morning and find her asleep on the floor right next to the gate. It took her awhile to catch on to the concept of staying in the toddler bed all night, but in the mean time I didn't have to worry about her hurting herself by falling out of the crib or wandering the house while I was asleep.

Also, I made it an "adventure" for her. She got to pick out the bed and all bedding.

Good luck!

L. hi, this is P. L. When my son was that age and younger he'd use to do the same thing, so I finally just made a toddler bed for him and he did just fine, I too, put up a fence and yes you;ll get up a few times during the night for some time to make sure that she's in bed, but you can also lower the mattress all the way down if yours is the kind that has different levels to put it on. But try lowering first and see how it goes and then if that still doesn't work then make it into a bed. It will get better. I hope this helps. Take care and Good Luck.

My son did the same thing and we put him in a big boy bed. His grandparents bought him a bunk bed set and he started sleeping on the top bunk (it had rails on all sides). He loved it, but we did not (at first) because he would get out of bed several times a night before finally falling asleep.

My son is 29 months old now ~ Just after his 2nd Birthday he figured out how to get out of his crib. He came out of it one time and that was all it took for me. The crib was already on the lowest position. Our crib turns into a toddler bed but I know my son isn't ready and WON'T stay in the bed. I took the rail out of the bed and put his mattress on the floor ~ It might sound awful at first but the mattress is very thick and my son still sleeps very soundly.

I'm a firm believer that moms know best for their children. You will know if your child is ready for a toddler bed but I wanted to let you know what I did.

L.,
It's common for our Princess to be little crib adventurers. If you're anything like me, I sleep lighter now that I'm a mom. She'll be fine - just make sure to utilize all your safety features - plugs in outlets - gate...no scarring on my girls. In fact, they're 4 & 6 and they don't even remember. Go ahead and put her in a toddler - it's fine - they make safety rails if you're nervous like I was - they work excellent and economical. It's better than the fall from the crib rail by far. God's blessings - hope this helped!

I would go ahead and turn it in to a toddler bed .My daughter turned the baby bed into a toddler bed and it is so much nicer.It wasn't long until she was crswling in and out of the bed by her self. She only fell out a very few times and then she realized she could get in and out by her self B Ingram.

hi L.
my son has been out of his crib since 19 mo.s for the very same reason.....he was crawling out, and it was no longer safe......so we went to the next level, all my fears have been put to rest.we made a hugh deal about being in the new bed, and even read books in it for awhile before naptime, to get him used to it. they somehow learn to stay in the "big boy" (girl in your case)bed out of excitment, or proud to be free of the rails...i'm not sure which. but we did the same thing...gate @ the door and left the door open so we could hear him. it all worked and he loves his bed so much he shows it to everyone that comes over....good luck. J. j

I have a 17 month old daughter that I put in a twin bed a couple of weeks ago. It has been great. She was not getting out of her crib, but we are expecting our 2nd any day now, so I had to free up the crib, and we did not want to go through the crib to bed transition while going through a newborn transition.

Anyways, it has been wonderful. She absolutely loves her big girl bed. She actually sleeps better in it than her crib. For the first 5 days and nights, she didn't try to get out. Then, once she learned she could get out, she got out over and over to come to us. She was so proud of her newfound freedom. My sister in law told me that she saw an episode of some nanny show that said you have to just keep putting them back into bed without talking to or looking at them. Well, being 9 months pregnant, that did not sound like fun, but I did it, and it has worked. The first night took about 2 hours of just repeatedly putting her back in bed. She eventually tired, as did I, and fell asleep. The next night took about 1 hour. Every night got less and less, and now she's down to getting out of bed only around 1 or 2 times at first, and then she stays in the rest of the night. It's laborious at first, but if you can just stick it through, your daughter should learn. It's been a good experience.

Good luck with your little one. I definitely think now is a good time to put her in a toddler bed. You might be surprised how well she does with it. Maybe you can get her extra tired before putting her in it the 1st night.

Hi L.! We moved our daughter into a toddler bed at 23 months for the same reason. It was a rough transition, and we had a hard time getting her to stay in bed at first. She's fine now (at 2&1/2). We have a lot of baby proofing throughout the house, and gate off a section. However, I heard of a great idea that I wish I had tried: remove the springs from the crib and put the mattress on the floor inside the crib. The extra 6-10 inches might give you a few extra months! Good luck!

I was fortunate that my daughters never climbed out of their cribs. Even so, we moved them into their full-size beds (with rails) just after their second birthday. Our house is not that large and we only have the 3 bedrooms upstairs, so we just locked the gate at the top of the stairs. I do know someone who instead just put a gate on their daughter's door. That way they could leave her door open without fearing her roaming the house in the middle of the night. That might be your best solution and you will not have to worry about her falling anymore.

We moved my daughter into her toddler bed when she was about 2. We did the same thing for gating off her room so she couldn't get out and roam around at night (or in the morning). It was actually fine. She did have a bit of a lapse where she would get out of bed a lot more in the middle of the night at first, but when the newness of the bed wore of she just slept like usual. If she did fall it it was only about 6 inches to the ground so it was not that big of a deal. Hope this helps!

Wow I wish we had made it to 22 months before my little monkey started climbing out of the bed! Our crib had a seperate rail on one side that turned it into a todler bed but still kept him from falling out. As soon as he started climbing out we changed it. He was going to be roaming the house anyway because he was getting out of his crib, but the thought that he may fall out while trying to get out scared me more than the roaming. I immediately had my husband install special locks up high on all exterior doors, patio doors, etc.. We also put a special lock on his bedroom window because they are down very low. I would shut his door at night so we installed a chimer on the door and put the speaker in my room so that when he opened his door at night I would immediately know he was on the loose. It did not take him long to learn where I was at night and he would come straight to me most of the time. I also made sure all the extra baths were locked so he was not in there playing in the toilet or something nasty!!

The hardest part about having a baby is when they are no longer a baby :( My son is almost 3 1/2 and there are some days I just wish I could press a pause button or something!
T.

My son started climbing out at 18 mos...scary! So, after the 2nd time, we took the front of the crib off and put up a children's bedrail. That way, it leaves a little space on one end for him to get in/out of the bed (crib) without hurting himself. It is very young (mentally) to understand that he has to stay in his bed. So, we frequently have to put him back in the bed, but it's much better than him climbing out of the high sides of the crib and hurting himself.

Sounds to me like your precious little girl is ready for a big girl bed, simply because it will lower the chances of injury if she gets out before you can get in there to stop her. We set a toddler bed up in my sons room at about 17 months, just to get him use to it and by 18 months he refused the crib. It is scary and sad to think your baby is ready for the next step, but it also means that she is growing up and starting to develop her lil personality (which is when the fun really begins!) I would make the transition.

Let her get in the toddler bed to see how it feels. If she responds well to it, then stick with it. If not keep her in the crib. I have a little sister and she has tried that too. My mom just lowered the mattress on the crib, making it impossible for her to get out.