When Will He Stop Getting Out of His Big Boy Bed?

Honey, you aren't doing anything wrong. Boys will be boys. My son is 22 months and he is already in his big boy bed and my daughter was 18 months when she went into hers. First of all, establish and follow a routine. And make sure Dad doesn't decide to play superman or tag with him for about 30-45 minutes before he goes to bed. My son has a little routine that we have had for a while and we rarely deviate from it. I change his diaper, put his pjs on, put on his lotion, he gets in bed and I read his book (the same book every night. For 2 months. I want to let the dog eat it) then he gets his blankie, pacci and his stuffed peep bunnies that he can't sleep without and he lays down I give him a kiss and blow raspberries on his belly and then tell him good night and that is it. He doesn't get out of bed, thankfully. I have never had a problem with my kids getting out of bed. Also, try taking all the toys out of his room or locking them up in his closet so if he does get out of bed, he really can't do anything and just let him tire himself out. Also, if he is taking a nap, what time does he take it? Maybe it is too late and he just isn't tired. Don't worry too much, it has nothing to do with your parenting, just him 1) Being a boy and 2) transitioning. Some kids take longer to transition than others, don't worry and keep cool.

first off remember things take time.

second put a door knob cover on the door so he can't get out.

That is what worked for us, we switched out son at 20 months and up until about 2 weeks ago (he is now 27m) we would just shut the door. He just figured out that if he says in bed we will leave the door open.

J., take heart! You are doing the right thing, not the wrong one, though right now it's tough! Taking him back to bed without much interaction or stimulation is mostly all you can do at this point. It's totally normal for kids to explore this new stage of "I can wander around on my own" for a while -- and be aware that it may be some time before he stays put, but again, it's normal. The key is to be firm and consistent with returning him to bed. Punishments won't necessarily keep him in bed at this point. The idea about a baby gate on his room door is good (if it's a gate he won't try to climb over). One thought: Is he coming to you distressed, as in "I want you, I want to sleep in your bed, I'm scared" etc. or is he just wandering out because he can and it's fun not to sleep? If the former, he may need your extra patience and reassurance like a nightlight, the door left open wider but a gate in place, you checking on him every five minutes then every 10, then every 20...If the latter, he needs returning to bed with loving but firm consistency. Good luck but be aware with some kids this lasts a while.

Where does he go when he gets out of bed? Do you have a baby gate at the door of his room? I don't have a lot of advice as my son for some reason never climbs out of his bed (yay!), but I did put a baby gate at the door of his room to prepare for it. This way he can't come into my room at night, and if he climbs out he only has his own "space" to wander around in. I've read that you can remove most of the toys from the room, leave a few (noiseless)toys and books in there, and then just let him play quietly until he falls asleep. But since this was never an issue for us (knock on wood) I'm not sure how affective it is.

We always leave some books in our son's bed, as well as his Diego/Dora dolls, so he can read quietly to them while he falls asleep. My son and baby daughter share a room, so he's usually pretty good about keeping quiet while "Baby" falls asleep.

GL -- I hope he gets used to his bed soon!