How Do I Transition My Toddler to a Toddler Bed?

I know it's hard, but keep making him get back in bed. Eventually he will get it. Mine kept getting up in the night and finding "new" places to sleep, so every time I heard his door open, I got up and waited for him to poke his head out. Repetition, and keep at it. It's not easy, but it will get easier. My son is 3 and learned how to climb out of his crib before he was 2.

R.
WE WENT THROUGHT THIS SAME THING WITH OUR DAUGHTER A FEW YEARS AGO... THE KEY IS TO BE CONSISTANT. IF YOU WANT TO SWITCH TO A "BIG BOY BED" THEN YOU CAN'T GO BACK. TAKE THE CRIB OUT..HE IS NOT A BABY ANYMORE!! AND I GOT MY DAUGHTER NEW BEDDING WITH HER FAVORITE DORA. (LIKE 20.00 AT WAL-MART) THIS WAS HER SPECIAL BED AND YOU HAVE TO BE EXCITED THE HE IS GETTING SO BIG AND NOW HAS THIS SPECIAL BED THAT ONLY BIG BOYS GET TO SLEEP IN. WHEN HE GETS OUT PUT HIM BACK IN...AS MANY TIMES AS IT TAKES. AFTER A FEW NIGHTS HE WILL STAY.
IF I CAN HELP IN ANY WAY LET ME KOW!!
A.

I know this approach may seem not so right but it has worked with my 5 year old and my 19 month old. I just put them in the bed went through the bedtime ritual told them it was bed time and shut the light off and close the door. At first my 5 year old played but when she got tired she just went to bed. My 19 month old when i did the same thing just sayed on her bed and went to sleep. When they did play however when they tired they got on the bed and went to sleep. Now as long as the door is shut the stay in bed at night time. Nap time my baby sleeps on the floor by her own choice.
~B.

I am so thankful we insisted our toddler stay in her bed. It wasn't easy. But she is now 5 and still stays in her bed once she is in it. (Getting her there is another story!!)

How long do you think it will take him to start doing this at night? It is easier to be firm about this if you think of it as a safety issue.

Basically, if he tries to climb off, you need to be right there to intervene. Be very strict and never give in. Make sure he undertands it's not a game and that you will not waiver. Keep a monitor nearby. They are more likely to stay put if they know you can hear them; when they are in need as well as when they are making an escape!

Or, you can do what my sister did once she grew tired of sleeping outside her son's door... she used a knitted scarf and loosely tied one leg to his crib. The visual reminder was enough for him. (I'm not sure what the long term affect may be, but he's 16 now and seems normal. LOL)

dear R.,

i have transitioned two and am about to start with my two yr old son bc he is has also gotten out a time or two. since none of them want to stay in bed, i have tried either staying in there with them until they fall asleep. this works but after they learn to stay in their bed then you have to wean them from you staying in their room until they fall asleep. what i ended up doing with my daughters is just putting up a mesh gate. that way they were not entirely cut off from me, but still enclosed. after falling asleep in front of the gate a few nights, they realized that they need to stay in bed and gave up getting out. of course i always removed the gate after they were asleep so they could come to me if needed during the night. be prepared for a long tantrum every night, but if you maintain your bedtime routine (bath, books, etc.) just as he had in the crib and make sure he has everything before you put up the gate, then it's just a matter of time and patience. that is the hardest part as you know if you've ever had to let your child cry it out for some reason or another. it may sound cruel,but that is the only way i have been successful at teaching them intangible boundaries. i found it better than locking them in their room. of course you could also include a night light and whatever else you can conjure as a comfort tool. hope this helps, feel free to write back.

sincerely,
K.

I hope you don't think this is awful. This is what we did. We have our set bedtime routine: p.j.'s, brush teeth, and read a book. Kisses and we leave. The trick for us was....put a parent door knob device on the inside of the child's room. He couldn't get out so he would lay down and go to sleep. I'm sure there were tears but it didn't last long. We did this with our son when he was a little over two. We did it until he understood it was time for sleep. Then we took it off. He tests us now and then but, he now understands he is supposed to be in bed asleep. I hope this helps. Good Luck!

Unfortunately, we have experienced the same issue with two children now (my kids are 3 and 2). It is a rough go, but I actually resorted to using a trick I saw on tv. I had to do it consistently for three days and our lives have been so much easier since.

Try sitting on the floor of their room (don't look at them; they should see your profile only). Start out close to the bed, the slowly work your way further away from them. Each time they get out, don't say a word. Just stand up, place them back in bed and go sit down again.

I know it sounds ridiculous but it does work. They get more and more relaxed and eventually cave (after a few tantrums, of course)!

Good luck. Its a few nights with very little sleep but works out great in the long run. My 3 year old was doing it for three months straight before I tried this technique. The moment the 2 year old started doing it, we nipped it in the bud.

I am a big fan of postitive reinforcement. We got our daughter a "chore sticker chart" and every time she was a big girl and stayed in her big girl bed during nap, or bed time, she got a stiker on her chart when she woke up. She loved it! and after about 2 weeks, she forgot about getting the sticker and just stayed in bed by herself.

Don't be discouraged. My son quit wanting to sleep in his crib before he was a year old. I ended up putting a regular matress on the floor, but he wouldn't stay in it either. My husband and I took turns staying in the room until he went to sleep. We didn't lay with him but we put a chair in the room and sat in the chair. If he got up, we put him back with out saying anything. (the less stimulation the better) He is going to be three next mont and FINALLY about 2 months ago he stared staying in hes bed and going to sleep by himself. It was like magic!!! This is not an easy transition but if you try to make it as comfortable for him as possible it will happen.

There's a great book: Healthy Sleep Habits, Happy Baby. There is a section on this. It worked for us with our 2 year old. Do the whole bedtime routine, then say goodnight and leave. If they come out, don't talk to them or make eye contact, and carry them right back to bed. You might have to do this several times the first few nights. After about 3 nights they start to understand that they get no reaction from you and it's not fun anymore! (Smart kids!!) Anyway, I recommend the book...it's great advise for all sleeping issues. Hope this helps! Good luck

My son ended up staying in his crib until two days after his second birthday. Then, all of a sudden, he decided it was time to climb out of his crib. He fell out twice and my husband and I decided it was time to break out the "big boy bed". And, like your son, my son also began to get out of bed and enjoy his newly found freedom. The key is to be consistant. The first time he got out of bed, during nap time, I quickly entered his room, told him no, it was nap time and put him right back to bed. He proceeded to get out of bed about 3-5 times but eventually ended up staying in bed. It took about 2-3 days of constantly putting him back in bed but he soon got the picture. So...be patient and consistant, follow through with any "threat" you put out there, and your son will soon understand that he has to stay in bed. It's a tough road...but it WILL get better! Good luck!

Hi R.,
I have two little girls, one is 8, and one is just about to turn 2. My 8 year old never transitioned to a toddler bed, we just bought her a full size bed that she'll have always. It was easy wit her. We put the best against a wall and bought the rail to go on the other side. We set our rules about getting out of bed, and stuck with them. She did fine. Our two year old however has been a different story as second children often are. I put a gate up in her doorway and I give her about 10-15 minutes to get to sleep. As soon as I leave her room, she gets out of bed and gathers a bunch of toys and takes them back to her bed, gets in and then usually in about 10 minutes or so, she falls asleep. That way we have taken the struggle out of bed time and she just does it in her own time. When she was in her crib we left her a box of toys so when she woke up she could play and not demand attention right away. Perhaps that's why she needs toys in her bed when she falls asleep. Sounds like your son is getting a lot of your attentnion when he gets out of bed all the time. Maybe by putting up a gate and allowing him to take 10 minutes to unwind and get into bed himself he'll stop getting the one on one time with you and start staying in bed. It's hard for those little ones to say goodnight, they are afraid they are going to miss out on something, especially if they have older siblings still awake. Hope this helps, and I hope your evengings get more enjoyable and everyone has good sleep.

When I put my girls in toddler beds I would sit outside their bedroom door with the door cracked and tell them to get back in bed everytime they got out. After a few days they realized that I was going to make them get back in bed everytime so they just stopped getting up and stayed in bed. Every child is different but this worked on all 3 of my girls. It took a lot of patience and time on my part but it was so worth it in the long run.
E. :)

I have three little ones and they have all been different. My first though, I stayed with her a few times, to try to comfort her through the transition, moving closer to the door each night then I got to the point that I just put her in the bed and closed the door, she got out of bed and tried the door, but she couldnt even open the door, so she would go back to bed and go to sleep. Sometimes she would get up and play which I decided was okay, she would end up in her bed asleep or on the floor and I would transfer her to her bed before I went to bed.
My most recent experience is so funny. My little boy hated his crib, he would scream and scream! he never got used to it. I realize that if he was tired and I laid him on my bed he would fall asleep, so at 14 months I just put the crib matress on the floor and he will ussually, but not always, just go to sleep. It is nice when its not a struggle. So, I wish good luck! I hope this helps.