Toddler Climbing Out of Crib!

This happened to me when my son was 15 months old and I felt terrible! We bought a toddler bed (and a gate for his room!) immediately and he did just great!

My son did this, though he was a bit older than 1 1/2. We put his crib mattress on the floor in a corner, with a crib rail on the other side. He was pretty excited to try this. The hardest part is keeping them in the bed at this stage. I think I just kept taking him back to his room and even slept on the floor until he got over it. It worked out well, finally, and it was a nice transition to a big boy bed. Good luck!

Hi J.,
My daughter just did this the night before Thanksgiving! She put her leg over the rail and climbed down. When I saw her running down the hall way, I was shocked that she did this. Well, on Thanksgiving day I was at Walmart and I got her a toddler bed. I didn't want to keep going through that and worrying about her. My advice to you is , just get a toddler bed. I feel at two, they are too young for a regular twin bed. Good Luck to you!

If you think your little guy is ready and will adjust to a toddler bed I'd say go for it. I switched my daughter when she was still pretty young because her lil bro was on the way and she has just always been really easy to put to bed even once in a big bed...my son on the other hand stayed in the crib a wee bit longer but even he transitioned fairly easily into his big boy bed. If you don't think it's time yet though, there are some mesh tent like toppers for cribs that work really well. It has a zipper door just like a tent and the whole thing is able to be seen thru because its just a large white mesh fabric. I've seen these be used very successfully. Hope this helps! Good Luck! (and glad the little guy didn't get too hurt from his climbing adventure!)

Hi J.-
I am a mom of 5 soon to be six and had this problem w/ my oldest. I was able to buy a crib tent. It very easily attached to the crib rails and is mesh and worked great for us, I agree that he is still on the young side for a toddler bed, all of mine have stayed in their cribs until 3 and on that birthday they recieved their big/boy bedroom sets which by the way I requested that all of our birthday guest give the child a gift card towards their bedroom. Hope this helps, good luck!!!

My son did the same thing at about the same age. Of course this was 14 years ago when convertible cribs were not as popular as they are now. You have an adventerous young man on your hands. I put the side rail down on his crib to make it easier for him to get out until I could get him into a toddler bed.

Hi J.. I feel your pain. I have 3 (7, 5, 2) but the funny thing is that I never had to deal with this until #3 came along. But he really makes up for the other two's lack of adventure. He turned 2 in September, and by October he was climbing out of his crib. I get the "Bad Parent of the Year" award because one night (before I knew he could do this) he wouldn't go to sleep and I was exhausted. My husband works midnights, so I had to deal with it myself. My solution was to put him in his crib, tell him it was bedtime, and I shut the door while he screamed. I got myself ready for bed, checked on him (still screaming) and fell asleep. I woke up to a thump noise, but was so out of it I thought it was the dog. The next morning my husband came home before I woke up and I got to hear "MATT, WAKE UP, WAKE UP!!!" The thump that I hear was him climbing out of his crib, falling on the floor, and falling asleep on the floor. Needless to say, I kept a much closer eye on him, and actually started to watch him climb out (what a monkey!!). In a week we moved him to the bottom bunk in his brother's room. I've heard of nets that you put over the crib to keep them in, but I figured if he wanted out, he was going to find a way. If he's climbing out, I'd say it's time to consider switching him to a big boy bed, with bed rails and all. You'll probably feel safer in the long run. Hope this helps.

Let the games begin :) Once a toddler starts climbing out of the crib, you may find them climbing out at all times, like naptime and in the middle of the night. If they are getting out at a time you don't want them to, very firmly put them back in their bed and tell them to stay there. Check their diaper first of course, and be prepared, you may have to do this over and over until your child obeys! :) For example, my youngest daughter (age 22 months) has been climbing out of the crib for awhile now. She does climb down onto a toy chest/basket. However, when I lay her down for her nap, she generally falls asleep and then just gets up when she wakes up. As for moving to a bed, that may create more trouble, because some toddlers are really attached to their crib and feel secure in it. With my first child, I tried moving him out of his crib to make room for another baby. We finally just got another crib and put him back in it :) I have five children, by the way, and they all followed the same pattern. You do, however, want to watch out for safty, are bathroom doors shut, etc. Like I said, sometimes they'll get up and you may not know it right away. :) Good Luck!!

hi! How scary for you two, but I smiled as I read it (knowing he's ok) because I think that happens to almost all curious little critters ONCE! I guess that's my thought. It happened once and he probably learned a pretty remarkable lesson! Im not a better, but if I were, I would bet he wouldn't do that again! It hurt! Better stay put! I did like sticking to my guns as far as having my little one in the crib- we did it until she was 2.5 years- because at that time she could developmentally understand "stay in your bed" and that made way fewer bedtime/naptime battles. Once she was into a big girl bed she was used to the limitations of a crib for sleepy time, and she stayed in her bed at our requests- which was heaven. She went through one or two short phases of not liking the crib, but overall found it very cozy and snuggled right up and has always been a great sleepr. i was so glad we stuck it out. Im planning on doing that with baby#2 also. Good luck! :)PS: have you given any thought to a monitor that you can watch? we never had one with my first, but I know some people now who love them.

We bought a crib tent for my son because he was not ready to transition to a bed. They are about $70 and they sell them at Babies R Us. Worth every penny.

Babies r us sells a domed mesh netting that attaches to the top of his crib. My sister had recommended it to me 5 yrs ago when my 1 yr old fell on his head too. Her twins did the same thing at age 1 also. They are still too small for a toddler bed, and can wander the house and get into so many dangerous situations. Watch out though, our child figured out how to open the zipper from the inside so we fashioned a shoe lace to the zipper, and the netting below his reach. We double knotted the lace, and kept a blunt nosed pair of scissors on his bureau in case of emergency. In a panic situation we were worried we would not be able to get the knot out, so we could cut the lace quickly if needed. We used to jokingly say he was in his cage at night, but it was essential for his safety and our peace of mind. He actually liked the top and we pretended he was camping. Good luck!

Hi J.! We had the exact same situation about two weeks ago. My 25 month old was in her crib and I heard her stirring from her nap so I went upstairs to straighten up our room while I waited for her to fully wake up. I was in our bathroom brushing my teeth when she walked in and said, "Hi, Mommy!"

Yes, she had figured out how to climb out of her crib. Not only that, but she had the sense to walk to the door, let herself out of her room, and come looking for me! After I finished choking on my toothpaste, I took her back to her room, put her back in her crib and asked her to show me how she climbed out. She got halfway out, looked at me, and must have realized that she was being set up because she climbed back in and said, "I don't know Mommy, I just got out."

Like you, I panicked and assumed that she would be doing this every time we put her in bed and eventually she would fall and break her neck. I was ready to convert the crib to a toddler bed and everything, but she hasn't done it since. I think she was just playing around and fell out and didn't know what to do, so she came to find me.

I'd wait to see if your little one does it again and if not, chalk it up to a one time thing. If he does do it again and it becomes a regular thing (which is both annoying and potentially dangerous), break out the toddler bed. Good Luck!

My daughter climbed out at 17 months even after crib adjustments. Our pediatrician said the safest thing to do if they keep doing it (for some kids it's a one time thing) is to get a bed. We did a toddler bed, got to still use the mattress and bedding. It took some getting used to, but I wasn't worried about her falling or getting tangled in a crib tent. You can also just put crib mattress on floor, push it up against a wall if you can't get a bed right away.

Hi J.,

We transitioned my son from a crib to toddler bed just before he turned 2 and he did great. He transitioned all at once - but I have friends who did it gradually - doing naps first and then nighttime.

While it may seem early for your son to move into a big-boy bed at 1.5 - it is probably time. Once they climb out of the crib once, most experts will tell you to move them into a toddler bed with a rail.

Good luck!

J.

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It does seem a little young to move him into a different bed, but if he's a big boy and climbing out, I would definitely move him. First, just make sure that he doesn't have anything in his crib that is helping him climb out....bumpers, stuffed animals, etc. But if this is just him climbing out with no assistance I would definitely say it's time for him to move before he hurts himself!

I'm sorry to hear he fell!
I kept my oldest in a crib until three-he was big for it but loved his own 'little world' As for keeping them in, he would climb out all the time and join me in bed and until morning sometimes I wouldn't even know he was with me, though his crib was at the foot of our bed so he just slipped over onto the bed.
They have things called crib tents that go over the crib and keep your LO in and until he learns how to use the zipper I think that would help? Or some cribs have it so you can turn them into a day bed by getting rid of the rails and if he doesn't roll around much I'd think that would do the trick?
Hope some of this helped!

I think you should move him. Now that he has figured out he can do it, he WILL keep doing it and eventually he will hurt himself. It will not be easy to move him into a toddler bed. At an early age it is hard to reason with them, but both mine were in toddler beds before 2. Here is how I did it. I explained to my children that they were ready for their "big boy" bed and ready to move out of the "baby" crib. They do not like being called babies anymore. I then tell them that sleeping in a big boy bed means they CAN NOT get out of bed for any reason. I tell them if they need something, they MUST call for me first. I left the monitor in their room, and you must run to their First call to show them that you will indeed be ther for them when you are needed. I left the crib in the room for about two weeks to a month. They WILL test you and try to get out of bed and run around. When they do this you remind them of the rules and place them in the crib for 1 to 2 minutes. They will cry and hate it. Tell them if they stay in bed they can sleep back in the "big boy" bed again, and put them back in the toddler bed. If you stick to your guns and do it just like this, you will have no problem getting them into a toddler bed. After a few weeks you can remove the crib from the bedroom all together and just "threaten" to bring it back if they get out of bed. It worked really well for my 2, I hope it goes well for you too. Good luck.

If you are not ready to get out of the crib yet they have crib tents. They are a little pricey but they keep cats out! and kids in! My first one was in a bed at 1 year because of climbing I had the crib tent for the other two to keep the cats out and it worked well keeping them in! Good luck!

I had the same problem. I have twins and my daugter first climbed out of her crib at 16 months. I could not beleive it. I actually caught her in the act and saw that she used her teddy bear and doll to give her a little more height. So I removed eveything from her crib. She stopped for awhile but it began again. This time she was teaching my son how to get out so I had two of them doing it. I was afraid she would injure her neck which just had recent surgery so I put both of my twins in toddler beds with rails at 18 months. They both now sleep in ful1 beds. I put them in the full beds at 22 months. I have not had any problems since then. C. D.

Yes, if he's crawling out you need to switch him to a bed. The crib is too dangerous now that he knows how to crawl over the rails.

One of my friends child did that and she wasn't ready to put him in a toddler bed. So she got a screened canopy for the bed that has a zipper. So he is safe and stays inside.

Hello J.,

We were in the similiar situation a couple months back. Depending on what kind of crib you have, what we did with ours is. The front of the crib, is shorter than the back, so we turned the crib around. The front (shorter side) is now against the wall and the back is what you look at. It's not as pretty as it was, but it's working for now. Another suggestion is, my friend actually put an air mattress on the floor in front of the crib, so if her son climbed out, he would end up on the air mattress rather than the floor.

Knowing my child, if we put him in a toddler bed, he would be up and around rather than sleeping...hence we went with the option we did. It's buying us some time.

Hopefully you'll get valuable information and be able to find a solution that works for your family.

K.

Congrats J.....it's time for a toddler or twin bed! The rule of thumb that I was always given is when they start or succeed in the climbing out thing it's time to change. Good luck & best wishes!!

My son did this and had the tile grooves imprinted on his forehead for a week. Ouch! for him, panic for us. We knew nothing was going to stop him from climbing out, so we taught him how to do it safely. His room was safe for him to play in when he got out. We eventually got him a twin bed. We didn't see the point in the toddler beds, just one more expense. The bed was against one wall and we used a bed rail so he didn't roll out.

Good luck! Have Fun,
B.

Hi J., I think you're right, it's time for a toddler bed, but keep some soft toys in it to keep him occupied for a little while when he first wakes up! A. D

Hi J.- My oldest daughter did the same thing at 17 months. It was really scary so we put her in a bed the following night. We have a twin with a trundle so we pulled the trundle out and put her to sleep on the regular bed. She never fell out of the bed so after a couple of nights we quit pulling the trundle out. She did really well. Kids adapt better then we give them credit for. Good luck with your little one I hope the transition is as easy for you.

What about a mattress on the floor? Then falling out of bed isn't an issue.

I think the move depends on the kid and the situation. I think it is generally recommended that when a child climbs out of a crib, it is time to move them out. For some kids that can be close to a year and for others it might not happen ever. My oldest was in a crib until she was 3 and she loved it. We only moved her out because she had potty trained during the day and we figured that she needed access to the bathroom if necessary at night. My middle child moved out at about 27 months because of a new sibling coming along. But neither of mine EVER climbed out.

I have friends that had to move their children much early. If I'm remembering correctly the one was about 18 months. They put her in a toddler bed and she was fine. Just make sure the room is baby proofed and accept that they may get up and play and fall asleep in some strange spot on the floor. Eventually they will realize the bed is more comfortable and sleep on it - or maybe they will decide the floor is the most comfortable - either way isn't a big deal if they sleep. When we moved my son, we put a gate on his door and at the top of the steps so he couldn't wander out of his room.

One friend made extra holes in the crib to make an extra low setting. That was NOT a good idea. The little girl wiggled her way UNDER the rail and got stuck at her neck. They had to kick the rail off the crib breaking it to free her. I have seen the crib nets, but don't know anyone that used those - that might be an option.

I am a mother of 2 adult daughters & 3 grandchildren. I am speaking from my own experiences. Chances are he won't stay in his crib now...he will keep climbing out. You should consider getting a toddler bed or a twin bed with side rails for him so he doesn't get hurt.

Hi J.,
I have a 22month old little girl and about 3months ago she started climbing out of her crib also. We have the sley crib where the back is taller so we just moved the crib around. Befor that though,I was looking into a tent. It's all mesh, and attaches to the crib. It's high enough for the child to stand up with plenty of head room. I only did research on the net so I cant really give any more info. Look on babycenter.com or babiesrus.com, they should have something like it. Good Luck!! Hope I helped a bit.

D.

My daughter 1st climbed out of the crib at 12 months, yes, 12 months. We were freaked. My mother gave us the advice to embrace it since she wasn't going to unlearn her new move and I wasn't willing to chicken wire the top of her crib closed. Obviously my daughter was too little for a big bed, so we lowered the side of the crib as much as we could and put a chair against the bed(we put a dresser on the other side of the chair so it was snug and couldn't be tipped) so that now she could get out safely. While we spent a while putting her back in bed(repeatedly) until she learned to stay in bed there wasn't the crash/injury concern.

t.

Toddler bed with a side rail. Put the rail at the head of the bed and position a step stool and the bottom so he can climb out safely.

Hi, my daughter just turned two yesterday. She's climbed out of the crib a couple of times and I got her one of those crib tents. They work great and she can't get out. After a couple of nights she realized it and stopped trying and sleeps well again. We have the "Crib Tent II". You can find it at Babies R US and I think Target. Good luck!

We had the exact same thing happen to our youngest son at the same age. First and foremost...safety trumps everything else!! He shouldn't be in a crib AT ALL is he is able to fall on his head out of it. Our crib fortunately turned into a toddler bed so we did that and then we put a safety door thing on the inside of his room so that he could not escape and get into even more danger. My oldest son never tried to get out of his crib...ever! When my youngest son did it we were unprepared and didn't have plan B in mind. It was difficult for us at first to keep him contained in his room but like I said...safety is your primary concern!!

That is scary. He's a really good climber :-) I moved all of mine into toddler beds when they were 18m to 2years old and they did fine. You can even put a comforter beside it if you're worrying about him rolling out. You'll just need to train him to stay in bed, which can be harder when they are younger, but I did it with mine, so you can do it with him. :-)

J.,
I agree with just about everyone else. Even if it seems like he is too young, he's ready. I also agree that toddler beds are safer than cribs at this point. They are low to the ground. You can buy rails, but I never did. My son fell out once, but he was so low to the floor he didn't even get hurt. As a matter of fact he just stayed on the floor and slept. Boys are natural climbers. I would recommend checking around his room to make sure it is as baby proof as you can get it. Make sure there are no cords hanging anywhere that he could get tangled in. (Like lamps) And do yourself a favor, don't put anything you think he will want up high where he can't reach it. He may seem small, but it's unbelievable what they can do and they are smart. Keep favorite things very low, like on a low shelf or the floor.

J.,
Here is a link I think will ease your mind. I wish I know about this when my daughter was a baby. I hope this helps. Let me know.

http://www.walmart.com/catalog/product.do?product_id=4726174

Debbie

You didn't say how old your little boy is? My friend's son did the same thing when he was about 1 1/2. She wasn't ready to put him in a toddler bed yet, either, so she bought a tent to go over the crib. They sell them especially for that purpose. It works very well. He's 2 now and still in the crib.

If your crib has rails that can go up and down, try keeping the rail lower while he's in the crib, he will still climb out but won't have a hard time with it. I folded a comforter also and kept it on the floor for a while until my little guy got the hang of it.

I'd say he is ready for a new bed. If you have a convertable crib and can turn it into a toddler bed you may want to do that or just move him to a twin bed, why waste money on a toddler bed. My oldest is 2 yrs old and we moved him to a twin bed around 19-20 months and he does fine in a regular bed. (we needed the crib for our new baby).

Hello. My son crawled out of his crib around 18 or 19 monthes. We immeadiately converted his crib to a toddler bed, but for us, it was a mistake. He kept falling out of the bed, even with a rail up. he would then crawl in bed with us, which made for a very sleepless night. We bought a crib tent. My brother uses one with my nephew, and I thought it was an awful thing to do, but I have totally changed my mind about it. I know that he is safe, and he is again sleeping through the night. They are available at Babies are us, but are a little pricey, about $70. It was easy to install, and I think it was worth every penny. Good luck!

K.

my thoughts are if hes big enough to climb out you need to put him in a toddler bed or a twin for safety reasons you don't want him falling that far. he will adjust to a big boy just fine at this age.

If he is climbing out of the crib, I think he is definitely ready for a "big boy bed". I recommend going straight to the twin bed. Toddler beds are an unnecessary expense. Use bed rails until he is old enough to not fall out of bed.

My son was between 12 and 13 months when he went to a toddler bed. He was doing the same thing. My thought was, "if he's going to fall, I'd rather him fall from an 8 inch toddler bed, then off of the crib rail. I suggest a toddler bed.

I was just answering a similar message for another mom. We ended up moving my now 3 year old son to a big boy bed at about 15 months of age. We had just found out I was pregnant and didn't want him to associate the move with the new baby. (Unfortunately, I had a miscarriage but have since had another son now 6 months). It was a really great decision. We followed the advice of a friend who is a Professor who teaches child development at a local university. She put her own children on a single mattress on the floor instead of a toddler bed. It meant less of a transition in the long run. If they roll off the bed, they only fall 6-12 inches depending on the type of mattress you buy. That way you also don't have to worry about him falling if he jumps on the mattress.

I know friends who have done this too. In the case of their child wandering through the house at night, they use a gate in the bedroom doorway. This way the whole room is the crib. Don't forget to put in the safety gaurds for the electrical outlets as well.

Hope this helps. Good luck.