Transition Tips from Crib to Toddler bed...HELP!

I usually sat by the bed and told one bedtime story or read one, and then said it is night time, kissed them goodnight, and left. I would suggest ignoring also.

I am going thorough this right now with my second child, a 22 mo old girl. She would try to get up as soon as I left the room as well. I agree with the consistency and the routine recommendations but I did not agree with the closing the door and letting her play until she falls asleep aspect. I put her down when I knew she was tired and then I sat by her bed in a neutral position (either sit with my head looking down or laying by the bed not looking directly at her)until she fell asleep. If she did get up, I would only say, "Go to sleep" and NO EYE CONTACT. I did this for about the first week so that she did not get into the habit of getting up and playing. Then every few days I moved farther and farther away until I was sitting outside her door and she could see me through the gate. Then I went to walking all the way out of the room and NOT sitting but being close by for the next 5 minutes so in case she noticed I wasn't there, I could show her I was outside her door and tell her to go to sleep.
I know that this method may take a little longer but I feel that it builds a better habit of going to her room to sleep- not play.
It may also help to have the "less accessible" parent (not main caregiver) do this routine since the child may not seek their attention or comfort as much and may settled down to sleep better.
Good luck and I hope this helps!

I went through the same thing with my daughter. She is 2 1/2 now, she was about 22 months old when we had to put her in a toddler bed. At first, it drove me crazy that she wouldn't stay in her bed and I would go back in there and put her in the bed every time she got up. Finally I learned to just leave her alone and if she got up, fine. She would sometimes fall asleep playing with her toys and at times she wouldn't take a nap at all. At least she had her "rest time" though. At night, she would sleep in front of her door. It took a couple of months, but eventually she started putting herself back in bed. Try not to worry about it too much, he'll do it eventually. I hope that helps! :-)

I suggest you put him back in the crib and use a crib tent by TOTS IN MIND its perfect and will give you at least another year in the crib... they just are not mature enough sometimes to sleep in the bed at 22months. my 3.5 year old just graduated to the bed and he will be 4 in november!

WE LOVE THE CRIB TENT!!!
You can order the individual pieces online cheaper than buying a new set just go to www.totsinmind.com I think or googal crib tent and find the tots in mind web site.

HTH
A. J

The Super Nanny technique works like this. Follow the same bedtime routine every night. Bath, brush teeth, book, etc. When it is time to go to sleep, give him a hug & kiss, tell him "good night" or whatever phrase you use. When he gets up the first time, take him back to bed, tuck him in, hug & kiss, goodnight. The second time out of bed take him back to bed, tuck him in, no hugs or kisses, say goodnight. The third time and any after that you return him to bed and say nothing, no hugs, no kisses. This shows him that you won't be "fooled" by his attempts to get up. We used this with my daughter and it worked. She does still try to get up occassionally, but we go right back to the rules. Our son is 17 months old and we will use this technique with him when the time comes - luckily he hasn't learned how to climb out of his crib - yet!

Good luck!

You are right to not want to make a habit of him only going to sleep if you stay in there. When we made the transition with our daughter, we talked to her about how proud she would be of herself in the morning if she stayed in her big girl bed all night. Each morning she would wake up and say "Mommy, I'm so proud!" So this worked for a few months, and then she started coming up with every possible excuse to get out of bed... can't find her milk/stuffed animal, she was afraid of the monster, she couldn't sleep, etc. We were consistent with putting her back in bed every time she got up. There were a couple of nights this went on for 2-3 hours. But within 2 weeks she wasn't getting up at all. Also, we have begun a reward chart, every night she stays in bed, she gets sticker, and when she fills it up, she gets a new book. It's working well so far. The last thing we do is to put up a baby gate in the doorway. This way at least she cannot get up and go all over the house, fall down the stairs, etc. Good luck with your transition! It really does just take consistency and patience!

I guess I am wondering if the baby needed the crib. If not, I would have left him in the crib , lowered the mattress, and left the side down so he could get up easily in the mornings. My 3 1/2 year old grandson is still in his crib and will get a new bed when they move. The baby is in a borrowed crib. I slept in mine until I was four and got a new baby brother.

Other ideas are music on a CD player, a night light and a routine of reading a book before bedtime. You will get a lot of advice from new moms on this, so I won't go any further.
VickieB.

My sister in law also bought the crib tent and loves it. In fact, she just put her son, now two and a half, in a regular bed and she found a tent for it as well. I did not know this existed with my oldest son and it was a hard fought battle (he was only 20 months); if my 9 month old turns out to be a climber too, I will definitely invest in the tent and not fight the battle with him until he's old enough to understand what "stay in your bed" means! Just a thought, since you have your hand full with a baby too!

make a huge deal about this and post and try a sticker chart/calendar and after so many nights of not getting out he can have a prize or a special treat.
good luck...

we recently moved our 22 month old and was fine for a week of so, but then we had the same thing. We put a baby gate on the outside of the door, so if he gets up and opens the door, he just gives up and gets back in bed. We do not go see him when he opens the door, and he always eventually gives up and heads back for bed.

our son was younger when we switched to a toddler bed. He fell asleep the first two nights on the floor we would pick him up and put him in the bed after he was asleep. It only took 2 nights and he never got out of bed or if he did he got back in. Our son was putting himself to sleep before we switched. Good Luck!

Hi Shannon- I had that situation with my son who is know 18. What worked for me is establishing a routine; I first talked to him about being a big boy (but still mommy's baby) and sleeping in a big boy bed now. We usually said a prayer and then I read to him or made up a story. I usually left the door half open and sometimes completely open. I hope this helps.
T.

With my son, we had a baby gate in his door so tht he would not leave his room. We had our bed time routine, tucked him in, and then left. He would come to the door the first few nights and call for us, but soon learned we weren't going to come let him out. He might stay up and play a little, and for a couple of months slept anywhere BUT his bed (his favorite spot was in his toy box, ON TOP of all his toys!, but eventually each nght he put himself back to bed because he knew we would stick to our guns and not come get him out.

The Super Nanny technique works pretty well. We went through that with my son. At first I had to sit in there. I would sit by the door until he fell asleep. Yes it was awhile, but each day I did that I would sit in there less and less. I would leave his door cracked so that he could still hear me. It will take some time you just have to be patient. I was 6 mos. pregnant with my daughter when we started this with my son and it was difficult, but he does great now for the most part. Once they do start staying/sleeping in their bed, they will still get up here and there. We can go for 2 or 3 weeks and he won't get up at all in the middle of the night, and he'll go right to bed with his nighttime routine. Then all of the sudden for the next week he's up every night.
With the routine thing, that's a good idea to start a routine for bed time with him. We do bath, then get pajamas on, then brush teeth, then tell everyone in the house good night. Once I get him in bed we say our bed time prayer, then it's a million kisses and goodnight.
Good luck with this transition. We are working on potty training right now, so I've learned to just be patient.

I had the daunting task of transitioning from our bed into the toddler bed, so I feel your anguish times two! The thing that has worked best for my daughter is letting her know that she can "play" with a few chosen toys in her bed, as long as she stays in it. The toys get taken away if she climbs off the bed. This seems to work and withing a few minutes, she is out like a light. There have been a couple of instances that she will play for 20 to 30 minutes, but it is a more peaceful option than fighting with her to sleep in her room versus kicking Mommy and Daddy all night long, and in most instances, actually takes less time to get her down for a nap or the night. Good luck!

Consistency, consistency, consistency. That is the key and probably follows the Super Nanny technique as well. Take him in his room, follow your routine... book, prayers, etc., give him a kiss goodnight, walk out the room and shut the door. When he gets up you walk him right back in there, lay him down and leave the room again. Do not walk in there and check on him. If you do, he won that battle. If he sleeps on the floor by the door a few times he will soon come to realize that you mean business and the rules are not going to change and he will stay in his bed.

I assure you this will do the trick. I have 5 kids and not one of them fought me at bedtime...for long anyway. Good luck!!

I've been in your shoes!! One thing you can TRY is letting him go to the store & pick out his very own sheets! Like some with his favorite character! Get him really excited about them..but let him know that he has to stay in his bed all night, or the sheets have to come off!

That really works with some! however, my daughter wasn't cured of this until I saw an episode of super nanny! lame, I know! buuut..it WORKED! THe episode had a little boy that was doing the same thing! Nanny Jo.. (is that her name?!) instructed the parents as follows:

first time they get out- love them & tell them it's ok.. but walk(or carry) them right back to their bed, tuck them back in & explain that it's night time & everyone is sleeping..

If they get up again.. simply say "it's night time, it's time to go to sleep" & but him back in his bed..

The third time.. go straight to his bed.. no verbal communication.. just put him in his bed & walk out..

if he continues after that.. don't talk.. just return him to his bed! It may take a night or two, but it worked GREAT with my little girl!

...how funny, just read other's responses & it seems they saw the same episode!!! haha

I am having the same problem with my 2 1/2 year old. What I find that works (saw on nanny 911) is to sit out side the room (Or in the room if you have a rocking chair) and read. My husband plays a hand held game :) But my sons are able to see me and I am not bored out of my mind waiting for them to sleep. The important thing they talked about on the tv show was the firsttime the child gets out of bed you calmly say something like "Now is bedtime and you need to stay in bed and rest" ANd when they try to engage you in conversation you do your best to not respond (this was geared for older kids) then every time they get out after that put them back to bed as calmly and swiftly as you can, without talking. (They've already had their bedtime ritual of hugs, kisses, tickles, stories, drinks... so don't need to do over again). Unfortunately it is kind of like training (I hate to put it this way but it is). The next morning i always point out how happy I am that they slept the whole night in their bed :) Good luck!

Shannon, this can be such a difficult transition. We just recently did this with our 23 mo son. We do this: first we all go into his room with him and have him sit on the bed while we sit beside him but on the floor and read a book or two, then once he seems comfortable and a little snuggled down, we give kisses and say goodnight. We do put a baby gate on the door too, and if he opens the door and stands there yelling, we will go back ONCE and re-tuck him in. After that he usually stays in bed. But if he does get up again and yell for us, we stay in the other room where he cannot see us and calmly reply "Go night night right now, it's night night time. We love you".We have a video monitor, and the first few nights we saw him getting up and playing with cars at night, so we got rid of the night lite. It's no fun playing in the dark! It's been a couple months now, and he always stays in bed now, it's just a transition they have to go through. Good luck to you! Let us know how it goes!

Hi Shannon,
We had the same problem with our little girl when we switched to a toddler bed, but I just put up a baby gate in front of her door that way when she got out of bed, she didn't come running into our room, go downstairs, etc. She cried & screamed the first sev. nights, but I would just reassure her at the door a few times and eventually she would crawl back in bed and fall asleep. She did even fall asleep at the door several times. After about 1 week, she loved her new "big girl bed" b/c we made such a big deal about her sleeping in it and praised her the next morning when she woke up... hope this helps. I def. would not keep falling asleep w/ him, we made that mistake with our 1st daughter and at the age of 5, she is still scared to go to sleep by herself...that's what made me do the "tough love" with child #2... Good luck!!

Hi Shannon:

My son, too, jumped out of his crib at an early age (actually, both my boys did). Just make sure that it is completely safe in his room (all outlets perfectly covered, nothing that can tip over on him, no extra plastic diaper bags, nothing that can stain your walls and furniture, nothing that he can climb up on --- changing table, etc.). Also be sure he can't escape his room. I ended up putting a baby gate on the outside of my 2 year old's door. We have latch door handles and there isn't anything on the market that will keep that door closed.

Just let him get up and explore. Soon enough he will get tired enough to fall asleep. If he falls asleep on the floor, who cares? He'll soon learn that his big boy bed is way more comfy and will make it there.

Just like any other transition, it will take time but he will get used to it and so will you.

I hear my son upstairs running around in his bedroom, but I always find him in bed when I go to get him up!

Oh! We also keep lots of 'friends' in his bed. My, are there a lot of them! We have Pops, Daddy's football, Momma's football, brother's football and baby's football, elmo, Mickey Mouse, puppy, blue puppy, huggy bear, blanket bear, lion, choo choo, and I'm sure a few more that I can't remember right now. He feels very comforted knowing everything is there. He also likes to talk and play with them IN HIS BED.

Good luck!

Shannon,
My sons are all teenagers now but this is what I did with my youngest. I bought a toddler bed and put it in my room, because we had the same problem, he would not sleep in the bed alone in his own room or even with his older brother there, you put the toddler bed in your room, let him sleep in it for a few nights, and then after he feels comfortable, each night you move the bed a little bit (say closer to the door of your room or in the hallway but where he can still see you) then when he feels more comfortable you move the bed a little more towards his room and away from yours. Eventually, the plan is to get the bed into his room with him sleeping in it at night.
this worked for me.
It's worth a shot. It is tough but it is tougher having a child in your bed.
good luck
C.

I think the best way try patting there back and laydown next to them until they fall asleep

I have a two and a half year old and when I changed her over to a big girl bed she did the same thing. I just let her get up. She had to stay in her room though. She fell asleep in the floor a couple of times. Then she would get up and play and when she was tired she went to bed. Now she stays in bed. I would just make her stay in her room. I would not go in or out. I would come from time to time and listen at the door to make sure she was ok. Good luck.