 | Our son started climbing out of his crib a few weeks ago, too. Gone was the peace of putting him in there and having him fall asleep.
Based on advice from a baby sleep book we have (forget author's full name, but first name is Jodi, think last name begins with "M"), we raised the mattress, kept the rail lowered, and put cushions on the floor. I thought raising the mattress was a little nutty, since it seemed the opposite of what I wanted to do--keep him in there. (The author also suggested a tent you put over a crib, the kind that keeps cats out and zips around, to keep a toddler safely inside his/her crib. We didn't try this, I didn't want to spend $$$ to use it for only a few months.) That was a couple weeks ago and he's mastered the art of climbing gracefully out of and into his crib and so we've removed the cushions and instead put a step stool right outside his crib, against the side rail but near the end, where he holds on to swing a leg over to climb out. (Rubbermaid stepstool, love it, $12 or so, molded plastic, two steps on one side, none on the other side that's a straight up and down 90-degree angle to the floor, so we can put it right up against the crib with no gaps.) We also have a baby gate in his doorway, so he can't come out of his room. We keep a folded up blanket next to a big stuffed bear in the corner of his room, so if he really doesn't want to sleep in his crib, that's okay, he can sleep next to his bear on the floor and we'll move him into his crib when we go to bed later.
Tonight he went to bed no fuss and stayed in his crib. That's a first since he started climbing out.
Oh, I've got to add that my son wears a sleep sack to bed over his pajamas. Keeps him nice and snuggly. Had read that a toddler can't climb out of his crib with it on because he/she can't get a leg up over the rail...don't believe it!!! :)
I hope you find something that works and makes all of you happy.
Kristin |
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