Transitioning to toddler bed...need help!

aforst

I normally post on 12-24, but thought you ladies might have more experience.  I woke up this a.m. to my 18 month old standing next to our bed staring at me.  He can climb out of the crib.  We converted the crib to toddler bed today, but nap time did not go well. He will not stay in the bed.  He will go back to it if we tell him to, but the minute we walk away, he's out destroying his room.  Any suggestions on how to make this work?  We were afraid to leave him in the crib for fear of him climbing out and falling. I understand it may take some time, but DH and I work full time, sleep is needed. Any help would be much appreciated!

TIA!

moroccojade

There is a good article around here encouraging parents to keep their little ones in their cribs till closer to 3.

With that said, we changed at 20 months.  (DH's bright idea.)  It hasn't gone that well.  She ends up in bed with us at some point in the night 99% of the time.  I'm fine with cosleeping/bedsharing, although I'm at the point where I'd prefer to have our bed to ourselves for the most part. (It's not a big bed.)

I wish we would have bought a crib tent and waited several more months to make the transition.   

Jelliebean1982

Our DD really liked having the door open.  I told her if she got out of bed that I'd close the door.  The first night it took about an hour for her to get the idea, but after that she got it and we had no more issues after that.  We also did some role play with one of her babies.  Good luck!

roseroseroseroserose

My friend does what jelliebean does, but with a nightlight instead of an open door.

I would just get a crib tent instead of transitioning at this age/this time.  I would wait til you guys have some time off work b/c it will be tough at first.

brightning

DD moved to a toddler bed at 21 mos. It was really only rough for a week then she was totally fine with it.

DD's room was totally babyproofed, so I put a baby lock on the door so she couldn't get out. We have a video monitor, too, which helped. I did her bedtime routine and then put her in bed. When she got out of her bed, I'd put her back in bed with the exact same routine (fluff the blanket, hug, kiss & goodnight) over and over and over. The first night took 2.5 hours! Each night was less and less, and finally she stopped all together.

The biggest mistake I made was that for the first 3 days I laid down in her bed with her. Totally made the process take longer.

GL!! It really asn't as bad as I thought it would be. (We have a bright nighlight in her bed and plenty of other things to keep her company in bed, which really helped.)

jen5-03

We moved DD to a twin bed at 16mo with few issues. But we also stay with her until she is asleep. She does not get out of bed at night, her room is very dark which I think keeps her in bed when she wakes up. She will get up from a nap.

Emmasmom30

We've used a toddler bed on vacation this month and she's done great in it.  She also sleeps in a queen sized bed at my mother's house and doesn't have any issues with getting out.  But she's also never tried to climb out of her crib either. We're going to put her toddler bed up today because she sleeps in later if she has her bed for some reason.

neverblushed

People commonly seem to think that they HAVE to switch to a toddler bed the first time their child climbs out of the crib.  That's just not true, and in my experience 18 months old is too young to switch out of a crib.

When my son climbed out at around 20 months, we worked to teach him not to climb.  We told him to call for us if he wanted to get out, etc.  He would occasionally still "break out", but he basically learned not to climb out.  He slept in a crib until about 40 months.

I don't really have any "tricks" for you.  I just taught my little one that climbing out was a "no" just like throwing toys in the house and drawing on the walls.

jlw2505

With my 17 month old who we just moved, the 1st hadnful of nights, we stayed in her room until she was close to asleep.  Started out sitting on her bed and whenever she went to sit up, reminded her to lay down and go to sleep.  Moved off the bed but next to it and then further away from the bed, towards the door.  The 3rd night, I put her bed and sat down next to the door.  She sat up once and I told her to go to sleep and she layed down and closed her eyes.  The next night, I put her in bed and left and she was out jsut like in the crib.  I always remind her to stay in bed when I lay her down.  She does get up in the morning but we have her door closed (always have as we don't want our dog in her room) and she can't get the door open so its not an issue.  We have child proofed the room 100%.  She typically gets up and walks over toward the door and stands there for a while and if we don't come she calls for us.  It has been a little over a week and its going great.  I am sure once she can get her door open, I will need to work with her on staying in her room but honestly, I am fine if she is up and playing in there as long as she is quiet and I come get her when its time to be up.  Thew big thing is consistancy and helping her learn and get comfy.  It has taken her a week to get used to covers - we started with no covers but her blanket from the crib and then slowly have gotten her to use her sheet and quilt.  She still doesn't want to use the pillow which is totally fine with me.  She'll use it when she's ready.

RustyGirl3

DD is 2 and half and DH took converted her crib to a toddler bed last week (without telling me) and so far she is doing ok.  She'll get up a few times after we put her to bed and we'll just put her back in and say good night. 

I wanted to do it too...but wait until the weekend so that I could be there for her first night in the bed...DH felt that because she's been climbing out for the last few weeks he didn't want her to fall and get hurt, which I agree.

So we have a bed rail on the edge so she can't fall out and there is a lock on her door in case we need it.