Bed Rails

I am building up my courage to make the change from cribs to beds. Are bed rails really a necessity? I would think one tumble out of bed would teach them the boundaries. Did anyone not use them and if so how did it go?

 

We've never used them. Mine transitioned a few months before their 3rd bday. We've never had a problem. I think they've each fallen out once, but that's most likely b/c they sleep with too many stuffed animals in their beds!

 

Never used them. With my oldest, I shopped for them, looked around, but none seemed to be perfect, so in the end we didn't use it, and she did just fine (she wasn't even 2 when we put her in a regular twin bed).

 

We did have them for my oldest DD and it gave me peace of mind.

 

We never used them. We bought them and they took too long to assemble and it was already way past bedtime. So we scrapped the idea and just put some pillows on the floor just in case. They have not fallen out of bed yet. They do have full size beds, so that might be why they haven't fallen.

 

Ours went from crib to toddler bed so they didn't use bed rails. The only time we used them was when we were on vacation and they were in a full bed for the first time.

As a side note... Parents magazine has an article this month about 10 safety items you should avoid and bedrails are on the list. They say that kids can get trapped in between the rail and the bed if it shifts.

 

Thank you all! Especially that side note Michelle - I am NOT going to buy bed rails! I would rather have them have a little scare by falling out of bed than get trapped.

 

QUOTE(MichelleS @ Mar 20 2008, 06:25 PM) [snapback]679322[/snapback]
Ours went from crib to toddler bed so they didn't use bed rails. The only time we used them was when we were on vacation and they were in a full bed for the first time.

As a side note... Parents magazine has an article this month about 10 safety items you should avoid and bedrails are on the list. They say that kids can get trapped in between the rail and the bed if it shifts.



When I saw this thread I was going to come in here and post about the Parent's magazine article too, you beat me to it! I would think that you would only need them if you were putting them in twins beds. If they will be in toddler beds then they would be so low to the floor that I don't think the rails would be needed. I do agree with you about learning their boundaries too.

 

We never used them either. The boys each fell out twice on the first night, and never did again.

 

I wouldn't think they'd need them in toddler beds. However, right around the time DD turned 3 she fell out of bed (twin daybed) just the right way and broke her collar bone. Before that, I would have never thought that such a short fall could result in a broken bone but she hit just the right way I guess.

 

I have them for both boys and feel good about it. Josh is the only one who has fallen out of his toddler bed a few times. Its a nightmare to get him back to sleep. So if the bedrail (that has 3 safety features to stay in place!) helps him sleep through the night AMEN. I have one on Zachs side of bed too but he has never needed it yet. I have their twin beds right up against eachother so it looks like one huge king bed! I dont think its a matter of learning like falling down. You are asleep and cant always control your movements.

thats my 5 cents....

 

We went to twin beds and never used them. They each fell out a couple times those first few weeks, but the beds are fairly low and they didn't have too far to fall!!