Crib tent angst

I bought my crib tents when the boys were still infants. I knew that I wanted to keep them in their cribs as long as possible and I wanted them on hand for that fateful day when they started climbing out (plus I got them second hand and that's when they were available).

Anyways, they both started balancing on the rim of the crib on Friday and I've just been crossing my fingers until today when I had a chance to put them on. Trouble is, I kind of feel sick to my stomach. It looks so much like a cage. I know if I have this attitude, they'll hate them too. I've got to change it up quick (bedtime is in an hour). Maybe they'll love them...I don't know...

Oh, the other thing is that they always laugh and play before going to bed (sometimes when they wake up but not usually). They also love throwing their stuffed animals between the cribs and playing together. I'm afraid that I've cut them off from each other. I'm probably being so overdramatic but it does feel like a barrier between them.

Any comments? Anybody else feel this way and it all work out ok?

Thanks

 

I didn't have so many apprehensions about the tents myself, but I was worried that the kids would hate them and that they'd feel cut off from each other. They totally loved them. The tents feel cozy and snug. And they could still talk to each other just as well as before. (Mine never did the animal-throwing -- I guess it will mean an end to that for your kids, but they'll get used to it.) They could even jump up and down, dance, and (when they got a little older) do handstands in their cribs with the tents on.

 

Well, I guess it just depends on what you want. I wanted mine to stay IN the crib and not get hurt. Bea had climbed out and broken a wrist, hence the crib tents for us. I also want bedtime to be peaceful in general, so the side effect of having everything stay in the crib was a bonus for me. That was getting to be a nightly thing - throw everything out and then yell for me to put it back in. Their cribs were not close enough to where they could throw stuff back and forth. To me, they were not "cages", and they loved their tents. They liked getting to zip them and had fun being in them. They could still see each other and would talk, so it didn't cut them off from each other.

If you want them to be able to get out of the cribs, throw things back and forth, then don't have crib tents.

 

So how did it go?

I hope you were able to get over your reservations and 'sell' them to your little ones! I think they definately pick up from the parent if something is fun or scary or awful, etc. Mine love theirs - the fact they had a Dora camping book was a fabulous, unplanned coincidence
Mine are in no way shut off from each other they talk, sing, laugh and tell each other to be quiet :lol: , they also were not close enought to touch or throw each other things so I guess that is an adjustment. I think one of the things they love about them is they actually feel more secure jumping in them becaue they love to bounce against the side of the tent. I hope it went well...but remember, if it didn't and you really want to use them a lot of things take a few days adjustment and then it's like you always did it that way, KWIM?

edit for spelling

 

It went amazing. They didn't even want to come out of their cribs for "huggies" - they just wanted me to keep on zipping it back up. I hope that when the novelty wears off, they are still good with them. The tents I have have side flaps on them and I quickly took them up (will do it more thoroughly tomorrow) so they can see each other still even though they can't pass their toys back and forth which made me feel a lot better. With that curtain between them I felt like I had put them in solitary confinement.

I absolutely do want them to stay in their cribs but I know they can both get down without hurting themselves. They lower themselves with their arms from higher up than that on the climbing apparatus that they play on. But I certainly don't want them running around their room whenever they want.

Lets hope the good news continues. Thanks for all your input.

 

Congrats - best of luck! We've had ours for several months and the boys love them. They like to give kisses and high fives through the mesh fabric when they go to bed. They also love how it feels to smoosh their faces in the fabric (when they are awake). Honestly, I think they think the crib tents are one of the coolest toys they have, and they have slept so much better since we got them!

 

Another fan of tents. My boys have been in them since 23 months and we are transitioning their cribs to toddler beds this week. They already asked if they can have a tent on their new bed...lol.