How do you keep them in bed?

Our just-turned-two-year-olds are now in toddler beds b/c they started climbing out of the cribs, very unexpectedly. We had considered crib tents prior to that happening, but it happened so quickly that we didn't even have time to look around.
So we converted their cribs and now they are trying to get used to the sudden freedom. We've removed all the drawers from their dresser, we've taken the bookshelf out of their room - they were climbing on every thing, and teaming up w/each other!! It's totally exhausting.

Some days are better than others.

They are doing things our older son never tried. Oh, and now they can open the door...that's new as of two days ago. We just bought the door knob covers, so hopefully that will do the trick.

Goodness! Life is crazy. Any advice would be appreciated.

 

Have you tried duct tape?

We waited until after they turned 3 (used crib tents for almost 2 years...) At this age, they "get" consequence so I told them that big boys are allowed to sleep with their stuffed animals (or whatever toy has their interest that day) and part of being a big boy is staying in bed and going to sleep. They are fully out of diapers so they're allowed to get up to go to the toilet (and believe me, they leverage the heck out of that) but getting up to play with the door or nightlight or climb the dresser or bang the blinds against the window, etc, sends the toys into the locked closet. It works sometimes. Other times it's simply repetition until they collapse from exhaustion (and hopefully before I do). I believe Super Nanny is staged because there is no way two nights of repetition results in young kids going to sleep without goofing around.

 

I'm not sure at that age! I would tell them to stay in bed or you are going to put their cribs back together and buy them crib tents. Then I would go out and buy one (that's returnable) and then put the crib back together as they watch. Put the crib tent on. Then, when it's calm and not time to sleep. Tell them you won't put the cribs back together if they stay in bed. (This is a pretty high maintenance idea, so I don't blame you for ignoring it ) See if that works at all. Be prepared to put the cribs together and put the crib tents on. Follow through if you threaten.

Otherwise, you can sit in the room and w/o speaking put them back in again and again. You can also gate their door way. That way you can get in and out if they open it!

:hug: I can't remember what HSHHC said about this, but I would check it!

 

If they really enjoy their toddler beds, you may want to start a simple sticker chart in their room. They get a sticker everytime you check on them and they are in their bed and after so many stickers they get a reward??? If it's just totally wearing you out and you try various things and it still doesn't work, you may want to consider going back to cribs and get crib tents.

For what it's worth, we also waited for the transition. My girls will be three tomorrow and they just got their beds last week. We really talked up the thought of "big girl beds" for two months and when they got them they were so excited that there was no way they wanted their cribs back. Our transition has been amazingly smooth.

 

I'd go back to the cribs with crib tents. My DD's will be three in March, and just in the past month or two did I feel like they were ready to listen and stay in a bed. We plan on moving them to twin beds when they turn three. They've had crib tents for a long time though.

 

my ds climbed out of his crib a while ago but we went right to crib tents. i had bought two tents months before he crawled out for fear it would happen in the middle of the night. they have done great in there tents and there is no way they are ready for beds yet.

 

I so kno w your PAIN!!! This happened to us inAugust. Exactly how you described it. My girls were 2 yrs 3 months then. I had no choice, it got to be a safety issue leaving them in their cribs.

Here is what i did...
We each take one upstairs put them in bed, turn on their music and close the door halfway. I have a short stool that I sit outside their door. They can still see me. AT first they were getting out, runnin from one side of the house to the other screaming and laughing. The madder I got the mnore they laughed. When this happened I moved my stool into their room and gradually moved it out to the door each night. By the 5th night of this I gave them benadryl and would have given them somthing stronger if i wouldn't have been put in jail for it!!!! I mean literally one would ecscape and before I could catch her to put her back in the other was out the door. I wanted to cry and there were a few nights I did. It also caused some grief between DH and I.

Eventually it got better. When I put them back in their bed I don't say anything, jsut pick them up and lay them back in bed. The time I was up there would range from 20 minutes to 2 hours. They are way better now. I jsut kept telling myself that the time I am putting in this will pay off and it has. It is way better now. I sit on my stool and read until they are asleep. I actually kind of enjoy that little reading time. There are days taht they fall asleep instantly and others that it takes at the most 20 minutes. I have read about 8 books since then!!!

On a downnote...our naps were by far even harder. What i did though was allow for days with no naps. I know...stinky!!! I really miss my nap time, but it is worth it for bedtime sanity for us all and I think it helped them. They probably miss about 1-2 naps a week, never two days in a row though because I think that makes them too tired and causes for sleepless bedtimes. I try to do my no nap days when I am going to be out of the house for a while. That way when I am home ALL Day with them we get a nap.
I hope I have been some help. Please know that you are not alone in this! I would try talking to my friends about it and they jsut didn't get the two baby thing. Hang in there and i promise it will pay off. It has been about 4 months now and things are much better. I think part of it took some acceptance from me also that I have to work at bedtime now, which is something I never had to do.

good luck and let us know how it is going...
jena

 

This is all really interesting...I'm contimplating getting my boys out of their convertable cribs (changing them to the toddler stage) but not because the are crawling/climbing out of it...just because, why not??...should I wait???

some people say to keep them in for as long as possible, but I also know of some kids that at the age of almost 4 were still in their cribs because they felt "safe" in them and it became the hardest thing to get the out - and I also know a 6 year old that is in a bed but with a safety rail because he was in a crib for so long that he still rolls enough to fall out!

is there a specific time or sign I should wait for or should I jsut do it??

 

QUOTE(Utopia122 @ Dec 30 2008, 05:38 AM) [snapback]1125955[/snapback]
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For what it's worth, we also waited for the transition. My girls will be three tomorrow and they just got their beds last week. We really talked up the thought of "big girl beds" for two months and when they got them they were so excited that there was no way they wanted their cribs back. Our transition has been amazingly smooth.


This was exactly why I waited. I thought that it would be easier as they understood more and I could see them responding to consequence lessons. I also initially found the transition smooth... the "honeymoon" lasted about 2 weeks. Then, it was like they realized I wasn't really going to put them back in cribs and the freedom of it all hit them. They're doing better now but it's still not like it was when they were in cribs and would simply go to sleep in 10 minutes. Going to sleep now normally takes 30-60 minutes.

I'm not sure there is an ideal age but I do know this particular stage is SO MUCH HARDER having two in a room because they'll keep each other going when a single child would have given up.

 

We waited until they were 3 as well....and still after about 2 months have no problems (that were different than with cribs).

Yes, we get clowning around at bedtime, but we had that in cribs too!!! Mine have yet to get out of bed after we put them to bed. We stated the 'rules' 1. stayquiet (it is night time) in bed till the light goes on (we have a timer on a light for wake up) 2. you can't get out until mommy or daddy comes in


so far it has worked... and they stay in bed. BUT we sure do have a lot of chatter before they fall asleep. FWIW they still nap in seperate rooms since that was NOT going to work in one room.


KC

 

My two were around 20 months or so when we moved them to toddler beds. I used to put a super yard in front of their cribs to keep them from running around the room. That helped for a little while, then I took it down. For the longest time I'd sit in there and read a book quietly to myself until they would fall asleep, but even then they were staying awake longer or they'd play opossum so that they could get up and run around after I'd leave their room. Then one night I found that one was keeping the other awake by stealing her blankets or pillow. So I separated them into packn'plays into two different rooms. I felt terrible about putting them into packn'plays to sleep but after doing it for a little over a week I then got the spare room cleaned out and moved them into two separate rooms for good. They've been in separate rooms now for about 2 weeks and I've only got to go back there usually once to check on them and make sure they're still in their beds. I also gave them those 'roll n' rhyme' toys that they can play with until they fall asleep. We put them in bed around 9pm and usually by 10 they're asleep. That's way better then what it was on average (usually midnight or 1am) I've still got their pnp's up and they take naps in those. I figure once they completely grow out of the pnp's then they'll probably be done with taking naps too. If they mess around to much or get out of bed at night, I tell them I'll put them in the pnp. I haven't had to get but I would if I had to. It broke my heart to separate them, but it's worked for us so far. Hope I didn't just jinx myself! Good luck and hope you find something that works for you.