Toddler beds

Is there a sticky somewhere?

We arent there yet – but I just keep looking at their room thinking everything will have to go because they play with the plugs and radio and fan. But they have been using those things to sleep with since pretty much day one. How do you toddler proof their room but also keep it in the environment they are used to?

 

I've trying to figure this out too. I just know that they will be into the dresser but I honestly don't know where I could put it. They also have a cd player that they listen to every night. It can run on batteries but I don't want to spend a fortune changing batteries all the time. (I can just go in and shut it off once they are asleep but sometimes forget) They also have a plug-in night light. I want to go ahead and get them in beds soon but it will have to at least wait until we're done painting the playroom. A bunch of their toys are in the bedroom now...

 

i put in a shelf over their change table & ran extension cords behind the change table to a plug with this cover (all the plugs in their room have that style of cover) & plug in their fan, white noise, lamp & night light on the shelf. i also use the shelf to store their diaper supplies. their dresser is in their closet & we have closet locks. i had to take the bulbs out of the main room light because they were able to reach the switch & turned it on all the time. we also move the diaper pail into the closet before nap & bedtime. the only things they have access to are what we tuck them into bed with (blankets, pillows, loveys & one board book each). it did take a while for them to understand they were better off staying in bed but get there they did - now, it's frustrating sometimes becaue they'll drop a lovey on the floor & instead of getting out of bed to get it themselves, they'll scream bloody murder until DH or i get it for them.

 

Rachel, Where did you buy that cover? On the link you gave, it says they are not offering direct sale, and right under that it says not sold in stores. Did they stop making them? :huh:

 

I found them at Babies'r Us last year... not sure if they're still available or not. We use the outlet covers that slide.

 

i bought them at a local kids store here in Calgary called Kacz Kids - i've also found them at Superstore (but i think they're Canadian only too). they may have stopped making them but i sure hope not! they're really great covers, if a bit pricey. if they have stopped making them, maybe some stores that sell Safety 1st items will have left over stock that they need to get rid of? i think BRU carries Safety 1st.

 

We replaced their regular plug in nightlight, with this nightlight/protective outlet. Other than that, I moved their ceramic piggy banks onto the bottom shelf of their book case, took out any other breakable decorative stuff and replaced it with soft toys and books, took out the diaper cream/powder/and wipes, and then told them that if they play in their clothes drawers they will have to clean it up. Amazingly they listened and they've only pulled out clothes once (with the consequence of cleaning it up).

 

With my DD, the only one in a bed right now, we took apart her changing table and moved it down to the family room. Eventually it can be converted to a night stand and we will do that when she gets old. I have outlet covers in the one outlet that we don't have blocked off. Her window is pretty high, so she can't reach it but the shades we got for both of their rooms have the short plastic string so she cannot even reach that too. Anything that was on her dresser that she could break or injure herself on, we either put in her closet or on one of her shelves that she can't reach. I also went on hands and knees through her room to see if there was anything else we needed to do. Good luck!
Oh and we attached the dresser to the wall too.

 

I moved their dresser in front of one electrical outlet, and then bought covers to put over the other. We moved things off of their dresser that we thought would be hazards, put the cord to the blind up where they couldn't reach it. We put their toybox in their closet where they couldn't get to the toys at night (their closet had sliding doors so they couldn't open them without help). That is really all we did to get ready.

 

Thank you so much for this topic!!!! I've been playing it through my head as well and the taking out the light bulb is genious, thanks Rachel!!!! I'm thinking I'm going to need to put in a shelf that they can't reach.

 

That website had the other outlet covers as well! Thanks!

 

Take everything out but the beds, pad the walls and get yourself stock in a liquor store.

Really though, all kids are different but in my experience it's been best to remove everything I possibly could and then slowly add things back in as they grew.

 

haha!!! that's about what I needed to do!

ours climb the changing table so I had to move it away from the wall with the window and blinds, but not against the wall with the picture hanging there... so it ended up in the middle of the room! UGH!

I also had to make sure all the diapering products, creams & wipes were well out of reach.

And the closet, its just easier for me to have a closet lock on it. I'm always SO amazed at others who say their twins listen... ugh... guess I need to work on that!

anyway, in another thread you'll see that I gave up yesterday and went back to cribs... it was pretty much a disaster, and it shouldn't be that hard... so I'll try beds again later. good luck to you!

 

And don't forget to bolt the closet door so you have somewhere to keep their stuff.

Seriously, I didn't change anything other than locking the closet because I didn't want the mess of them throwing their clothes everywhere. I always thought I would need to make it like a jail cell in there but then I tented them at 15 months when they started climbing out and made the switch to beds at 3 when they were a bit more mature. It wasn't THAT bad. Our biggest issues were staying in bed at bedtime and wandering the house alone in the morning.