So I have a two year old who's a big kid! He sleeps just fine in his crib, so we haven't been thinking about a big kid bed for him yet. But my problem lies in sleeping at my parents' home. We usually have him sleeping in the pack n play, but he's getting too big for it. We've been thinking of getting the bed rails for a bed at their house, but how do we get him to stay in the bed? I can totally picture him climbing out and running around! I just don't know what to do... any suggestions?

I have twins...they will be two in Sept.....

one will stay in his crib...the other wont. The escape from Alcatraz baby....has been literally throwing himself OUT of it for months....but has finally mastered his way out with ease....and has taken over his 6 yr old brothers bed(they share a room)....I mean the master of escape has seriously kicked this kid OUT of his own bed!!! I finally had to cave and set up a toddler bed....this is fun during the day...but at night he gets back in the 6 yr olds bed.....at first he was getting up playing and trying to get him to play too......but it had to stop because he was ...Im not kidding tearing up books and shoving the paper up his nose!!!!!!!!....Our oldest (14) has gone to visit grandparents for the summer...so I moved out the 6 yr old into the 14 yr olds room....so the mighty escapee is all alone!! ...its hard...VERY VERY hard!!! We have found him asleep in the laundry basket....the closet....and yes even under the bed....I had to remove EVERY TOY...EVERY SHELF....and obviously EVERY book!! I also took the bed off the rail and frame...so that it was only box spring and matress. ....he does definitely get out of the bed...and I dont trust to shut the door...so I gated the door way and after he gets out stands at the gate and tries to call out everyone in the house....he finally gives up and goes back into the bed....I put a rail on the 6yr olds bed....had to he kept rolling off....I would lay a pillow next tp him to keep him from rolling that way....put he would move it to under his head and would be resting his head on 3 pillows!!!!

I consider Mommie Dearest's way...of strapping his rear to the bed...but figured Id pay for that in therapy later....

I tried moving the other one to a toddler bed ...just to see if he would...he wont...he LOVES the security of his crib!!



is yours too big for the pack n play because of length...or because he gets out? ......Im sorry I wasnt much help....but at leats you dont have an escapee!!! (yet )

I used bed rails in our own home when transitioning to a regular bed. My kids never tried to get out. It was so funny! They would wake up and yell "Mommy!" and actually sit there and wait for me to come and pick them up! So escaping was never an issue, which always amazed me...and I have 6 kids who ALL did this! I actually had to TEACH them to get out of bed by themselves. So maybe it won't be a problem for you either!

I just posted a thread very similar to this one called getting a child to sleep. I moved my son in to a big bed when he was two. Not a problem for the first six months, its only now I'm needing the tricks to keep him in bed now he has realised he can get out. My heart goes out to you Twinsy - but I can't help wondering if this child is anything like you as a child....just kidding!

My son turned two in April. He has been sleeping in a regular twin size bed with a rail since the beginning of this year. We put it up in his room and left his crib in there so he would get accustomed to it before we took his crib down. Well, as soon as his bed went up, he wanted nothing to do with his crib. He did the same thing lotsoftots kids did (yelling for me or his dad to get him out) until he figured out how to climb out on his own. I thought it was all downhill from there but he actually does really well staying in bed. He knows when he's ready for bed and he goes down very easily. Nap times are sometimes difficult but he usually stays in there, for now anyway. He did get up once though and all I could do was laugh. He really didn't want to take a nap so he climbed out of bed, came out of his room, closed the door behind him and when he saw me he just said "No".

My son is extremely independent and stubborn so I really expected the getting out of bed thing too but he surprised me. I guess it would depend on how your son handles bedtime now in his crib. Does he fight going to bed in the crib or do you ever have to let him settle himself down after you put him in the crib?

OMG twins...I am now frightened for July when my son turns 2. I almost want to frame your response and it to all my friends. You had me rolling!

I guess I should redo his room PRIOR to the Thomas tank bed coming in.

Thanks for the insight. Most of all that's for the laugh included!

Well, my son is too long for the pack n play... he hasn't figured out how to climb out of it or his crib yet. He is also very stubborn and very strong. Some nights he goes to sleep in his crib right away and other nights you can hear him talking or singing in his crib for like 30 minutes. The only thing is, we aren't getting him ready for a big bed here at home, but what do we do when he goes to stay with my parents?

Yep, Twinsy's little one has been playing his escape games for awhile now I remember a couple months ago helping her to look for solutions...I think the only thing I found that can keep them in is that net tent thingy that latches to the playpen so they can't get out, but if your child knows how to tip the playpen over I'm not sure it will work very well.

Mine is going to be 2 in August & I can't imagine what I would do if he got out of his crib!!! I'm hoping he will stay in it for awhile because his naps & bed time are the only peace I have!!!

TWINSY--
MOMMIE DEAREST IS A BIG NO NO-UNDERSTAND
YOUR SON IS CRACKING ME UP & REMINDS ME OF MY SON--HE JUST REFUSED OR CLIMBED OUT, THEN CLIMBED OFF THE TODDLER BED, ETC.


MYMICHELLE-
GRANDMA SLEEPS WITH MY 5 YR OLD IN A QUEEN SIZE BED ALL THE TIME (& SHE HAS A TWIN BED AT HOME, HAD TODDLER BED FIRST)

MY GUESS IS THAT IF YOU MAKE A REALLY BIG DEAL OUT OF BEING A BIG BOY & GETTING A BED FOR GRANDMA'S, THEN YOU MIGHT SHOULD JUST GO AHEAD & GET ONE FOR HOME & MAKE THE CHANGE ALL AT ONE TIME--NEW BIG BOY BED FOR HIS ROOM AT GRANDMA'S & HIS ROOM AT HOME (I SAID HIS ROOM AT GRANDMA'S B/C MY LITTLE GIRL HAS NAMED HER AUNT'S OLD ROOM HER'S & IS NOT HAPPY WHEN HER AUNT COMES HOME TO VISIT & SLEEPS IN IT)

IF YOU'RE NOT READY TO HAVE HIM OUT OF HIS CRIB AT HOME, SOMETIMES A TODDLER BED TAKES PATIENCE & MOST OF THE TIME GRANDMAS & PAPA HAVE MORE THAN THE MOMS & DADS


GOOD LUCK

Hee hee...that's what I thought of when I just looked up the playpen tent again...I kept thinking hmmm.... Twinsy's little one could get out of that in 5 seconds flat!!!

God bless you Twins!!!

ok...IM NOT THAT mean!!!.....it was a very sad story...I shouldnt joke about it so i dont offend anyone...sorry if I did.


the 14 yr old will have a bed... .....he is gone until the end of July....then the 4 and 6 yr old will be gone all of July also....so Im hoping by the time they ALL get back....Alcatraz will be adjutsed to sleeping and STAYING in his bed.....but her is learning inthe 6 yr olds bed...so i will have to get him a new one.... , or then the 6yr old wont have a bed!!! ...WAY TOO MANY KIDS!!...maybe I should put them all on the floor!

[quote="mymichelle04"] He is also very stubborn and very strong. Some nights he goes to sleep in his crib right away and other nights you can hear him talking or singing in his crib for like 30 minutes. quote]

Bed time at night is the only time my son doesn't fight me. On the rare occassion that he does give me a hard time at bedtime, I know it's because he truly isn't ready for bed so I either lay down with him for a few minutes or let him get up and we'll read to him for a bit, just to get him settled down. The timing of his naps is a big factor in his actual bed time. He's ready for bed by 9:00 - 9:15 as long as he wakes up no later than 3:00 in the afternoon.

I agree with daltonam about getting him a big boy bed for home too. He may very well surprise you and go to bed easier and stay in there. It took my son a little while to figure out how to get out on his own. But only you know if you and your son are ready for that step. I was kind of sad when my son moved to his big bed, sad and proud all at the same time. I've been an emotional wreck since I became a mother...

ge978 - I am so with you on the peace and quiet of bedtime!!

When it came time for my daughter to get out of her crib and get into a big girl bed, she was soooo excited. Until bedtime that is. SHE DIDN'T SLEEP IN IT FOR ABOUT 1 YEAR. She preferred to sleep with her brother in his twin bed. They slept feet to feet. Then one day she decided she needed to be in her own bed and that was that. You need to know my little darling. She's one odd duck.

I think that having a gate for the door at grandma's house is the best thing you can do. As you said, having a bed with rails won't keep him confined, so just be sure the room that he is sleeping in is completely toddler-proofed so if he gets up and wanders around the room you won't have any problems. But if going to grandma and grandpa's house for you is anything like it is for me, no matter how baby proofed they think they are, there are NOT! My mom is so funny. All of the outlets have outlet covers in them, the stairs are blocked with gates . . . but she'll be cooking and leave a kitchen knife dangling off the edge of the counter. And she has a zillion breakable knick knacks. So, having a gate to keep your child confined to the one bedroom really is the best way to go. Good luck!

Don't know what to tell you about Gram's house - my kids didn't sleep over there until they were 5 and 3 - All that time I missed!! But when we went to make the transition at home, we did it in steps. We'd read together on the rocking chair and sit with him until he'd fall asleep, then I'd put him in his bed. Did that for about a week. Then he laid in bed while we read to him and sat with him until he fell asleep. Did that for about a week. Then we would read to him and would leave the room before he fell asleep. We told him we'd check on him and he stayed in bed and would eventually fall asleep on his own.

I had it pretty easy with him!! Fortunately with my daughter, since we already had a routine going, she just kind of joined in when it was time for her to get a regular bed.

I know that doesn't help for sleepovers, but when it's time at home - get them in a routine. That has made such a difference for us. Now, when my kids are with my mom, they sleep on one of those blow-up mattresses.