Miss_G Posted June 24, 2011 Share Posted June 24, 2011 My son is 22-months-old and has been sleeping mostly in a travel cot for the last 9 months after splitting from his father. It goes almost to the ground mattress-wise. He was put to bed in his cot last week as usual and I went downstairs to tidy up. The bedroom door is left a jar because he doesn't like to be completely 'shut in'. I could hear the usual shuffles as he settles and then suddenly a voice shouted "Mumma!" I ran upstairs to be met by LO who was stood on the landing!! I scowered my room (he stays with me whilst his bedroom is being decorated) and decided that the only way he could get out was using my bed/duvet. I moved him away from my bed, bought a safety gate for the door and that was that...until last night! I went upstairs and there he was, stood in the door way (behind the safety gate!), waving at me!! He did go to sleep in his cot when I sat and watched him. I caught him climbing out of the cot this morning finally and discovered that he is doing it without the use of the bed, just be sheer strength! I have two problems with him climbing out. 1) His bedroom will not be ready for a number of weeks and therefore no big boy bed is available until then. 2) I have put into place a wonderful bedtime routine which took a lot of effort. He has a story and goes to sleep in his cot alone. I do not enter the room until he's asleep. I don't want to have to get him in bed with me or keep going in to him as this will undo my hard work! Can anyone think of any ideas that might keep him contained! I am baby-proofing even more so the bedroom so that if he gets out he won't be able to harm himself. He now has a gate on his door and so shouldn't be able to get out! My only idea is to leave him to get out and mooch around the bedroom. One good thing is that, using my bed, he can get back IN the cot after he has gotten out! Link to post Share on other sites
sb129 Posted June 27, 2011 Share Posted June 27, 2011 Ah Miss G, I think its time for a big boy bed! If he is in a single bed you can tuck him in really tight and he might not be able to get out. Travel cots are hard to tuck them in tight. All the recommendations I have heard is that its time for a big bed when they can climb out of the cot. We have a gate on the door and have used zip up baby sleeping bags like this one so my 21mth old wouldn't be able to get her leg over the cot even if she tried to. They are quite expensive to be buying so close to the time they are going to a big bed anyway though, we have had ours since she was tiny. Your bedtime routine should still be the same whether he is in a cot or a bed, in fact it will help the transition because you have such a good one. this is quite a good article... good luck! Link to post Share on other sites
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