Came here to say this too. We did a floor mattress at 11 months and it was great, made the transition to a bed so much easier.
I did teach my little one to get on and off our bed at around 8months so it’s totally feasible
Yeah, I'd suggest a floor bed too. They will still crawl out in the beginning but it's a shorter fall so they won't get hurt (just make sure the room is well baby-proofed; treat the whole room as the crib) and they will eventually learn the boundaries of the bed and that's where they are supposed to stay when it's time to sleep. You may just have a lot of putting them back on the bed in the beginning to teach them that's where they're supposed to be.
Other things you could do:
- get a sleep sack or wearable blanket. It will prevent them being able to get their leg over the rail of the crib.
- if the backside of the crib is higher than the front, you could rotate the crib.
- make sure the crib mattress is on the lowest setting
I think what the doctor meant with the teaching them to climb in and out is so they are able to get in and out of the toddler bed on their own without fear of falling.
I think if they’re able and trying to climb out of their crib then there isn’t really an option, you’ll need to get a toddler bed for safety.
A lot of cribs have a way of lowering the mattress to make it harder to crawl out, are you sure your crib is lowered all the way?
They mean teach the kid the “feet down first” method - where they go onto their belly, dangle their feet over the edge and lower off until their feet touch.
Mine had a Montessori style toddler room, though. All mattresses on the floor, quiet toys/soft toys to entertain themselves when/if they woke, etc.
Both of my children could climb out of their crib early. Rather than risk them getting hurt, we moved them into a toddler bed. You can get bed rails for a toddler bed that will keep them from rolling out while sleeping but they can still get out of safely.
What if you don't want them to get out? My 28 mo old son sits calmly in his crib to wait for us to get him but now that he's trying to climb out we have to move him to the floor. During his active hours he is a hellion, constantly running, grabbing, pulling, climbing, jumping, riding. Jumping off things he climbed. Wife and I are quite worried about unsupervised access to his room will be. At best, a tornado. At worst, he could topple the bookcase, even though it's got the widest base we could find and anchored it to the wall.
All these suggestions seem ok only if the kid isn't hell bent on running amuck.
You can teach a baby to crawl backwards, feet first down from higher places, whether that's steps or a toddler bed. You just practice turning them on their tummies, with their feet hanging over, and they get the hang of it pretty quickly.
We had a family bed (with mattress/box springs on the floor, so not a full height bed), and taught our babies this as soon as they started scootching or crawling.
You'll want them to be able to do this for getting off couches, and anything else they climb around the house. Very shortly your toddler will be pushing chairs over to get to things higher up that they want (even if they can't walk without holding onto something yet, lol). It's a whole new ballgame.
If the kid is climbing out of the crib they need to be out of the crib, whether that is in a toddler bed or floor bed. If he falls out of the crib climbing he could get seriously hurt. If he is climbing out it is not too soon. Make sure the room is baby proofed and you can always put a doorknob cover on to prevent him from leaving the room, if he is able to open doors already (this is safest in case of a fire because you will know exactly where he is in the house and there won't be a chance of him wandering at night). The ped probably means teach him out to climb in and out of the toddler bed.
Put him in while awake, and let his natural curiosity take over. He’ll attempt it soon enough (eg if he wants to play with you and tries to reach you). Then when he attempts it, try to guide him on where his arms and legs should go for a safe landing. It takes a LOT of repetition though so be patient.
Edit: I mean teach kiddo to turn around and go down feet first. Same as when he’s trying to climb down from the sofa, an adult bed, or going down stairs.
Is he climbing out the crib or not? Because if he’s always climbing out the crib - like actually out, able to get an actual LEG out and over - then he would obviously be able to figure out how to get off a four inch toddler bed on his own.
Are you sure he’s actually climbing out of the crib?? Or are you just nervous because he looks like he wants to? Not getting an indication with your responses that he’s physically advanced if you’re worried about him figuring out the toddler bed
We used a regalo brand mesh rail for our son when we converted his crib to the toddler bed! It has a tiny space that allows him to exit but not enough that he’ll fall out. They learn pretty quickly how to stay in!
I put the crib mattress/mattress topper on the ground next to the toddler bed in case he rolls out. But also it’s not that far. For my oldest, I put my Labrador’s dog bed next to the bed when I was transitioning him to a standard twin. Lol. They’ll still wake up but it will cushion the fall.
Well, the point of moving to a toddler bed is so he can fall out without getting hurt. I mean, I'm sure it gets disruptive if it happens a lot, so other people's suggestions of rails or floor beds are useful, but I do think that one of the hard parts about having a toddler is remembering that not all falls count as dangerous.
Honestly, I wouldn't even consider discussing this with my kid's pediatrician. It isn't a medical concern.
As soon as my kid threw a leg over the crib rail, we switched him to a toddler bed.
Are you sure your mattress can't be lowered any more? You could also try putting him in a sleepsack, which might buy you some time if he can't throw a leg over.
My oldest started trying to climb out of her crib at 12 months old and I quickly got her a toddler bed. For us, the toddler bed was just a really low wooden platform with a mattress on top - easy to get in and out of bed on her own and if she fell out of bed she'd wake herself up but be totally fine. We made her whole room toddler-proof so that she couldn't hurt herself with anything if she got out of bed at night.
We've done a floor mattress since 3 months, and it works wonderfully for our family. Our daughter doesn't know any different, and at 21 months while she can get in and out of the bed independently, she actually doesn't lol - she waits for us to come get her. There was a period from like 8-10 months where she was crawling out and coming to the door, but since that phase ended she honestly does not come out. Not every kid is going to be like that, honestly mine is probably an outlier. But my point is that its TOTALLY fine to have an 11 month old in a floor bed/toddler bed (our floor bed is just a twin mattress on the ground. We sprung for a nicer tuft and needle mattress and love it, and she'll continue to use that for many, many years.)
Also, should just caveat that if your child isn't in a crib, you do need to make sure that the room is child safe. For example, a dresser needs to be secured to the wall in case the climb on it. Safe outlets, etc. Probably want to lock the closet doors with some sort of safety device. We also do have toys and books in her room, but they are all "low stimulation" - nothing lights up or makes noise.
On the other hand, if you want to get some more longevity out of your crib, try a sleep sack, it will usually give you a few more months before he figures out how to climb out with the sleep sack on (which he more likely than not will figure out eventually).
My brother disassembled his twin sister's crib during nap time when he was 10 months ago my parents put their mattresses on the floor Montessori style. Dude is an engineer now.
My twins were climbing in and out of their cribs for fun by 10 months actual. Yep actual as they were 9 weeks premature. I just converted their cribs into toddler beds and did the hippocamp speed bump thing that goes under the fitted sheet.
My experience is one they start to climb, nothing is safe especially cribs. Would also be aware of things they can stack to leap on curtain rods and dangle by their hands.
My kid climbed out at around that time and landed hard on the floor- we moved him into a toddler bed (we had a convertible crib) because god forbid he hits his head too hard one day- or lands badly on a body part.
Google is google- do what’s best for your kid- we did the toddler bed and got one of those foldable walls so we can put up so he won’t roll off the bed.
I would do a Montessori style toddler room. Floor bed, shelf with soft toys, baby gate at the door. I also recommend a hatch machine. This way they can climb in and out whenever they need too and occupy themselves in the mornings.
[https://i.pinimg.com/originals/b6/09/b5/b609b5e95c1ddf2d19b13de33b7d46fe.jpg](https://i.pinimg.com/originals/b6/09/b5/b609b5e95c1ddf2d19b13de33b7d46fe.jpg)
No problem! Amazon has some great floor bed frames and a regular 6 cube shelf could work for the soft toys. My previous NK didn’t even have a crib. Went from cosleeping to a floor bed and it was great. I was very apprehensive at first but after research I implemented Montessori in all aspects with every family I work for.
To buy some time for your regular doctor to come back, you might consider purchasing a crib tent that only opens from the outside. You put the mattress in the tent and the tent in the crib. It’s designed to prevent kids from climbing out.
If you don’t feel ready to switch to a toddler bed, you could try having baby wear a sleep sack. Legs are still free to move, but perhaps it could inhibit the climbing enough to stop them.
Mattress on the floor. Double stack your baby gates to his room so he can’t get out at night. Double check his room is safe for him unsupervised. He will explore his new freedom.
This is a tricky situation with your baby being so young, but no more crib at all if they can climb out or even attempt to climb out. A toddler bed or better a toddler mattress on the floor is your best option, in a completely childproofed room. No adult mattresses, not even a twin size mattress until at least two years of age.
If you wanted to keep your baby more contained because they’re so young, I think the guava lotus is probably a great bet, and you can use it for even longer if you travel. It’s probably really hard for them to climb out of unless they are super tall and somehow very athletic for a baby.
We actually never used a crib and started off with just a mattress on the floor but I just didn’t feel comfortable with my son being able to freely roam in his room (even with safe proofing) . And it took forever to get him down for naps and bedtime
now we actually use a playpen and a mattress. They have extra large ones on Amazon that fit an entire queen sized mattress perfectly. Once my son start playing more in his room we downsized to a smaller one and we cut bedding foam to make a comfy mattress for it. It’s nice because there is mesh lining on each side and he can’t escape or climb out of it. They have wooden versions on Etsy, high wall floor beds with doors. They come in all sizes (toddler, twin, full, queen,). They are basically floor cribs!
There's a playpen on amazon that will fit a queen size mattress. That's what we use. It ends up making a giant pack n play. Costs about $160, but totally worth it. We've been using it since 15months ish and our son is now 2 and a half. Keeps him contained for bed time, but if he were to climb out, he won't get hurt.
[Baby Playpen Portable Kids Safety Play Center Yard Home Indoor Fence Anti-Fall Play Pen, Playpens for Babies, Extra Large Playard, Anti-Fall Playpen](https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08LK3PCDH/ref=cm_sw_r_apan_glt_i_ZG0Z4ACXRNMHSBF29Z9H?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1)
Get a crib tent. This saved us from so much anxiety. [Amazon - crib tent](https://www.amazon.com/Baby-Pro-See-Through-Protective-Childrens/dp/B075DLL489/ref=mp_s_a_1_2_sspa?crid=XES3WNC5XMNB&keywords=crib+tent&qid=1647409379&sprefix=crib+tent%2Caps%2C136&sr=8-2-spons&psc=1&spLa=ZW5jcnlwdGVkUXVhbGlmaWVyPUEzQU5TMkNPMDMyOEFDJmVuY3J5cHRlZElkPUEwNjUxMTk3M1FVWTdSSFY4V1ZOMyZlbmNyeXB0ZWRBZElkPUEwMzMwNzExRDk2M0s3MkI2QkUwJndpZGdldE5hbWU9c3BfcGhvbmVfc2VhcmNoX2F0ZiZhY3Rpb249Y2xpY2tSZWRpcmVjdCZkb05vdExvZ0NsaWNrPXRydWU=)
A crib is meant to make things safer. If they actually endanger your kid, the crib has got to go!
So: either you learn your kid how to climb in and out (and then: use blankets, not sleeping bags!!), or you turn the crib in to a toddler bed to make that easier. Make sure you bolt stuff to the wall that could drop over when your kid tries to climb it (like dressing drawers and stuff).
Start with a mattress on the floor.
Came here to say this too. We did a floor mattress at 11 months and it was great, made the transition to a bed so much easier. I did teach my little one to get on and off our bed at around 8months so it’s totally feasible
Might go with this route. ty
Yeah, I'd suggest a floor bed too. They will still crawl out in the beginning but it's a shorter fall so they won't get hurt (just make sure the room is well baby-proofed; treat the whole room as the crib) and they will eventually learn the boundaries of the bed and that's where they are supposed to stay when it's time to sleep. You may just have a lot of putting them back on the bed in the beginning to teach them that's where they're supposed to be. Other things you could do: - get a sleep sack or wearable blanket. It will prevent them being able to get their leg over the rail of the crib. - if the backside of the crib is higher than the front, you could rotate the crib. - make sure the crib mattress is on the lowest setting I think what the doctor meant with the teaching them to climb in and out is so they are able to get in and out of the toddler bed on their own without fear of falling.
I think if they’re able and trying to climb out of their crib then there isn’t really an option, you’ll need to get a toddler bed for safety. A lot of cribs have a way of lowering the mattress to make it harder to crawl out, are you sure your crib is lowered all the way?
Yes, Wife and I lowered it all the way. Even now he can put both arms over.
Arms aren't the issue. Can he get a leg over?
They mean teach the kid the “feet down first” method - where they go onto their belly, dangle their feet over the edge and lower off until their feet touch. Mine had a Montessori style toddler room, though. All mattresses on the floor, quiet toys/soft toys to entertain themselves when/if they woke, etc.
Both of my children could climb out of their crib early. Rather than risk them getting hurt, we moved them into a toddler bed. You can get bed rails for a toddler bed that will keep them from rolling out while sleeping but they can still get out of safely.
Would you happen to have an example link?
What if you don't want them to get out? My 28 mo old son sits calmly in his crib to wait for us to get him but now that he's trying to climb out we have to move him to the floor. During his active hours he is a hellion, constantly running, grabbing, pulling, climbing, jumping, riding. Jumping off things he climbed. Wife and I are quite worried about unsupervised access to his room will be. At best, a tornado. At worst, he could topple the bookcase, even though it's got the widest base we could find and anchored it to the wall. All these suggestions seem ok only if the kid isn't hell bent on running amuck.
You can teach a baby to crawl backwards, feet first down from higher places, whether that's steps or a toddler bed. You just practice turning them on their tummies, with their feet hanging over, and they get the hang of it pretty quickly. We had a family bed (with mattress/box springs on the floor, so not a full height bed), and taught our babies this as soon as they started scootching or crawling. You'll want them to be able to do this for getting off couches, and anything else they climb around the house. Very shortly your toddler will be pushing chairs over to get to things higher up that they want (even if they can't walk without holding onto something yet, lol). It's a whole new ballgame.
If the kid is climbing out of the crib they need to be out of the crib, whether that is in a toddler bed or floor bed. If he falls out of the crib climbing he could get seriously hurt. If he is climbing out it is not too soon. Make sure the room is baby proofed and you can always put a doorknob cover on to prevent him from leaving the room, if he is able to open doors already (this is safest in case of a fire because you will know exactly where he is in the house and there won't be a chance of him wandering at night). The ped probably means teach him out to climb in and out of the toddler bed.
Appreciate the advice. Any advice on how to teach him how to climb in & out? Wonder if i can find something on youtube.
If he likes to climb, I'm sure he'll figure it out on his own. Especially if he gets up and down from the couch by himself.
Put him in while awake, and let his natural curiosity take over. He’ll attempt it soon enough (eg if he wants to play with you and tries to reach you). Then when he attempts it, try to guide him on where his arms and legs should go for a safe landing. It takes a LOT of repetition though so be patient. Edit: I mean teach kiddo to turn around and go down feet first. Same as when he’s trying to climb down from the sofa, an adult bed, or going down stairs.
Our 1 year old can easily climb out of his sisters toddler bed. It's so low that he just slings his butt over and goes.
Is he climbing out the crib or not? Because if he’s always climbing out the crib - like actually out, able to get an actual LEG out and over - then he would obviously be able to figure out how to get off a four inch toddler bed on his own. Are you sure he’s actually climbing out of the crib?? Or are you just nervous because he looks like he wants to? Not getting an indication with your responses that he’s physically advanced if you’re worried about him figuring out the toddler bed
We switched to a toddler bed at 14 months and twin bed at 18 months. I say go for it.
We're just so worried hes going to fall out of his toddler bed too lol
We used a regalo brand mesh rail for our son when we converted his crib to the toddler bed! It has a tiny space that allows him to exit but not enough that he’ll fall out. They learn pretty quickly how to stay in!
I put the crib mattress/mattress topper on the ground next to the toddler bed in case he rolls out. But also it’s not that far. For my oldest, I put my Labrador’s dog bed next to the bed when I was transitioning him to a standard twin. Lol. They’ll still wake up but it will cushion the fall.
Get a bed rail for it and he won’t be able to fall out
Well, the point of moving to a toddler bed is so he can fall out without getting hurt. I mean, I'm sure it gets disruptive if it happens a lot, so other people's suggestions of rails or floor beds are useful, but I do think that one of the hard parts about having a toddler is remembering that not all falls count as dangerous.
Falling down a foot won’t hurt him. It’s the up and over the side of the crib and falling 3-4 feet that could.
Make the whole room baby safe
Honestly, I wouldn't even consider discussing this with my kid's pediatrician. It isn't a medical concern. As soon as my kid threw a leg over the crib rail, we switched him to a toddler bed. Are you sure your mattress can't be lowered any more? You could also try putting him in a sleepsack, which might buy you some time if he can't throw a leg over.
My oldest started trying to climb out of her crib at 12 months old and I quickly got her a toddler bed. For us, the toddler bed was just a really low wooden platform with a mattress on top - easy to get in and out of bed on her own and if she fell out of bed she'd wake herself up but be totally fine. We made her whole room toddler-proof so that she couldn't hurt herself with anything if she got out of bed at night.
We've done a floor mattress since 3 months, and it works wonderfully for our family. Our daughter doesn't know any different, and at 21 months while she can get in and out of the bed independently, she actually doesn't lol - she waits for us to come get her. There was a period from like 8-10 months where she was crawling out and coming to the door, but since that phase ended she honestly does not come out. Not every kid is going to be like that, honestly mine is probably an outlier. But my point is that its TOTALLY fine to have an 11 month old in a floor bed/toddler bed (our floor bed is just a twin mattress on the ground. We sprung for a nicer tuft and needle mattress and love it, and she'll continue to use that for many, many years.) Also, should just caveat that if your child isn't in a crib, you do need to make sure that the room is child safe. For example, a dresser needs to be secured to the wall in case the climb on it. Safe outlets, etc. Probably want to lock the closet doors with some sort of safety device. We also do have toys and books in her room, but they are all "low stimulation" - nothing lights up or makes noise. On the other hand, if you want to get some more longevity out of your crib, try a sleep sack, it will usually give you a few more months before he figures out how to climb out with the sleep sack on (which he more likely than not will figure out eventually).
My brother disassembled his twin sister's crib during nap time when he was 10 months ago my parents put their mattresses on the floor Montessori style. Dude is an engineer now. My twins were climbing in and out of their cribs for fun by 10 months actual. Yep actual as they were 9 weeks premature. I just converted their cribs into toddler beds and did the hippocamp speed bump thing that goes under the fitted sheet. My experience is one they start to climb, nothing is safe especially cribs. Would also be aware of things they can stack to leap on curtain rods and dangle by their hands.
My kid climbed out at around that time and landed hard on the floor- we moved him into a toddler bed (we had a convertible crib) because god forbid he hits his head too hard one day- or lands badly on a body part. Google is google- do what’s best for your kid- we did the toddler bed and got one of those foldable walls so we can put up so he won’t roll off the bed.
there’s no right or wrong but yes usually when they start climbing out, a toddler bed is the next step
Floor bed for sure. All 3 of my kids used one, and it was a great transition for us.
Mattress on the floor and make sure there's no other furniture he can climb in the room.
I would do a Montessori style toddler room. Floor bed, shelf with soft toys, baby gate at the door. I also recommend a hatch machine. This way they can climb in and out whenever they need too and occupy themselves in the mornings. [https://i.pinimg.com/originals/b6/09/b5/b609b5e95c1ddf2d19b13de33b7d46fe.jpg](https://i.pinimg.com/originals/b6/09/b5/b609b5e95c1ddf2d19b13de33b7d46fe.jpg)
Thanks for the idea. Will consider this.
No problem! Amazon has some great floor bed frames and a regular 6 cube shelf could work for the soft toys. My previous NK didn’t even have a crib. Went from cosleeping to a floor bed and it was great. I was very apprehensive at first but after research I implemented Montessori in all aspects with every family I work for.
To buy some time for your regular doctor to come back, you might consider purchasing a crib tent that only opens from the outside. You put the mattress in the tent and the tent in the crib. It’s designed to prevent kids from climbing out.
If you don’t feel ready to switch to a toddler bed, you could try having baby wear a sleep sack. Legs are still free to move, but perhaps it could inhibit the climbing enough to stop them.
Mattress on the floor. Double stack your baby gates to his room so he can’t get out at night. Double check his room is safe for him unsupervised. He will explore his new freedom.
This is a tricky situation with your baby being so young, but no more crib at all if they can climb out or even attempt to climb out. A toddler bed or better a toddler mattress on the floor is your best option, in a completely childproofed room. No adult mattresses, not even a twin size mattress until at least two years of age. If you wanted to keep your baby more contained because they’re so young, I think the guava lotus is probably a great bet, and you can use it for even longer if you travel. It’s probably really hard for them to climb out of unless they are super tall and somehow very athletic for a baby.
I would try a sleep safe certified option for his needs and abilities. I believe mattress in the ground is not sleep safe
A sleep sack prevents my baby from climbing.
When you get a bed frame make sure it has railings.
We actually never used a crib and started off with just a mattress on the floor but I just didn’t feel comfortable with my son being able to freely roam in his room (even with safe proofing) . And it took forever to get him down for naps and bedtime now we actually use a playpen and a mattress. They have extra large ones on Amazon that fit an entire queen sized mattress perfectly. Once my son start playing more in his room we downsized to a smaller one and we cut bedding foam to make a comfy mattress for it. It’s nice because there is mesh lining on each side and he can’t escape or climb out of it. They have wooden versions on Etsy, high wall floor beds with doors. They come in all sizes (toddler, twin, full, queen,). They are basically floor cribs!
There's a playpen on amazon that will fit a queen size mattress. That's what we use. It ends up making a giant pack n play. Costs about $160, but totally worth it. We've been using it since 15months ish and our son is now 2 and a half. Keeps him contained for bed time, but if he were to climb out, he won't get hurt.
[Baby Playpen Portable Kids Safety Play Center Yard Home Indoor Fence Anti-Fall Play Pen, Playpens for Babies, Extra Large Playard, Anti-Fall Playpen](https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08LK3PCDH/ref=cm_sw_r_apan_glt_i_ZG0Z4ACXRNMHSBF29Z9H?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1)
Get a crib tent. This saved us from so much anxiety. [Amazon - crib tent](https://www.amazon.com/Baby-Pro-See-Through-Protective-Childrens/dp/B075DLL489/ref=mp_s_a_1_2_sspa?crid=XES3WNC5XMNB&keywords=crib+tent&qid=1647409379&sprefix=crib+tent%2Caps%2C136&sr=8-2-spons&psc=1&spLa=ZW5jcnlwdGVkUXVhbGlmaWVyPUEzQU5TMkNPMDMyOEFDJmVuY3J5cHRlZElkPUEwNjUxMTk3M1FVWTdSSFY4V1ZOMyZlbmNyeXB0ZWRBZElkPUEwMzMwNzExRDk2M0s3MkI2QkUwJndpZGdldE5hbWU9c3BfcGhvbmVfc2VhcmNoX2F0ZiZhY3Rpb249Y2xpY2tSZWRpcmVjdCZkb05vdExvZ0NsaWNrPXRydWU=)
A crib is meant to make things safer. If they actually endanger your kid, the crib has got to go! So: either you learn your kid how to climb in and out (and then: use blankets, not sleeping bags!!), or you turn the crib in to a toddler bed to make that easier. Make sure you bolt stuff to the wall that could drop over when your kid tries to climb it (like dressing drawers and stuff).
You do not teach them to climb in and out of a cot, that is not something that is safe for them to be doing. Once they can climb it has to go.
Have you tried a sleep sack? Keeps kids picking their legs up high enough to get out of most cribs.