Ask My Little Buddha
How do I stop my two year old from climbing out of her crib?
Ah, the crib climber. It’s hard to appreciate the pride and joy toddlers’ feel when they figure out how to hoist themselves over those rails. Their faces beaming, they arrive in the kitchen where we’re quickly cleaning before making the most out of their nap time. We remember being speechless at the sight of them. And then the dread.
The key is not to panic, scold or celebrate their accomplishment. We calmly say, “Oh, I see you got out of your crib. I’ll tuck you back in bed for your rest.” We walk or carry them back to their room. We put them back in bed, explaining, “Cribs are not for climbing. You could fall and hurt yourself. I’ll pull up the side of the crib so you are safe inside for your rest time.”
We put them back in bed, leave the room, and wait outside their closed door. Soon, we hear the crib rattle, followed by a thump when they hit the floor. We walk back into the room and put them to bed, reminding them again it’s not safe to climb on the crib. This scenario may repeat itself for the entire nap period. We don’t talk to them after the first few interceptions. The key is showing little emotion and conversation as we return them to the crib so we’re not adding to their fun.
Amelia fell and hurt herself on her 6th or 7th climb, which helped prove Kelly’s safety point. It was only a small bump, but she never climbed out of the crib again. If we’re worried our kids may fall and hurt themselves, we leave the bedroom door slightly open so we can watch them and help if needed. We try not to stay in their rooms unless there’s no other way to watch and reach them in time, our presence can distract them from sleeping or create a new need to have us stay during nap.
Older toddlers, two and a half to three, may enjoy climbing a step stool (or small step ladder) to swing their legs over a lowered crib rail. The stool makes them self-sufficient which they like, and is a safer form of climbing. It’s important toddlers are adept at using the step stool, otherwise it’s a source of more falls and injuries. And they may only climb the step stool when an adult is with them–we put it away when we’re not around.
As we keep up the routine of returning toddlers to their crib and give their new trick little energy, many kids will move on from crib climbing. Planning lots of physical activity for the mornings also helps, so when they go down for nap they’re tired.
If a child continues climbing, it may be time to transition to a toddler or regular bed that’s low to the ground. The toddler beds use a crib mattress and feel cozy for the kids. Some cribs convert to a bed, usually with an additional conversion kit. Toddlers may prefer sleeping in a bed rather than crib and take to the new routine easily. More often, though, kids go through a period of learning to stay in bed for their rest. We return them to bed with little fanfare just as we do for crib climbing.
As we go through these sleep milestones, we always remember that eventually we’ll tuck our kids in bed, turn out the light and they will snuggle into their covers and sleep.
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