Baby 411 & Toddler 411 Blog

Q of the Day: My toddler is a crib jumper

Q. My 2 year old figured out how to climb out of his crib, so we moved him to a big boy bed. Now he routinely gets out of bed at night and goes to bother his 5 year old sister. Is it cruel to lock him in his room at night?

A. Your child's crib was a safe place. Now that he has graduated from the crib, you need to create a similar safe place for him. His bedroom should become his new "crib"--he can do whatever he wants in his bedroom, but he is not free to roam around the house at all hours of the night. It's not just disruptive--it's not safe.

With that in mind, I suggest making his bedroom completely safe for him to roam around. For example: make sure bookshelves and other heavy furniture (that is tempting to climb) is secured to the wall—it's especially important for those kids who enjoy doing crib acrobatics.  Then keep him in his bedroom at night by either placing a child safety handle on the door to his room or mounting a couple of safety gates (one on top of the other) so he can see out of his room but he cannot leave his room. This isn't being cruel or extreme, it's being safe.

When he is old enough for you to trust him walking around your house at night, you can remove safety handle or gates.

Q of the day: My baby won't nap

One of our readers wrote in today with a question that many parents ponder....

Q. "My baby is four months old and remarkably, she falls asleep on her own in her crib and sleeps through the night. I know I shouldn't complain, but I can't get her to do the same at naptime. The only way I can get her to take a decent nap is to put her in her infant swing. What should I do? She's getting too big for that swing!"

A. It is terrific that you have a bedtime routine that works and a baby that is capable of falling asleep on her own. That skill is extremely important and she has done it! Congratulations!!!

Now, you just have to remind her that she can also do this during daytime naps. And, the way to remind her is to follow your same routine during the day that you use at night. No rocking, no swings, etc. Babies and even older kids may protest at naptime because there is more activity going on and they don't want to miss out on the fun. But, they still need those naps. Say goodnight, keep the house quiet, and let her fall asleep on her own. If she only catnaps, then give her 3-4 short naps during the day. Usually a four month old will take 2 short naps and 1 longer one. But, every child is unique. And, a six month old may still prefer a 3 nap schedule, even though many will drop down to 1 catnap and 1 longer nap during the day.

Bottom line: Give her more naps if she only sleeps for short periods of time. And, be consistent with your nap and your evening bedtime routine.

Toddlers who roam at night: Question of the Day

Q. I have 2 year old who is sleeping in a twin size bed and was doing great up until a couple of weeks ago. Now he gets out of his bed 4-5 times during the night and he makes a beeline for my bedroom.  I do not want him to sleep in our bed so I get up every time and put him back in his bed.  We are making a habit of it.  I have tried to put a gate up at his door but when he wakes up he wanders around his room crying for a long time and I usually give in and put him back in his bed because I worry that he will be exhausted the next morning when I send him to daycare. 

A. It is always a challenge when you have a toddler who decides he wants to roam the house once he graduates from the crib (which is one reason I prefer kids to sleep in their cribs for as long as they like being there!)   I agree that you should make his room his crib...a safe place that he can wander around as he pleases. You cannot force him to sleep. So, he makes the choice to stay awake or to sleep in his room. Those are his choices. If he chooses to complain or protest, again, that is his choice. You do not need to go in there to console him--it is just a protest to get what he wants. And, you going in only validates that this protest is an effective way to get your attention.  

I am not worried about him going to sleep. He will, eventually. He may end up sleeping on the floor by the doorway the first night. That's fine. He may be very tired the next day at school, and you can just give the daycare provider a head's up. The next night is usually much better, and by the third night, he will probably change his mind about going to sleep--since there is nothing to gain by protesting.

Empower him with the ability to fall asleep. He's already proven he can do it. Having a comfort object like a stuffed animal or blanket helps.

Another option: give him one token he can redeem each night. That token can be used for one more hug, tuck in, drink of water, whatever. Once he's used up his token, you will not be returning for the rest of the night. That gives him some power in the situation.