vent- converted crib b/c 19 month ds climbed out

[curious&eager]

I just lost everything I typed.  :(  Anyways, this is a vent b/c I'm a tired mommy.  Last week my DS climbed out of his crib twice, so we converted his crib to a toddler bed.  At first I was sad thinking how grown up my baby had become.  Now I realize, he's not grown up and he needs to be back in his crib.  He cannot handle his freedom nor can we.  He has always hated to go to sleep, but he knew that he had to b/c he was in his crib and there was no getting out.  We were always right there rubbing his back and stuff to help him sleep.  He would wake up during the night, look around for a moment and go back to sleep.  Now, in his half awake sleep, he slips right out of his bed and walks out of his room fully awakening himself and us.  He used to sleep through the night, now he gets up twice.  Last night he was up for 2 hrs.  If that were the only problem, I guess I could love.  But now, he absolutely refuses to sleep.  He screams at the top of his lungs saying no, no, no!  He will not stay in his bed or go in his bed.  He gets so worked up that he seems to go nuts.  He's definately making us go nuts.  We tried putting just a mattress on the floor and cuddling him to sleep instead and while he threw less of a fit about it, he began waking up even more.  We're trying all kinds of crazy stuff to get him to lay down in his bed with his own free will, but wow, this is a horrible struggle and I want to sleep.  I need all my energy to keep up with his stubborn self all day, I can't do it all night as well.

[curious&eager]

Ok, love = live.  I was scared to fix it b/c I was afraid to loose my message again.  I haven't posted much anymore since we've hit this toddler age.  Is there some trick that I am missing that is stopping me from using enter, backspace, and delete like normal?  I cannot type anywhere but at the very end of what I've typed.  Why is this so different now?  Is it my computer?

[Ella Enchanted]

I asked a mom-friend of a couple kids older than toddlers what she did since I know she had a similar problem.  

What she said is put a baby gate in the doorway and pick up any toys or other things he shouldn't have access to at night.  Then put him down and leave him be.  If he wakes up at night, he can't get out.  If he wants to play in his room, fine.  Eventually he'll lay back down.  Now during the day, keep to his regular schedule.  No more naps than he usually take!  Keep him awake!  He'll be cranky because he's tired.  Oh well.  He'll sleep that much more during the night.  She said it took about 10 days with each of her little ones to get them to stay asleep in their beds.

If your son is climbing out of his crib, he can seriously hurt himself.  While it seems like it'll be easier to just put him back in the crib, eventually you're going to have to put him in the toddler bed and will have to deal with this.  He's in a dangerous situation in the crib.  So it's better to do this now and get it out of the way.

[curious&eager]

He's is in his toddler bed now.  I cannot put him back in his crib after finding him laying face up on his back twice from falling out of the crib.  I may put up a gate, but that would be a hard battle to fight, simply expecting him to go back to bed and lay down on his own.  If we need to, we'll go there, but last night and tonight are looking better already.  We'll trying to coax him to climb into his bed himself and stay laying down by rewarding him with various little lights in his room.  He loves his lights.  If he gets up, we turn off a light or two.  Last night he sleep through the night again since we put him back in his bed.  His toddler bed is his crib, it's a convertible crib.  He didn't sleep through the night at all when we put him on a mattress on the floor.  We thought cuddling him to sleep would make him feel happier and more secure, but it didn't work.  He is a very stubborn little man.  We will chose to go the hard route when it becomes necessary, but if something else works before that way, we'll go the easier route, b/c I'm sure he could scream for hours and not give in.  I do like more gentle approaches if they work first.

[Greenlea]

Its going to take some time for him to get used to it, at least thats what everyone I've talked about it has said.

My DS climbed out of his crib at 18 mths.  The second time he did it, he fell out pretty hard, and I think hit his head.  He didn't try again after that until last week (at 23 mths).  And this time he climbs out very easy and knows how to do it without falling.  So we did the same thing and took the one wall of his crib off and made it a toddler bed.  We also put a baby gate in his doorway so he can't get out.  I did this mainly so he wouldn't go wandering about the house by himself in the middle of the night (his door doesn't close).  So this is the second week and the only problem I'm having is naps.  Naps have been much harder at keeping him in his bed, and actually taking a nap, than getting him to stay in bed at night.

[curious&eager]

Scream, scream, scream.  At least at some point, he gives up screaming and lays down and stays in, but wow, he screams so loud next to my poor ears.  I guess I should buy some ear plugs.  Night is a huge battle, but obviously in the end, he knows he has to give up.  Naps can be even worse, but I've chickened out and I'm letting him nurse himself to Zzzz land.  50% of the time it works and I get to skip half of the battles for this time.  Hopefully, he'll calm down.  He's doing a little better, but just him being a typical toddler, screaming and noing makes it worse.  I got my mom to make him a Thomas the Train pillowcase and he loves Thomas so much, I'm hoping he'll want to put his head on it.  She's buying him a whole Thomas bedding set for his June birthday, sheets, comforter and pillowcase.  I'm so excited.  He loves Thomas.  He was dancing and squealing in delight just seeing a picture of Thomas on the bedding set online.

[curious&eager]

So far, I don't have to worry about him wandering the house.  When I do, I'll put up a gate.  He is a slow to wake up baby and he likes his snuggle time when he wakes up.  So, the only thing on his agenda is me and my milk.  He's far to grumpy when he wakes up from his nap especially or night to want to play or explore the house.  I'm sure that will change.  Right now, that is the one highlight in this all.  Now, he wakes up, crawls out of bed, pitter patters into my room and I just reach over, pick him up and he'll nurse for a good long time all the while, I remain snug and warm under my blankets :).