Tot escaping!!!

[scotty]

I wonder if anyone else has had the same problem,my 19month girl was caught escaping from her cot , the side was up and she had been playing in it ,I went in to get her and she had both legs on the top and was seconds away from going right over the top and falling !! It is quite a worry and I am not sure what to do next,she's too small to leave to sleep without the side of the cot up  ; does any one have any ideas please?? Many thanks in advance.

[Hgrove]

I have heard of people who actually turned the cot upside down so it was like a cage!!!  When my daughter was 20 months she started doing the same and falling on the floor so I just bought a toddler bed (inches higher than the floor, so if she rolled out of it she would not be hurt).

[Bangkok]

May seem daft, but check the positioning on the bed base.  Our cot has three settings to adjust the height, the lowest being a toddler bed level, from which no 19 month old should be able to get over the rail. 

[FP]

My son did it at about 16 months and concussed himself.  Horrible experience for him and me!  He was transferred to a low bed, which he continuously rolled out of, but at least he wasn't hurt again. 

[spudqueen]

You could get a small bed with a bed guard (which you can buy seperately) so that your daughter couldn't fall out when asleep.

[Otrere]

My daughter was 18 months the first time she did this and she took a set of floor-standing shelves with her - she was about an inch away from them when they fell - frightened the life out of me. Needless to say the shelves were removed. At 21 months she did the same thing - climbed out of her cot and fell from the top of the rail. That was enough for me - 2 minor "heart-attacks" in the space of 3 months was plenty!!!

That was when we changed her cot-bed to a bed and just put one of those safety rails on the side. We made sure she was there when we made the conversion so she was well aware of what was going on and to be totally honest, its been the best thing we ever did.

She has a travel stairgate in the doorway of her room to stop her escaping and running riot, but to be honest we don't really need it. She is really proud to be sleeping in her "big girl's bed" and because she chooses to get in it herself she stays in it as well.

Your little girl is obviously trying to express her independence and I think moving her into a toddler bed is the next step. I honestly believe you won't regret it. But you can always put her back in a cot if you do...

Good luck.

[Liza B]

HI 3 out of five of mine did the same, in the end we kept the drop side of the cot down so that they were still in the cot, but it had a lower rail so they didn't fall out, worked a treat until they were big enough to go into a proper bed. good luck

[netibiza]

When my daughter did this, I moved her onto a single mattress on the floor, so she could escape if she wanted to without hurting herself.  Needless to say she didn't bother.  or you could put mattresses by the side of the cot so that they cushion her fall but I wouldn't be too happy waiting for the thud!!

[scotty]

Many thanks to you all, you've given us plenty of food for thought. My wife thinks that the drop-side removed may be the answer. Cheers Scotty

[hannah333]

My mum resorted to making me a nightie with the bottom sewn up, so i couldnt climb out!

[mad_mum]

when my daughter and son started doing that, i put them in there own bed with bed guards up but had a gate on the top of the stairs so they couldn't fall down them in the middle of the night if they happened to get out.

[caringmum]

i had the same problem! in the end i decided to get my son (15 months) a toddler bed. this is great as it is low to the floor.