ChristusG Posted May 17, 2013 Share Posted May 17, 2013 We have FINALLY gotten on a good schedule.....baby lays down and naps at a consistent time. I nurse her, put her in the playpen in our bedroom, turn on the fan for white noise, switch on a Barney show, and she watches Barney and then lays down and goes to sleep. Same for bedtime. I've never had a baby who actually napped, and now I do! And then she goes and climbs out of the playpen! She doesn't have her own room, she naps in ours....as well as falls asleep in our room at night. When I come to bed I move her from the playpen and into our bed. Now I have no idea how to put her to bed. She'll just climb right out! If I try to lay her in our bed, I'm afraid she'll fall off when trying to get out. But more than that, she'll get into everything. Is there a such thing as a deeper playpen? Anyone know? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
*Lulu* Posted May 17, 2013 Share Posted May 17, 2013 You need one of those cage like play pens like the one featured in the Doris Day flick, Don't Eat The Daisies. It had a top that latched so the escape artist, I mean toddler, could not make a break for it. :p Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Melissa in Australia Posted May 17, 2013 Share Posted May 17, 2013 The whole concept of putting a toddler in a jail in another room watching TV is so totally foreign to me that I cannot comprehend it at all. I always treat my babies as I would like to be treated. Personally I would not want to be locked up in a back room, and when I worked out how to escape from the cage I would not want to have security tightened by the addition of a roof. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SLT Posted May 17, 2013 Share Posted May 17, 2013 It's time to switch to a floorbed (crib or twin mattress). The climbing can be dangerous- she just needs to get used to itand it will be hard at first- but it will be easier in the long run. I believe most contraptions to keep LOs in their crib/playpen have been recalled due to safety concerns, anyway. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TGHEALTHYMOM Posted May 17, 2013 Share Posted May 17, 2013 I feel for you... I have a climber!!! She is almost 1 and hates her bed... she still sleeps with us... good thing we got a King bed finally. Still, I have a hard time not taking a nap with her. And she only takes one afternoon nap... I had a huge playpen built when I worked to keep there. I had it in our basement but it is not together anymore. I am thinking about making a mini one for our den. That way a sibling can also get in with her to play or read, or get her to sleep. If we ever get our play yard mowed... I put big blankets down to use for reading and picnics, or playing card games. And use a pack n play for napping baby. I can also use a stroller to satisfy her for a little while outside while I work on my little gardens. It helps to have older siblings take a 15 min. turn with the baby. I like my K'Tan too for outdoors. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ChristusG Posted May 17, 2013 Author Share Posted May 17, 2013 The whole concept of putting a toddler in a jail in another room watching TV is so totally foreign to me that I cannot comprehend it at all. I always treat my babies as I would like to be treated. Personally I would not want to be locked up in a back room, and when I worked out how to escape from the cage I would not want to have security tightened by the addition of a roof. Ummm.....okay. Opinionated much? I wasn't asking for opinions on how I put my child down for a nap. So you think I should have her take a nap in the living room, while my 6 and 9 year olds are making noise? Riiiight....that should work well. To be honest, when I tell her that it is naptime, she claps her hands and runs to the bedroom because she knows that's the only time she's allowed to watch Barney on TV. Do you like to take a nap in the midst of a flurry of activity? I know that I can't. I guess that your toddler has the run of the house? The playpen is to keep her safe....just like cribs do. And the above poster was JOKING about the roof. But anyways..... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ChristusG Posted May 17, 2013 Author Share Posted May 17, 2013 I was afraid I'd need to switch to a mattress on the floor LOL. :tongue_smilie: She's a tiny tornado.....I guess I'll need to find some way to completely baby proof our bedroom, as there's no other place for her to nap. There's about a million things she can get into in there. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mandylubug Posted May 17, 2013 Share Posted May 17, 2013 I'd make her a floor pallet or buy one of those foldable mats like you used to send with kids to kindergarten. I would then make a big deal about it her new nappy bed. Then the first few times sit on the floor beside her and have her lay back down each time she gets up while you pat her back, etc. till she falls asleep. Before long she will be in the habit of laying down there, too. Also, I would consider making all the kids lay down during nap time, or go in their rooms, shut the door and have quiet reading time then if possible. That way you can keep an "ear out" and listen better, OR just put her in bed with you and have a family wide nap time! Good luck. Stinks when you get a good schedule going and then it all changes. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Parrothead Posted May 17, 2013 Share Posted May 17, 2013 Bedrooms are for sleeping. I don't think it is appropriate to let a child sleep elsewhere. It forms bad sleeping habits. Christus, it might be time to move to a toddler bed. I know you have unorthodox sleeping arrangements, but could you get a small toddler bed into your family bedroom? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Melissa in Australia Posted May 17, 2013 Share Posted May 17, 2013 Sorry I did not realize the roof was a joke. Possibly I was imagining a completely different situation than what you have, and possibly my understanding of your original post was clouded by what my SIL did to her children. she had them in baby cots for extended periods of the day, when they learned to get out she then made some sort of grating/screen that went all the way up to the ceiling. they were locked in there for a few hours a day. or my Sister who had her children removed for a while for neglect, amongst other things she would just keeping them in their cribs without interaction with anyone day after day. Sorry if I read your post wrong, I did not mean to come across judgmental at all. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bolt. Posted May 17, 2013 Share Posted May 17, 2013 I think the floor mattress bed is the best solution for her age. It's the only way for a child old enough to climb to be safe from the risk of falling from the height they are climbing over. It might be time to think of this as an opportunity to wonder how and where she will sleep when she is older. Clearly your current plan is for a baby, and eventually you will need another plan -- so if you've got those ideas in your back pocket, it might be time to take them out and wonder if any of them might work sooner rather than later, probably with modifications. Babyproofing any room she will be alone in is a must -- at least for safety, if not for everything that you'd just rather she keep out of. "Boring" the whole room, while "funning" the bed can also be a good strategy, as far as you can take it. I'm thinking that maybe you could spend a week crouching outside the room with a remote control, sneakily pausing the program every time she leaves her bedding (and pushing play when she climbs back in). You could probably make her believe that her physical presence in the bed is essential to the TV functioning... and once she half-believes that, the habit of remaining in the bed would become more and more ingrained as 'just what I do when I'm up here'. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ChristusG Posted May 17, 2013 Author Share Posted May 17, 2013 No worries, Melissa in Australia. I'm very pro attachment parenting and have baby glued to me at all times except nap time LOL. I need naptime free! Family wide nap/quiet time sounds great, but we use that time to get our read alouds done. Reading aloud while the baby is loud just doesn't work LOL. We have a long term sleeping arrangement plan. We'll use the same one as we did for our older kids. We have a full size bed in our room and when our kids are too big to co-sleep with us, they move into the full size bed. Eventually, they transition to the "big kid room." Since we have all girls, they can stay in the large bedroom together. I guess I'll try putting her in that for naptime. Hopefully it will work well. I guess I'll need to put a baby gate at the door to the bedroom so that I can still peek in. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MomtoCandJ Posted May 17, 2013 Share Posted May 17, 2013 Lol my 4 year old had all little one containing things conquered before she was one. Only thing that kept her corralled was her car seat. I just baby proofed everything and used doors when possible to keep her out of certain rooms. As far as naps we do family naps since she's an only child. (Yeah she still takes naps sometimes, when whiney and when she's whiney I'm ready for a nap too :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
*Lulu* Posted May 17, 2013 Share Posted May 17, 2013 No worries, Melissa in Australia. I'm very pro attachment parenting and have baby glued to me at all times except nap time LOL. I need naptime free! Family wide nap/quiet time sounds great, but we use that time to get our read alouds done. Reading aloud while the baby is loud just doesn't work LOL. We have a long term sleeping arrangement plan. We'll use the same one as we did for our older kids. We have a full size bed in our room and when our kids are too big to co-sleep with us, they move into the full size bed. Eventually, they transition to the "big kid room." Since we have all girls, they can stay in the large bedroom together. I guess I'll try putting her in that for naptime. Hopefully it will work well. I guess I'll need to put a baby gate at the door to the bedroom so that I can still peek in. I would keep an eye on the baby gate. My experience has been that once the child conquered the crib/playpen the baby gate was like issuing an invitation to climb. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aspasia Posted May 17, 2013 Share Posted May 17, 2013 Oh, man. I'm having a panic attack just reading this thread, because my baby is sooooo busy and such a climber and I HATE sleep problems. They're the number one thing that will limit our family size. I just know this is in my future, so...no advice, but I'm taking notes! :D Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
msjones Posted May 17, 2013 Share Posted May 17, 2013 I don't have any new ideas for you, just some compassion. I had this same experience -- lovely naptimes established and then -- BAM-- he learned to climb out. A sad day, indeed... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pod's mum Posted May 17, 2013 Share Posted May 17, 2013 This is what you need. They are right, play pens are mean. Use this instead. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
*Lulu* Posted May 17, 2013 Share Posted May 17, 2013 This is what you need. They are right, play pens are mean. Use this instead. BWAHAHAHAHAHAHA! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wendyroo Posted May 17, 2013 Share Posted May 17, 2013 When my 1 year old started to climb out of the play pen I started having him nap in a sleep sack. He couldn't figure out how to climb out because he couldn't get a foot up high enough to get it over the bar. Then again, we only needed a very short term solution - we had two vacations in the upcoming month where he would have to sleep in a non-baby proofed room and I needed him to be safely contained. Wendy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LaCEmom Posted May 17, 2013 Share Posted May 17, 2013 Sleepsacks! Get a cotton, sleeveless one if it's warm where you live. Those bought us a couple extra months of containment. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mama Geek Posted May 17, 2013 Share Posted May 17, 2013 At the time that dd was old enough to crawl out we were staying in a hotel while dh was working. I worked with her to stay in the pack and play during nap time and when it was time for bed. Could for about a week and stay in her room with her until she falls asleep and keep her in bed. I wouldn't think it would take long. Take a book with you and just be really quiet other than when she tries to get out of bed and then correct her. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Murphy101 Posted May 17, 2013 Share Posted May 17, 2013 I've never owed a playpen and have only briefly owed even baby gates. Yes, my infants and toddlers have full run of the home. It's their HOME. It's time for a mattress or blanket on the floor. Tho I just use my bed. If the fall from the playpen didn't do injury it's unlikely it would from the bed. And after the first time they usually catch on to either how to do it or to not do it. And yeah. They sell net like zipper roof thingies, which is probably why melissa didnt get thr joke. I didnt either. I think they are rather ridiculous. *shrug* Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sassenach Posted May 17, 2013 Share Posted May 17, 2013 My youngest did this way younger than the others and I was not ready to lose the crib. I camped outside her door and whenever she climbed out, I put her back in and walked out. It took maybe 10-15 times (all in one day) but she finally stayed in and went to sleep. To my delight, she never tried again. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SLT Posted May 17, 2013 Share Posted May 17, 2013 I've never owed a playpen and have only briefly owed even baby gates. Yes, my infants and toddlers have full run of the home. It's their HOME. It's time for a mattress or blanket on the floor. Tho I just use my bed. If the fall from the playpen didn't do injury it's unlikely it would from the bed. And after the first time they usually catch on to either how to do it or to not do it. And yeah. They sell net like zipper roof thingies, which is probably why melissa didnt get thr joke. I didnt either. I think they are rather ridiculous. *shrug* Did you have a crib for any of your babies? I think that OP is referring to the mobile version of a crib, and what you say above is IMO sounds like you're on a high horse. So those of us who use a gate to keep our children protected and safe are making our homes not inclusive to our children? We don't have a playpen, but we certainly have him nap in his crib everyday. I also use gate to keep our son away from my computer when I'm not there with him to supervise. Sometimes, there are dangers in the home and since children do not have the ability to detect danger, we have to protect them in the ways we know how. :confused1: Am I missing something here? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Murphy101 Posted May 17, 2013 Share Posted May 17, 2013 Did you have a crib for any of your babies? no i didnt. Well actually i did and do but i never used it and for most of them didnt bother to pull it out of storage. what you say above is IMO sounds like you're on a high horse. So those of us who use a gate to keep our children protected and safe are making our homes not inclusive to our children? The OP asked another person if they just let their toddlers have the run of the house. Which frankly sounded like SHE was on a high horse to me. as tho we are somehow letting our littles run wild or something. But i choose to ignore that tone in hopes that i missread it and the question was actually sincere curiosity. Thus I simply stated that yes, as it happens, I do let my infants and toddlers freely move about our home. If it's something they can't have, they are told no and redirected until they stop bothering. It is rare for my infants and toddlers to not be either in the room with me or with a guardian older sibling. Sometimes, there are dangers in the home and since children do not have the ability to detect danger, we have to protect them in the ways we know how. :confused1: Am I missing something here? Very possibly. There is a fine line between protecting children and refusing to accept their natural development as a part of life. A neurotypical child that is old enough to climb out of a crib or playpen, is developmentally ready to set those things aside for a regular bed imo. Of course that means some temporary extra work from mom to get them to accept the new bed situation and to teach them to leave other stuff alone. But this is true anytime a child hits a development milestone. We also teach them that they can't touch the hot stuff or fish in toilets or rip up books or hit the pets just bc they can reach those things. So yes, I personally don't understand why people buy mesh cage covers for cribs and playpens or baby proof their home like it's Fort Knox or have a dozen different devices to contain their babies instead of just holding them or letting them play in the floor or cordone off only a small section of the house. And I'm not an attachment parent by most people's standards! lol But hey, your kids = your decision. I might be confused by why other parents do what they do, but for the most part I don't judge it bc it's their house and kid, not mine. The OP asked a question. She got some answers. Obviously the choice is still hers. *shrug* Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Incognito Posted May 17, 2013 Share Posted May 17, 2013 I find that wearing a sleep sack keeps them from getting their legs up so high. I don't know if you can happily introduce one after a child is that old and not used to it, but when they use it from early on it works well - they stay cozy and don't climb out. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Heidi W. Posted July 25, 2021 Share Posted July 25, 2021 On 5/16/2013 at 8:29 PM, ChristusG said: Ummm.....okay. Opinionated much? I wasn't asking for opinions on how I put my child down for a nap. So you think I should have her take a nap in the living room, while my 6 and 9 year olds are making noise? Riiiight....that should work well. To be honest, when I tell her that it is naptime, she claps her hands and runs to the bedroom because she knows that's the only time she's allowed to watch Barney on TV. Do you like to take a nap in the midst of a flurry of activity? I know that I can't. I guess that your toddler has the run of the house? The playpen is to keep her safe....just like cribs do. And the above poster was JOKING about the roof. But anyways..... You Go sister! I don't know if this lady really has kids or even has a reason to think that for one second it's a walk in the park when you have a toddler and, 2 other kids, (I have an almost 2 year old, who literally is Houdini. And I have my 4 and 5 year old.) Good luck trying to tell the toddler, "okay, it's nap time, you get to sleep without getting to play with your brothers!".. I don't know about you.. but EVERY baby/toddler fights their sleep if they feel like they are missing out on something. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
historically accurate Posted July 25, 2021 Share Posted July 25, 2021 Zombie thread - OP's dd shouldn't be sleeping in a playpen. Heidi, welcome to the forum! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Katy Posted July 25, 2021 Share Posted July 25, 2021 Zombie thread! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tanaqui Posted July 25, 2021 Share Posted July 25, 2021 It's been seven years - your kid still climbing out of the playpen or did she finally stop doing that? 😄 1 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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