Cot escapee

Yes this is a big problem! My DGS2 is also 20 months and fortunately has not yet figured out how to climb out the cot although he climbs everywhere else. He was able to open the stair gates at 10 months so they were not much use - in fact the Cuggl one has been recalled by Argos for a full refund because babies can open them, collapse them and squeeze through the spars!! DD2 is worried about him falling down stairs.
Probably best to make up a toddler bed for him then at least he won't fall from the cot, has your DD got a monitor so she can hear if he gets up? Maybe some noisy toys in front of the gate so again he might be heard.
Will be following this thread to see if anyone has any advice.

I think we might compromise on a mattress on the floor (read up on this online) and try to get a HIGH gate fitted into the door frame of his bedroom. A shame though. My daughter went into a bed at 2, which even then I thought was a bit young, but although she was a bit on the naughty side, she had nothing on DGS.

As soon as mine could climb out of the cot I left the side down as there was then less likelihood of them falling.
I cannot remember how I got over the stair gate problem but as soon as they showed interest in going up and down the stairs I taught them how to go down backwards - my son eventually sort of launched himself off from the top and just slid down on his tum!

My grandson did this at about the same age so he was put into a normal bed. Bolstered with pillows down the side to prevent him falling. He adapted very quickly, problem solved.

You can put two stair gates one above the other. I know someone who does that to stop a dog jumping out of one of their rooms.

Yup, mattress on the floor or toddler bed.

I used a baby safety harness for my son, also a great escapee.
It was also used when he was in his pram and later, when walking beside me.

He was still a Mayhem Child though because even in the harness (which slid up and down the vertical bars of the cot) he could stand up and shake-rock the cot so vigorously, that it moved across the room. to his great delight.

I have seen so many toddlers running away from parents who seem to have the idea that the harnesses which kept my generation's little ones safe, are somehow wrong.

Just 2 days ago whilst waiting outside the pool for my driver, I saw a wee boy of about 2 run right out into the very busy carpark. But for the quick reflexes of the young driver, that toddler would have been hit.

His mother, several steps behind didn't seem too bothered, so maybe the child does this all the time. He certainly had no road sense whatsoever, didn't even hesitate at the kerb.

DD was climbing out of her cot at under a year.She was walking at 10 1/2 months. We let the cot side down and made sure she could climb up and down stairs safely.

If there are any rooms he child musn't get into (like the kitchen) keep the door shutr and if necessary put a hook and eye on it well out of the child's reach.

At 6 months DD wriggled across the floor and began a detailed examination of our fireplace and chimney. She was dressed in white and pastel clothes.

Eternal vigilence is the only solution - but it is hard work.

I would move him to a bed and be vigilent, every time he gets out, tuck him back up but don't engage in discussion, he has to learn that beds for going to sleep in. You have to admire his determination and dexterity though.?

Taller door gates intended for dogs might help with the gate issue.

Many many years ago when I worked in a residential nursery, we used to put an old door over the top of the cot to stop an escapee!! I'm absolutely sure this would be considered abusive now so "don't try this at home"!!

NaughtyNanna haha! So many things in the past would definitely be non starters now but that gave me the image of Hansel and Gretel and poor Hansel in a cage! Made me laugh just before leaving for a mole biopsy!

May years ago now...we used a properly screwed on stair gate across the bedroom door. Each child moved into a toddler bed at around 15 months. I left a couple of biscuits and a tippee cup of milk right by the stair gate. The child would head for the stair gate, find the provisions, eat/drink and then fall back asleep on the floor.

I agree with putting him a big boys bed, or dropping the side of the cot.

My first son had to have his cot screwed to the floor too because he could rock it across the room and this was before he could walk, which didn't happen until 16 months. He did the same with his playpen and pram too. I would often find him sat in his pram outside another shop, bless him!

I never had any problems with my 4 climbing out of a cot but a friend of mine did. Her final solution was to put the mattress on the floor with the cot turned upside down on top of it like a cage!!! Perhaps not pc but it did work!! As to stairgates, my stairs were too wide for a gate so I also taught them to master the stairs as soon as they were mobile. Bedroom doors were also always firmly closed at bedtime.

We had this problem and put daughter in bed and then hook and eye closure at top of door do she couldn’t open it.

My daughter went into a bed at 16 months as she was a mountaineer/Houdini and we had concrete floors, the carpet didn't make them feel any softer for a little skull potentially hitting them. Yes she was a pain as kept getting out of bed but she did learn it was her bed to sleep in, eventually. A high stair gate on doorway would make it safer, we didn't need that as lived in flat. She was also out of nappies at that time and would get out of bed to use potty for herself, and no she didn't grow up to be a brain specialist, she was just very quick at learning when she was a little girl. Having a bed also meant I could lie down next to her to get her off to sleep instead of leaning over a cot side, which for me was a big advantage

pink wallpaper Snap..! My DS was a little terror, and as his bedroom door opened out onto the top of the (steep) stairs - we lived in a small terraced house - when he went into a bed at just over two, we put a hook and eye at the top of his door which we used to hook up when he went to bed, and unhook when he'd gone to sleep.
When we put him to bed, he tried the door - just once - every single night

One of our DSs was a bit of an acrobat at an early age. We put him in a bed at about 18 months with a safety barrier, so that he couldn't hurt himself climbing out of his cot. I once found him astride the raised side of his cot, "riding" it like a cowboy! We also abandoned stairgates because he could just avoid the problem by climbing up the stairs on the OUTSIDE of the banister rail!! It was all about damage limitation really!!

My eldest DC was a Houdini too.

At 20 months I think we bought her an ordinary single bed, part,y because DC2 was on the way and we wanted to get her used to the bed before the new arrival took over the cot.

She loved her bed but would hop in and out several times before settling down to sleep.
We always had a staircase at the top of the stairs and generally 'ignored' her (whilst keeping an ear open) until the novelty wore off.
DH made the stairgate and she couldn't open it.

Stairgate not staircase

Auto-correct again!

We also taught her to come downstairs backwards, facing the stairs iyswim.

I remember sofa cushions up as a barrier around the cot of one little girl.

But a bell on the stairgate that will jangle loudly when the little one reaches the gate!

Good luck!

I've contacted a local handyman. I have my daughters old cot (35 years old!) and I'm hoping he'll be able to put one side of it on hinges with a lock on the other side to create a high AND strong gate. Daughter is a deep sleeper and I don't think it's safe to shut his door because she won't hear him if he's in danger.

Boy wonder was up early this morning. He was out of his cot and into his mums room in 20 seconds. Physically, he's a dynamo. Walked at 8 months. Has upper body strength like nothing I've ever seen in a toddler. When he goes to soft-play, he goes in the older kids section and does everything they can.

There is no changing HIS nappy if he locks his legs. So strong and such a strong will.