Crib to bed transition - getting up and staying in room?

[smother]

First of all, I haven't started the transition But, I need to soon because DS is climbing up on top of the crib (hasn't gone over, just kind of hangs out on the top and then goes back in).  We are in the middle of a 3 day potty training so I really don't want to do it right now but we'll see if I can put it off.

My question is, do I let him get out of bed if he stays in his room? I saw the FAQs that say not to let him constantly get up and we have a video monitor so I will know if he gets out of bed but I think we will also instal door locks on his door so he can't get out (he sleeps in pitch black so I am thinking door locks instead of the gates as I read about in the FAQs). So, do I go in everytime I see that he gets out of bed?

[~*Nicole*~]

I allowed DD to get out of the bed and grab books or whatever until the novelty of being able to do so wore off. BUT if she was crying, yelling, in distress, trying to get out of her room, ransacking the place to avoid falling asleep or anything like that....then I went in and put her back in bed. She was afraid of the dark so her door was open and she was VERY distressed. I had to sit in the hall and do a lot of WI/WO with her.

But, in general, I'd say if he is not upset/needing you or being unsafe, then let him be. IF it becomes a problem where he is not going to sleep for hours and it's really mucking up your whole routine and he's OT, etc. Then I'd go in and put him back into bed every time so he knows it's bedtime. I think they just have to learn how to handle their new found freedom.

It may also depend on how old your LO is and how verbal he is and how much he understands. You know him best and will be able to determine how much intervention he needs on your part.

Just my opinion.

[brenda2]

how old is he?

we tried to transition when dd1 was 20 mo (because dd2 was coming soon) and it went horribly wrong.  it lasted a week and we went back to the crib.  then we waited until dd1 was 26 mo and she was ready (by then we really needed the crib), put the bgb in her room and she made a gradual transition into it with no issues whatsoever.  we did a lot of talking about it before and she picked out the sheets etc. she has never gotten out of bed, never at bedtime and never in the middle of the night.  it went very smoothly.

so, you never know.  it may all go totally fine IF he is ready.  talk it up and set up the bed in the room for a few weeks and let him decide which bed he wants to sleep in for naps etc.  if he gets out of bed you have the option to put him back in the crib.