Christmas came a little early in our home. This here? This — to me — was like Christmas.
Blessed be the crib tent. And bless those who invented it. (Dinosaur paper craft painstakingly cut out by big brother Porter.)
Backing up. If you’re getting my facebook or twitter feed, you may remember that I’ve mentioned our sweet babe’s recent quest to escape. Crew is two now, but still my baby. And for sure to young for a bed. But definitely old enough to have figured out how to climb out of the crib. In fact, he became quite the pro a couple weeks ago. So much that it became a game for him.
We would do our usual nap time routine. I sing & cuddle & talk to him & down he goes. I walk away. Less than a minute later he pitter-patters right up to my side, completely delighted in himself. I escort him right back to his crib, lay him down again, give him a pep talk about staying in the crib, and walk away. (What? Pep talks don’t work with toddlers?) This time he shows up by my side, still delighted, but his smile isn’t quite as big because he knows he’s not supposed to be there. Back to the crib again, and like a boomerang, he’s right at my ankles again.
Repeated 5 to 14 times per day.
Sounds fun, right? It is for Crew! I, on the other hand, want to cry. Do you know what this does to a mother’s sanity?
A while ago my friend Megan swore by her crib tent. I just didn’t make the connection but thought, “Good that it works for them.” And then I mentioned my frustration on facebook recently and it seemed hundreds of you said “Crib tent! Get the crib tent!” And then I kept putting off getting one for one reason: time. I needed to have time.
So I wrote it down on David’s honey-do list. (Yep, I really do that.) He’s better at researching products anyway. So fast-forward to now. We got this crib tent. It is installed. My toddler is safely zipped in every single day. I walk away knowing that he can’t climb out. And all of this? The result is a happier mama + peace of mind to boot. Can’t believe I didn’t know about it until our third child.
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Added note: Crew used to get his thighs stuck between the slats while sleeping sometimes … when he was smaller. If you look closely, you’ll notice the netting that encloses the whole crib, making it impossible to stick their legs through. We really could have used the tent months ago for that reason alone.
Also: I’m sure all crib tents are not created equally. Be sure to choose carefully. We’ve only been using ours a few days now, but we love it and can’t see any hazards or possible ways for Crew to un-do anything.
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Worth a whole blog post? Yep. Because someone will benefit from this. Parent to parent, sharing our best tips is what we do. Check back with me in about 8 years and I might be sharing my best tips on raising teenagers. Or you’ll find me curled up in fetal position.
Tags: crib tent
My sweet little 20 month Katherine recently got a crib tent because of her circus act and it has been more than a life saver, its been a marriage and a mommy saver. She loves it because she loves forts and play tents and things and it keeps her safe from falling and hurting her sweet little self. I agree, my child is just not mentally ready for the challenge of a big girl bed, soon enough. So glad that this worked out for you!
You have no idea how much I appreciate you writting about this! Yesterday, just yesterday, my 26 month old found her way out of the crib for the first time. Biggest thump I’ve ever heard from out of her room! Scared me to death and her as well. I heard about this as soon as I posted on Facebook, but am unsure of how SHE will deal with it. How is your son likeing it? Does he freak out he can’t escape or put his hands and legs ourside the bars? I’m worried it will just add another battle to my already stressfull nap time. Thank you so much for writing this. I had the worst experience with her jumping out of the crib! You are amazing and I feel like God has pointed this post right at me and said READ THIS AND LISTEN! God Bless you!
I haven’t ever heard of a crib tent, and I have 6 kids. My kids broke our crib a few months ago and I was forced to put my two-year-old in a big bed. It’s a full mattress that’s on the floor. He constantly climbs out, so I end up sitting in there until he falls asleep. It’s a total waste of my precious alone time that I would’ve been having instead. I wish they made a tent that would work in my situation. I am so glad it’s working for you.
So glad it’s working Becky!
You are a lucky woman, Becky! Out of 6 kids, not one of mine napped past about 18 months and they were all climbing out of their crib before they hit the year mark. My mom said it was payback since I quit napping around my first birthday (and my MIL says the same thing about my husband!)
Enjoy your (Crew’s!) naptime!
I bought one of these when my 7 yr old was 1. Oh, how I love it. It’s gone through 3 kids now, and even comes on road trips with us occasionally. I keep my kids in a crib tent till they are close to 3, and it has made life at bedtime and naptime…dare I say it…BLISS!
I still have my 3yr old in a crib
Luckily he isn’t climbing out yet. He did have his leg up on the side one day after nap with a sad face saying “mommy…I need a big boy bed”. Yes dear you do. As soon as our finances allow us to buy a mattress. Although I enjoy prolonging the final use of my beautiful crib!
When you’re ready to put away the beautiful crib, you could do like us: we had our son on his crib mattress on the floor for quite a while before my husband made his bed.
Four years ago when I was pregnant with my daughter I wanted one of these to keep our pet kitty out of her bed. He likes to cuddle and I was afraid that he would climb into the crib with her. I was told that I can’s cage my child in like that. I ended up not getting it and making sure the cat was out of her room and closed the door. I wish I would have gotten this.
Our little Savannah started climbing out at 18 months and she never looked back. I was going crazy trying to put her down for naps and at bedtime. When I found out about the crib tent I was on it like supermom. It was a little rough at first, she did not like being stuck in there and not being able to get out, but after a few nights everything was GREAT!! She will be 3 at the end of December. Now if someone can just prevent them from throwing their food and cups on the floor during meal time, that would be awesome!!!
My little monkey started climbing out at 14 months. I got a crib tent. Best thing ever. Then he figured out how to open it when he was 26 months and went straight into a big bed. Glad it is working for you!
I got the exact same crib tent when my first baby was 18 months old. He climbed out one night and fell to the floor with a bang. Another friends baby broke his arm climbing out of the crib around the same age. So I did not hesitate – got the crib tent immediately and for my second baby it was installed when he turned one. If Crew complains about the tent read some kid books about going camping in a tent. My little guy loved to go “camping” each night and even asked for a blanket to be draped over the top to make it even more tent like. We moved into a twin bed around age three. So glad you did this post – more people need to know about the safety and convenience of crib tents. I also got a crib tent for our playpen. Knowing the toddler was safely sleeping in a playpen while staying in a hotel room ensured that I also was able to sleep.
You will be so happy that you got this tent – I wish that I had known about this a few years ago. My youngest was 3 and we were in the process of getting his big boy bed together. Well, he decided to jump out of his crib – on December 23rd. Complete disaster – he broke his arm right above the elbow. This required surgery, 3 screws and a 2 day stay at Children’s Hospital. Who knew that one little boy could do so much damage by just jumping the wrong way. It was a totally terrifying experience. Not to mention this happened right at Christmas – so we missed our traditional Christmas festivities with my family. In fact, we did not even get home until lunchtime on Christmas day. I think the tent sounds like an excellent idea – for safety’s sake alone. Thanks for sharing with others!
Christine Z.
Thank you Becky! I have 3 boys and the baby broke his arm Tuesday from climbing out of the crib. He is not even 2 yet! My other boys waited until almost 3 before the climbing began and it was easy to move to a toddler bed – they were ready, I was ready. The baby is NOT ready and I am most definately Not ready for him to be free. This tent will save my sanity and prevent further injury to my little one! Thank you for posting this!! To other mothers with little ones – I wish I had this tent 3 days ago – my baby is in a cast for the next 2 weeks – it is awful – better safe than sorry! I’ll be overnight shipping this today!
Cool. Does that come in King Size? I’d like to get zipped in every night. It would keep my 3 year old from coming to my bed every night at 3 or 4 in the morning.
Hahahahha!! I’m with you on that!
All of my boys, thus far, have been climbers and have successfully gotten out of the crib around 16, 17 months of age. We just took that as a sign and moved them up to toddler beds at that point. It’s been fine ever since. I really don’t know why someone would want to actually keep their kid in the crib for so long. So this crib tent thing….I just do not get it. Sorry!
I purchased a crib tent when my now 18 year old hit that precarious age of wanting mobility and freedom on her terms. Although I got wise cracks from friends who deemed it inhumane (huh?!), it was a brilliant solution!! I never regretted it, and although I didn’t need to use it with my other two children, it was what saved me with Child #1. Thanks for the memory of it!
All, please check the safety information on these things. They are not regulated and there have been children who died. I know a family personally who lost their son when he became tangled in this thing.
It’s great to get these “tips” but do not blindly follow them without doing the work yourself. Babies and mommies have survived for 100′s of years without a tent over the crib and you need to weigh the benefit vs. risk.
http://www.examiner.com/stay-at-home-moms-in-national/child-strangulation-death-leads-to-crib-tent-recall
Please.
Thank you Amanda for posting this. Safety was the first thing I thought of. I can’t imagine having to take one more step to have to unzip my child out of the crib to get them out in a fire.
Maybe you can Crew’s mattress on the floor and use “Supernanny’s” method for napping/sleeping.
This article looks to be about Indoor Outdoor Portable Playard with tent – different than the crib tent. Playards are made very differently than cribs.
oh my heavens…I wish I’d known about these with Addie. COuld have saved me a whole lot of frustrated naptimes/bedtimes.
so glad its working for yoU!
Awesome blog post! I don’t have kids and don’t plan on having any in the near future, but I’ll definitely keep this in mind for the future. I’ve never heard of this before!
Our crib was damaged when my daughter was about 18 months old…we went and bought a toddler bed. She did great–try it! Its all about the rules…she had to know we were serious about staying in it when we said to. Climbing out repeatedly may be his way of telling you he’s ready for the next stage….
We had one of these! I actually bought one because we had just adopted a kitty and my daughter was only 6 months old. Needless to say he loved her crib! I was paranoid every night worrying that he might be hiding in her room when we closed the door, so I just installed the tent and had peace of mind. And he would still sleep right on top of the tent! At least I could walk out of her room at night knowing that she was safe even if the cat was hiding in there (which did happen a few times).
We had that same tent. It was to keep the cat out but we thought it would also help keep kidlet in. No. At less than 18 months she could somehow unzip it! It took her about 20 seconds. She got a big girl bed soon after.
First of all, YES, I know what that does to a mother’s sanity!!
Best parenting advice book EVER? Healthy Sleep Habits, Happy Child by Marc Weissbluth.
Followed Dr. Weissbluth’s suggestions to the letter when my 2 1/2 y-o wouldn’t stay in bed, and it worked like a charm. Even if when you’re reading it you’re thinking along the lines of, “well, that might work for some kids, but not for Crew,” I strongly encourage you to try and see what happens. (Can’t hurt, right?)
Good luck!!
We had one for our son and it worked great for a while….but he was a little crafty that one, he learned if he got to the back of the crib and ran full speed with his hands out in front of him that he could POP OPEN the seem of the zipper and jump on out….Now that he is almost 10 years old, it makes me laugh thinking about it, but back then……ah, it drove me crazy
BTW, he sleeps like a rock all night in his bed now. Best of luck!
~sigh~ You’re 10 years too late for me, my “baby” is 11 and I sure could have used one of these!
My baby is 4 and my oldest 12 – entering the “hormone” years. Yep – that fetal position is sounding pretty tempting right now!
My son, now 10, had one of these and it was such a sanity saver in our house! My daughter never climbed out of her crib, but my boy was flinging himself out at 14 months! Over time, he managed to wiggle his finger next to the zip and unzip it so be prepared for that with your little escape artist! And I got a lot of teasing from friends… Some people were worried about a house fire and him being trapped, however him getting hurt by leaving his room early in the morning when parents are sleeping seemed a more likely event to me.
My brother and sister-in-law snickered when they saw ours. They thought we were just overly protective, worrisome parents. (I adored it for the reasons uses understand from day one). Two months later when my niece was crawling out of her crib in the middle of the night their minds changed quickly. For the piece of mind it gave me, it really was priceless.
Thanks for the clarification – from your Facebook entries I was envisaging that he was suffering from insect bites.
Mine children are now 12&13, but I would have loved this for my son – who started climbing out of his crib as soon as the soother fairy took away his soother. I didn’t like the danger of him hurting himself climbing out – so one night (when I was super- tired and very frustrated), I resorted to putting his mattress on the floor, disassembling the crib, and hanging outside his room holding the door knob to keep the door shut until he fell asleep. That was followed by lots of nights holding the door knob tight.
This is why I love out old school safe cot it is fully enclosed has two big doors on the front, so I don’t have to lift bub in and out either!
Love it!
My son started climbing out of the crib at 17 months. After 3 nights of trying to put him down I googled climbing out of crib and found the crib tent. It worked great. I don’t regret getting it for a minute.
PUT HIM IN A BED!!!!!!!! For goodness sacks he is old enough to be in a bed and taught to stay in that bed when you put him in there and tell him to stay in it. I had 7 kids, last one at home right now and all of them were in a bed before 2 and stayed there….they knew to obey us then which made life better for us as they got older. When we said something they better listen and obey!!! That is our job as a parent. Teach our kids to obey us at all times not questioning us….it could depend on their lives some day!!!
Hi Becky. I have two daughters and I can’t think about to use something like that, I love your blog but, this time I don’t agree. my kids started to use a bed at two without any problem.
Becky, your post made me smile. My boys are 13, 9, 7 and turning 5 this weekend. My 7 year old was the master of getting out of his crib and today is my one who pushes it at bedtime. I have pictures of him sleeping in the most hilarious places (on the bathroom floor), completely naked his head underneath his bed with his bottom and legs sticking out. yes….I did check on him everynight multiple times, but he is a curious one…and you never know what he’ll do….I’m know into the teenage years…you can come to my blog for some comments on that one
Having lots of fun with my oldest, cell phones, study habits, girls…you name it!!!
Our crib tents are one of my most prized possessions. I love them. So much. So many parents balk when I tell them they are a must-have. Just get a toddler bed! No, really. You don’t understand. This solves so many problems! As soon as the kid starts throwing their binkie off the side? Time for a crib tent.
is it hard to get the babe in and out? especially an older (heavier) toddler? not in need myself, but this would’ve been a sanity saver for my daughter and her three year old angel-boy who loved to climb out of his crib! in a toddler bed at 1 1/2 is NOT a mother’s idea of fun! maybe i’ll buy one for the next baby! thanks for the advice!
My youngest figured out how to climb out at 18 months. It definitely does mess with your sanity. We had a crib tent (we used the tent to keep the snuggly cat out of the crib) but didn’t think to use it for this purpose. We bought a toddler bed. While he did get out of bed a play quietly in his room, it was better than landing head first on the floor, which is how he ended his Houdini act. In the end, he was so excited about the “big boy” bed that he fell asleep quickly and on his own.
Becky, We had the same issue with both our children; however it really only worked for our first born – a son. My daughter on the other hand figured out how to unzip the zipper from the inside and still managed to “escape”. We then tried to safety pin it closed, but she was too smart and figured out how to undo the velcro – all this at I believe 18 months – so then we converted the crib to the toddler bed. With her monkey instincts she still decided to use the sides for climbing, so eventually she was left with just a mattress for a while until we found a shorted toddler bed!
Hope that doesn’t happen for you, but thought I would share. I wish we had the netting for the inside, her legs got caught several times in the slats – so you can imagine all the crying, screaming and fuss when that occurred – mostly from my husband..LOL
So happy you found a solution. Both my kids climbed out early. I got the crib tent for my youngest when she climbed out at 16 mos. It lasted another 7 mos before she figured out that if she stuck her finger near the end of the zipper and wriggled it she could get enough space to push the zipper open from the inside. LOL I though my husband was playing atrick on me when she came toddling in one morning grinning from ear to ear. It was fabulous while it lasted. Have a great weekend.
if only they made them for big boy beds. we used one for boy #1 from 18 mo till almost three years. i am considering putting ours back on for baby #2 he is only 8 mo old, but he does get his lets through the slats which causes some minor trauma some days. congrats on your crib tent!
Hi Becky! I’m thrilled you are happy with your crib tent! I must admit, with five children, we did not learn about the tent until my youngest (who are twins) started escaping from the crib at a very early age. Can you believe that before learning about that wonderful invention I had even greased up the bars of my crib with Vaseline in order to prevent them from climbing out? My neighbors giggled when hearing my story and after observing our exhaustion and worry, gave me a tent and the rest is history. My kids loved them and wouldn’t shut their eyes until each tent was zipped up tight. I’m sure many mothers will thank you for this valuable tip!
moms sanity…enough said! We didn’t discover it until 3rd child. It is a beautiful thing. OK, maybe not so beautiful, but fabulous!
I have a 18mo old (Easton CREW) who has the SAME crib, his legs never got stuck between the slats, blame on those cute chubby legs? I could have used this with my oldest! Great tip, I’ll keep this in mind as these next few months should surely bring a climber!
Becky – they didn’t have those when my kids were little! We sure could have used them, though.
On a spearate note, what is the name of that beautiful paint color on the walls? Please share! Thanks.
Becky don’t feel too bad. I too didn’t find out about crib tents until our 3rd was born. We had the exact same tent. This tent has gone through 4 children, and held up great! You definitely got your money’s worth.
My now 3 year old did this EXACT same stunt last summer and I wanted to cry every single day. Plus, we have a convertible crib which has one side higher than the other so those slip over tents don’t work. I had to buy one and have it shipped from Australia that is attached to the ceiling and drapes down and under the mattress but does not attach to the crib. It’s pretty for a girl’s room and it keeps her in. Cheers to you and your peace of mind again!
My little one started getting out when she was like 19 months, far too young to have her running around. I got this same thing (wish I’d seen the convertible crib version before I purchased, but they didn’t have it on Amazon). It’s a life saver for a number of reasons: getting out, getting legs stuck (like you mentioned) and throwing lovies out. We tried to play it up like, look what a nice bed tent you have! My girl was mad as a hornet the first few times we used it, but she’s gotten used to it and I’m so very glad we got it.
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