And We Have An Escape Artist..

[Kym2098]

I have a 22mo DCB. Sweet as sweet can be... He's started showing some signs of almost being 2.. Hitting, pinching, pushing etc. I thought that'd be the worse of the problems but no...
Yesterday I put him down for usual nap, less then an hour in he wakes up screaming/crying (unlike him). I soothed him and he stopped immediately.
I laid him back down (he cried) and walked out. After about 5min he suddenly was standing in my living room screaming, crying and scared. And I was shocked he climbed out!!! I alerted the parents just so they know of his new skill and they informed this has not happened at home (yet).
Anyways I went about our day.. Around 3ish I put him down again as he was tired and he threw a fit (another fun new skill!) and that's when the true drama began! He climbed out not once, not twice but 4 times! Each time I scooped him up and put him back down and firmly told him no! After the 4th time he stayed and went to sleep.
Today, he went down easily but after nearly one hour I heard the litter patter of little feet and there he was in my living room.
I told him no and explained that it wasn't safe and he should call for me. But he doesn't speak a lot yet. I did not force him to go back down.

Do you ladies have any advice? I do not and am not willing at his time to use a sleep mat. I want him to be able to stay in his pnp until I come get him.
I'm probably asking too much for that .
My last resort is to bring up my daughters old crib.

Any suggestions???
And what about hitting and pushing? I redirect and have put him in his pnp when it gets waaaaay out of hand but when I redirect he just come right back and continues non stop. Any other suggestions on this?

Thanks!

[Blackcat31]

If you aren't ready to transition him to a nap mat yet, have you considered using a sleep sack?

I don't know if it's appropriate for his age but I DO know they aren't able to stand up (or climb out) when wearing one.

Otherwise, your only option is to simply continue putting him back in the PNP with a firm "no" each and every time until he stays. For the whole nap period.

[SilverSabre25]

I wouldn't let him stay up after he climbs out. I like BC's suggestion of a sleep sack. You might just have to stay by the crib and keep putting him back down...putting him back down...putting him back down. Good luck; tough situation.

[Kym2098]

Thanks! I forgot about a sleep sack! I'll look into that!
Would you have laid him down today after almost an hour nap?
He's was shaking and I felt bad about even thinking about laying him back down.

If you aren't ready to transition him to a nap mat yet, have you considered using a sleep sack?

I don't know if it's appropriate for his age but I DO know they aren't able to stand up (or climb out) when wearing one.

Otherwise, your only option is to simply continue putting him back in the PNP with a firm "no" each and every time until he stays. For the whole nap period.

[Kym2098]

Thank you!

I wouldn't let him stay up after he climbs out. I like BC's suggestion of a sleep sack. You might just have to stay by the crib and keep putting him back down...putting him back down...putting him back down. Good luck; tough situation.

[Heidi]

My 21 mo dcb did the exact same thing to me a couple weeks ago. He now sleeps in a sleep sack, which I introduced in a positive way (hey...look what I have for you!). He loves it.

At home, he is now in a toddler bed. But, mom has almost cleared out his room and secured his dresser. I don't have a room like that here. Even my playroom has too many things that a quiet, climbing toddler could get into. I can't have him in the livingroom next to me on a mat, because I have 4 school-aged kids in my house and no curtains. He'd never sleep.

So far, the sleep sack has solved the problem. In a few months, he may be ready for a mat.

[Heidi]

Thank you!

I agree. He may be having dreams and be legitimately freaked out, but I'd soothe him briefly, then tell him it's still nap time and lay him back down. He may need reassurance, but he also needs to know that bedtime is bedtime...or in this case naptime is naptime.

We just talked about people who get up in the middle of the night to play with their kids, because the kids demand it. I don't think this is any different. I'm sure it always starts with the sentence "I had a bad dream", or the toddler equivalent.

[Blackcat31]

Thanks! I forgot about a sleep sack! I'll look into that!
Would you have laid him down today after almost an hour nap?
He's was shaking and I felt bad about even thinking about laying him back down.

I would have. Nap/rest time is over when the clock says it is, not when the kids wake up.

Not sure if that's the same for others but that's how I work rest time here.

If he wakes before the others, I wonder if you snuck in after he is asleep and placed some books in the PNP if he would look at them quietly until you went in and got him, signaling that rest time is over?

[Heidi]

I would have. Nap/rest time is over when the clock says it is, not when the kids wake up.

Not sure if that's the same for others but that's how I work rest time here.

If he wakes before the others, I wonder if you snuck in after he is asleep and placed some books in the PNP if he would look at them quietly until you went in and got him, signaling that rest time is over?

I've done that, too. Thanks for the reminder!

[daycarediva]

Don't hurt me, but it's REALLY dangerous for him to be climbing out. I know a child who broke her collar bone doing so (pack & play, at daycare onto a bedroom carpet)

I would either have him in my line of sight at all times and/or transition to a mat. Leaving him in the pack and play would not be an option for me.

[Blackcat31]

Don't hurt me, but....

:: :: :: :: ::

[Kym2098]

Thanks everyone.
I'm going to look into the sleep sack.

I wonder tho can he unzip it himself?? Maybe put it on backwards?

I realize him climbing out is dangerous and scary but I can not have him on a sleep mat right now either. If a sleep sack doesn't work and I can't get him to stay in safely until I come get him then I'm out of options..

I had hoped this day wouldn't come!

[Heidi]

Thanks everyone.
I'm going to look into the sleep sack.

I wonder tho can he unzip it himself?? Maybe put it on backwards?

I realize him climbing out is dangerous and scary but I can not have him on a sleep mat right now either. If a sleep sack doesn't work and I can't get him to stay in safely until I come get him then I'm out of options..

I had hoped this day wouldn't come!

yes, backwards. Always backwards. Don't even try the other way because you'll just create another battle.

[Kym2098]

yes, backwards. Always backwards. Don't even try the other way because you'll just create another battle.

Lol thanks Heidi!

[KIDZRMYBIZ]

Coincidence!

I can't believe this is on here today! I had a 12mo dcb (bday was just 6/11) crawl out of a pnp JUST TODAY! I have no idea how he did it. He is not big, just average, and I know the sack sleeper trick, so I have NO IDEA how in the world he possibly did it! I am totally flabbergasted. I wish, I wish, I wish I would have seen it happen-I was cleaning lunch mess in my kitchen that adjoins my dc room.

This family has caused many a headache and much anxiety over the last 3 years (I care for their 3yo dcg too). So, so, so many different issues. I've kept them on because they pay on time and in full, and always pick up on time. And I have gotten rid of one problem family in the past just to replace them with another problem family. So I've learned just to smile and nod and go about my day.

The issue now: neither of these two kids sleep more than 35 or 40 min. of a 9 hour day for only one afternoon nap from about 6mos old on. That is INSANE. These two are cranky all the time, and class-act drama queens! The parents are plain lazy, putting them to bed at very early hours. I have beat around the bush on this topic with dcm and dcd many times, but I can't take it anymore, and it's time to be blunt. With the dcb's stunt today, I can't let him out of my sight now at quiet time.

I guess I'm just old and crabby now (at the ripe old age of 37!) and I just can't find patience for this situation anymore. I talked with dcm at pick-up about dcb's escape, and told her that both kids need to be able to SLEEP here for 2 hours. She was horrified at my suggestion of keeping them up till 8:00 (that's still 11 overnight hours!), saying that they would be impossible to deal with. Yes, I know, I deal with them all day. I even "sympathized" with her about how it would be inconvenient, and that earned me a dirty look and a dark "it's not a matter or convenience." Hmmm...really? What is it then? I brightly returned with, "it would be wonderful for dcg and dcb if you spent those 1 or 2 waking hours with them instead of me. I'm just the babysitter."

So, we will see if anything changes. It's going to have to!