Crib Jumping

A friend of mine recently had a terrifying experience when she walked into her 6 month old son's room to find him straddling the crib rail! Fortunately she managed to catch him before he fell. Probably every mom has "horrors" of her child climbing the crib and falling over the other side. I've heard several moms with stories about their little ones who could climb out of the crib before they were 9 or 12 months! Scary thought for several reasons. One, even if the little folk can work their way over the top of the crib rail, chances are they aren't going to be coordinated enough to come down the other side safely. Then two, and maybe a little selfishly, we mommies would like them to stay contained so that we can get some sleep! Here are a couple tips on keeping your tot safely in his bed. First, take OUT the bumpers! I've read/heard lots of times that while they make a great baby room accessory, they really are dangerous. They pose a suffocation hazard for small infants, and then they morph into steps for bigger babies to use to climb. If you DO use them, once your little one can pull themselves up, it's time for the bumpers to go. One trick that I've used with our son all along, was kind of just an accident. You've heard about the sleep sacks before, we've used one with our baby since he was able to roll over and swaddling no longer worked. They come in heavier and lighter fabrics for different times of year. It's great not to have to worry about him not being covered. However, they also have an added perk of keeping your baby's mobility limited enough that climbing out of the crib is practically impossible! I like them too because without crib bumpers they keep those little legs from getting caught up in the crib slats. So many great pay offs for one little practical product. I'd suggest using these, especially if you have a little monkey living in your house!