It was a proud moment seeing Brian climb on the couch the first time but once we realized he loves to climb everything and anything, it becomes a serious issue. It started with the couch, chairs then the living room table and more recently he’s been seeking new heights and has managed somehow to climb out of his bed.

He’s also a fast climber so we’re really worried he’s going to fall and injure himself. He has already fell off our bed and the couch several times but he’s not stopping LOL!

I’ve been reading about climbing toddlers for the past week and there isn’t much you can do to stop them. In fact, you might not want to do that because climbing is an important stage in the development of a toddler’s motor skills and an excellent way for young children to build strength, flexibility, and balance and to gain confidence. This being said, the only thing that can be done is take few measures to prevent him from getting hurt and climbing out of his bed.

Here are some of the most useful tips that I found online:

1- Put a mattress next to his bed in case he decides to climb while we are all asleep but that’s just temporary and still not safe enough.

2- Have his mattress set to the lowest setting in his crib. It’s already at the lowest setting but we could eliminate the crib gap to the floor and gain few centimeters. This should buy us few months of safe crib use.

3- “Hack their Pajamas (Sew in a strip of fabric in between their PJs to prevent their legs from being able to swing up and over the side of the rail)”. I’m not sure I approve of this method plus it’s not very practical. [Source]

4- Transition to a big kid bed? This would keep him safe from falling off his bed but then again he might get out of bed and go climb elsewhere in the middle of the night. Brian’s only 15 months old so it’s a bit too soon.

5- Placing a toddler-friendly step stool near book shelves or by other areas that he can’t reach.

6- Move furniture away from the windows and be sure that all windows are properly secured to prevent falls. [Source]

7- Teach your kids to climb down to lessen the risks of injury but that’s not guaranteed to work.

All in all, the best thing to do is watch him closely, lower the mattress, keep an extra mattress on the side and hope that he loses interest in climbing sometime soon 😀