To ask how to deal with an 11 month old climbing on EVERYTHING?

[coffeeforone]

DS2 has been climbing on everything since he started crawling at 6 months. First stairs all the way up, then chairs, toys, sofa. Now on to tables etc - he climbs as high as he can get basically. We've had to get rid of the stair gates as it was more dangerous having them there! He climbs into and out of the bath, screams blue murder when we try to stop him trying to climb on the toilet!

He is 11 months and his cot is on the lowest setting with not a single thing inside - but he is trying to climb out and almost did this morning! No idea how he does it as he isn't even walking yet just crawling, cruising and climbing everywhere!

Any tips would be greatly appreciated! It's exhausting- We have to helicopter him constantly to make sure he doesn't fall (touch wood he hasn't fallen yet!). He is totally different from DS1 who stayed in his cot until he was almost 3 and never even tried to climb out. I don't think DS1 could even manage it now at 3.5, even though he was walking by 11 months. HELP!! The cot is the biggest issue as he's not supervised at night.

Mine's a climber. She's 13 months and yesterday crashed off the sofa onto the router and got a cut under her eye. Nearly had a heart attack. She seemed unphazed.

As well as mattress on the floor, don't give them any furniture, especially a chest of drawers. I caught DS using the drawers as steps and trying to climb out of the window. He just had no concept of how dangerous it was and didn't realise his weight could have broken the glass.

I don't agree that it would be dangerous to try a sleeping bag - they're so restrictive that it might make him very angry, but I don't think he would try and fall, he just couldn't climb at all. But anyway, an alternative suggestion - how about a travel cot? Their sides are much more slippery and so harder to climb.

I forgot to say, I got sheets of hardboard, cut holes in them and cable tied them to the stairgates.

how about a travel cot?

We used a travel cot at my mum's last weekend (we were in the same room as him) and he actually managed to climb right up the side and we caught him as it started to tip right over! This one was mesh on the sides and he managed to grip his feet better, maybe we can look at other designs!

I think a mattress on the floor is a great idea. DS2 went straight into the bottom bunk when he broke (!) his cot, we put a mattress on the floor next to it and he slept on that most nights.

Maybe I'm being thick, but I can't understand how you actually get a baby to sleep on a mattress? I've never tried it, but feel certain that DS would just get up and wander around the room?

No help at all but have you watched the toddlers climbing over stair gates on Youtube??

Better yet have you watched videos of toddlers navigating climbing walls? So cool.

If you go with a mattress on the floor, maybe give him something to be distracted by - at least on the first few nights?

This is cheap and goes over the sleeping space:

www.ikea.com/gb/en/catalog/products/90338403/?query=90338403&cid=a1:sm%7Ca2:gb%7Ca3:appshare%7Ca4:store_app%7Ca5:ios%7Ca6:share%7Ca7:ikeaglobal%7Ccc:216

I would also second getting rid of all furniture in that room. We don't have a climber but I've seen a glint in DD's eye lately...and plan to move things (which are too far from the window and fixed to the wall!) out.

Get a travel cot with squishy sides, they can't get as much purchase as they can on wooden bars. My DS spent from 10/11 months till he was 2 and went into proper bed. I used to use one as a play pen downstairs too do I could go for a wee without too much stress.

We used a travel cot at my mum's last weekend (we were in the same room as him) and he actually managed to climb right up the side and we caught him as it started to tip right over! This one was mesh on the sides and he managed to grip his feet better, maybe we can look at other designs!

😱😱😱

LisaSimpsonsbff
You're not being thick, they do get out of bed when they feel like it so you have to babyproof the entire room and use a safe stairgate they cant climb over.
DS had a mattress on the floor with a duvet, a crate of toys, a crate of books, and some clothes. No furniture.

I think travel cost wouldn’t really be safe for hardcore climbers.

Mattress on the floor (or a proper toddler bed).

Yes, he’ll get out but he can be put back in, or you can choose to let him wander his room.

All you can do is baby proof and child proof your house and find solutions. From my experience of a climber DC they aren't stopping any time soon - many years later DC will scale anything with a side on it.
Tall baby gates, kitchen cupboard locks (shelves make good ladders), bolt furniture to the walls or floor, soft rugs or carpet and eyes in the back of your head etc
As for the bed, I second a travel cot with the mesh/squishy sides. There isn't much to grab on to them.
Good luck!

Christ knows what we'll do when DS can get out of the cot, then, because his room has big inbuilt steps where the stairs cut through the room from below. I'm going to try and not think about it until I have to! As I said, luckily the sleeping bag means that it's the one place he can't climb currently - but I suspect he's not far off being able to take his sleeping bag off if he wants to...

This thread has just reminded me that among other hair raising adventures DS also got away from me at the park and scaled a huge climbing frame. All I could do was get underneath him and catch him when he fell.

Lisa they do get up and wander around the room, but DS2 would always go back to his mattress to sleep. He preferred it to his bed. We had a horrible 1st night when he kept DD2 then 6 up until 10pm! It was a school night too! 😭

Quick reminder that if child starts to be able to undo sleeping bag, you can turn it around so back is at front (might have to chop the neck down a bit.)

A sleeping bag didn't stop my ds! He was such a good climber though he hardly ever fell but my dd who wasn't a climber fell loads. Just have to go with it and try to make area safe.

Definitely definitely bolt all furniture to be the walls

This thread has just reminded me of when I walked into the bedroom to find DS sat in the top drawer of a set. He'd opened each one, climbed in, then opened the next and climbed up. Thank fuck IKEA send wall bolts as standard. I was out of the room for probably 45 seconds. He was (still is!) A bloody liability!