Help!! My toddler won't stay in his cot - at my wits end

[SparklesandBubbles]

Hi lovely mums
I really need your advice. I'm having terrible issues with my 2yr+4month old staying in his cot for naps and bedtime.
It's only started this week and my DH is away. I'm also 29weeks pregnant. DS has gone from having 2-2.5hr naps in the afternoon to none and then also not settling in the evening. He can now climb out of his cot in his sleep bag which always used to keep him in there. I hate to admit this but having come out of his room over 15 times in an hour - I tried taking away numerous stars from his reward chart and 5 of his favourite toys I was beginning to lose it as I'm exhausted and my back was killing from lifting him back in his cot so many times so my solution today has been to strap him into his buggy! He eventually went to sleep this afternoon for about 45mins and tonight he's gone to sleep after about 10mins of being in there.
However I know I cannot just strap him into his buggy all the time! He has to learn how to stay in his bed - but I just don't know how to get him to stay there. I'm at my wits end! Really need your tried and tested methods please.

If he’s getting out of his cot, have yiu gotva mattress on the floor so that he doesn’t hurt himself? I can’t really offer any more advice than that unfortunately but I would try the No Cry Sleep Solution for Toddlers and Preschoolers

@EveryoneTalkAboutPopMusic he actually climbs out very carefully and hasn't fallen once so I've not bothered with a mattress on the floor. Thanks for the book tip I'll take a look.

hi there, I know our local paediatrician recommends you put a Stairgate at the bedroom door so you can keep them in and make them get some sleep! at any rate it's time to move on from the cot to a bed or mattress on floor by the sounds of it

At that age he really shouldn't be in the cot and now he is climbing out it is dangerous. Mine had side bars off their cot so they could get out without climbing out at 18months.

Yes it is hard initially but you have to persevere and just keep putting them back to bed, you can't keep them imprisoned in the cot. They will learn and I know thus seems like the hardest thing in the world at the moment, especially when pregnant (I was in that situation) but the parenting journey will take you on harder this than this believe me.

Sorry should say once they can walk and run confidently then should be out of cot as no longer babies

Rubbish no knit.
Dd two still in a cot as she can't climb out.
Been running for months

We switched from cot to junior bed and stairgate on bedroom door as soon as ds started climbing out. It doesn't matter how careful she is its still a risk she slips and falls trapping a leg or arm.

@NoKnit interesting you say as soon as they can walk and run they should be out of a cot (never heard that before). Not sure I completely agree with it but everyone's entitled to their opinion. DS was walking at 10months and is the biggest wriggler in bed - that's why he has remained in a cot for so long as he would be constantly falling out. We tried before Christmas taking the sides off but didn't feel he was quite ready.
3 months is a long time and he has really developed now so we have made the decision to take the sides off the cot tomorrow and try again. I've bought a new duvet set and will make a big deal out of it. We're going to try the super nanny method and realise it will be a few days of hard work getting him to stay in there!

Well it is pretty obvious once they can walk and run it is dangerous as they are more than capable of climbing out if they think of it and are clever enough. I am talking about just taking the middle bars out so they can get out but still have the protection that they don't fall out. You can't keep them contained forever. I agree at 10 months it might have been too soon but almost 2.5 the days are numbered in a cot.

How did the first night go?

@NoKnit we did the first night yesterday. DS was super excited about his new bed and kept jumping in and out of it in the afternoon. My DH ended up rubbing DS's back to get him to a) stay in his bed and b) actually fall asleep. Tonight it has taken 1.5hrs of the supernanny method - he acted like it was a game to start with but then he got upset but we stuck with it and in the end DS pretty much cried himself to sleep . I felt bad but I guess we have got to go through this. Will see how tomorrow goes. I don't like seeing him get upset as he's not a child that cries much.

Oh dear you have my sympathy, this is exactly what we had with our eldest, hence we took the bars off earlier next time and our youngest (2 next month) got used to it pretty quickly at about 17 months without much drama.

It took a couple of months for our eldest to get used to it (one night we put him back to bed over 100 times) and didn't fully get easier until we cut out his nap at 3 and put him to bed earlier then he was out like a light.

It does get better honest. Fortunately for me my husband was in charge of bedtime for the eldest at the stage as I was breastfeeding the baby. It is exhausting after a long day with them too.

Should confirm cut out nap age 3, not at 3pm! (wouldn't be wondering why he didn't go to sleep then)