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Behaviour/development

Talk to others about child development and behaviour stages here. You can find more information on our development calendar.

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Original poster

Anyone who never bothered with a bed guard on their toddler's bed?

64 replies

nickytwotimes · 26/03/2009 19:50

Ds moved out of his cot at the weekend. He is sleeping well in the converted bed apart from falling out. He doesn't hurt himself, but wakes as he is uncomfortable and needs us to lift him back in.
What did you do?
DId you give in and buy a rail in the end?
How long until he gets used to it?

OP posts:

Are your children’s vaccines up to date?

Set a reminder

Ready4anothercoffee · 27/03/2009 00:20

lol chasing squirrels, ds still does that when I made him a truck to wear for book day he went to sleep IN it that night

mrsblanc · 27/03/2009 00:26

never crossed my mind to have one.

uberalice · 27/03/2009 07:56

We use the duvet trick too. Turn it 90 degrees and tuck it in on both sides. Works really well.

kitbit · 27/03/2009 08:13

Yes, we have a guard because ds likes to swivel 90º in his sleep and can only stay asleep if his head and feet are touching something Makes co-sleeping entertaining for all I can tell you! Also when the weather is hotter he likes to flip 180º and burrow into the side of the guard. If it wasn't there he's be head-first onto the marble floor.

Miggsie · 27/03/2009 09:43

Didn't use one...we put a mat and pillows down by the bed the first few nights.
She fell out twice...now problem since then

BackToBasics · 27/03/2009 09:49

We put a few pillows on the floor next to the bed for about a month. She fell out a few times but never falls out now.

spinspinsugar · 27/03/2009 10:17

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

BriocheDoree · 27/03/2009 13:39

DD went straight to a bed with no bed guard. We had a duvet on the floor for a while as the floor's hard parquet, and a couple of times we discovered her asleep on the floor. Her little bro. will very soon go into a bed (at 20 months) but he will prob. have a bed guard as he's a bit less physically able than she was at the same age (not walking yet).

PatienceRequired · 27/03/2009 14:36

I never used a bed guard for mine, but i did roll up a large blanket or spare duvet into a sausage shape and then place it between the fitted sheet and mattress until i was happy they weren't going to fall out. Cheap and purposeful whilst ensuring safety.
Hope that helps.

PatienceRequired · 27/03/2009 14:37

I mean i placed it lengthways along the edge of the bed IYSWIM.
Note to self: preview posts to make sure they make sense!

Sycamoretree · 27/03/2009 14:45

We had one as DD went into her bed at 18 months (after close encounter of the climbing out of her cot kind)and it gave me some piece of mind (and possibly some less sleep broken nights!).

We took it away 2 months ago (she's 3.5 now) and she's only fallen out twice - bizarrely, not until it'd be gone for about 5 weeks

claireybee · 27/03/2009 14:46

We didn't have one but dd's bed is only a toddler bed anyway so very close to the ground

WowOoo · 27/03/2009 14:47

We just have pillows on the floor too.

I sometimes find him there on floor looking so content I leave him and put his duvet on top!

pagwatch · 27/03/2009 15:00

DD went into a big bed when we moved home when she was 18 months. Never had a bed guard or anything else.
She fell out for the first time ever a few weeks ago ..... aged 6 .
But then we never had a stair gate either.

Third child syndrome

wotulookinat · 27/03/2009 15:04

We never bothered with a guard. DS has fallen out a couple of times, but that's due to the masses of cuddly toys that he was in bed with him!

Countingthegreyhairs · 27/03/2009 15:08

Wish I'd read this thread before dd was born!!

BED GUARDS ARE A COMPLETE WASTE OF MONEY IMO

I DID take the trouble to buy one

Realised in my brain-fuddled way that dd's bed had one of those 'boxed in' mattresses which meant you couldn't get the two long prong-like arms of the bed guard under the mattress ...

changed to different sort of mattress with bed guard and ... blow me ... she still managed to fall out three times once at the very top of the bed and once at the foot - where's there's a gap on either side of the guard

After a lot of cursing I took the whole thing apart, consigned it to the attic and let her fall out of bed on to some cushions...

she's quite adept at landing on her feet now ...

pavlovthepregnantcat · 27/03/2009 15:10

We did not bother with a bed guard. DD fell out twice and woke up crying, then a couple of times, rolled over on the floor went to sleep, after a week she stopped completely and is fine now.

She had a toddler bed, low to the ground on carpet so nothing dangerous.

wotulookinat · 27/03/2009 15:10

Ds's original cot wasn't a cotbed, so when we moved him into a toddler bed we put his old cot mattress on the floor next to him in case he fell out.

neversaydie · 27/03/2009 16:05

I used to put a pillow long wise down the bed to reduce chances of falling out. I think we had a couple of falls and then he was fine. I am another who never even thought to pad the floor!

Boys2mam · 27/03/2009 20:40

My DS fell out at his Grandma's house and broke his collarbone - BUY A GUARD RAIL!!!!

pagwatch · 27/03/2009 20:44

my DS2 broke his collar bone at soft play - DON'T GO TO SOFT PLAY.
my DD broke her wrist at gym. DON'T LET YOUR CHILDREN DO GYM.

It is amazing that children of previous generations managed to make it to adulthood without the benefit of bed guards.

Boys2mam · 27/03/2009 20:50

OMG - I get the sarcasm but it was awful holding him down when he had to have his x-rays.

Ok, try it this way. I know my DS flings himself round the bed if he's too hot when he sleeps, if your DC is the same, then you need to protect them. If they are a peaceful sleeper, then your probably fine.

Boys2mam · 27/03/2009 20:54

you're probably fine

Grammaticus · 27/03/2009 20:58

Didn't bother, just put the cot mattress by the bed. They both fell onto it about twice, didn't even wake up!!

Portofino · 27/03/2009 20:59

We never had one. DD climbed out of the cot bed one New year's Eve in a raging temper aged 1.9. next day we took the side off. She rolled out a few times and i found her fast asleep in the middle of the floor. She never even woke up! Then she got the hang of it. We moved house when she was just 2 and bought her a big bed. No problems.

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