Friends,
When my middle kid was a baby, we heard a thud one night. He climbed over the top of this crib and fell to the floor. No damage the kid or the floor, but we wondered what to do. We put the side down, and let him get out easily. He would get out and sleep on the floor. It worked for him.
Yesterday, I found out that a child in the neighborhood climbed over the top of his crib, and fell to the floor and broke his arm.
Do any of you know of any interesting crib designs that get around this hazard? There have been new requirements on cribs such as slats being closer together, and latches that don’t unlatch easily, but nothing to keep a kid from falling a long way.
I suppose one could put a “roof” on the top of a crib. One could make the crib sides only a foot tall and have the mattress on the floor, so there is no distance to fall.
Any creative ideas out there on cribs?
I am about to have my first granddaughter.
Mel
Measure your output in smiles per board foot.
Replies
My first son (now in college) was a rambler. We kept the crib gate up with the matress set on the lowest setting and had hard wood floors and had a cople thuds. Fortunately, no major injuries. After the second one, we got rid of the crib and moved him to a bed that sat low on the floor and kept it against a wall and a piece of foam on the other side. That boy has been ramblin ever since!
The nine most terrifying words in the English language are, 'I'm from the government and I'm here to help.' - Renaldus Magnus
Bones,
thank you for sharing that about your first son. Our second son was the one who fell out of the crib, and he is still rambling. There must be something to this. We came to the same conclusion. Put the kid closer to the floor so he cant fall far. Maybe cribs should be abandoned in favor of low beds.MelMeasure your output in smiles per board foot.
God made them pretty resiliant. That boy started moving as soon as we brought him home from the hospital. I would hear him getting fussy at 3:00 in the morning and go in and he'd be up against the head board butt'n it trying to go. My mom (God rest her soul) said that boy's going to be a hand full. When she said that with 5 kids I got scared. Sure enough, he's into rock climbing did sports has ADD. My second son is the exact opposite. Was laid back as a baby(now almost 14) and a kid more introverted and shy. Hates sports (thats fine with me) and loves music and is in the band, and never fell out of bed. Love'm both. I would not trade any of my experiences with either. That first one taught me to sleep with one eye open though. I asked my mom "what am I going to do?" In her down to earth manner, "go with your gut and you will be ok". So many years down the road I now know what she meant. Good luck get him a racecar bed or something he'll be fine. Take care.
The nine most terrifying words in the English language are, 'I'm from the government and I'm here to help.' - Renaldus Magnus
Edited 5/29/2009 10:47 am by bones
Edited 5/29/2009 10:49 am by bones
Bones,
Your mom had it right. Go with your gut when it comes to kids. Wish my mom was still around to see her great grand kids. Whenever each of her sons wives had a kid, she would go to whereever they were and take care of them until they threw her out. All learned to appreciate her help. Her parents were both from the Old Country, but she was the essence of the Old Ways. THEY STILL WORK. I taught Psychology 101 at Penn State back in 1969. It was a an "extention course" which was taught at night. So I had some members of the football team, local nmerchants and LUCKILY, three middle aged mothers. When we got to the section on "developmental psychology", I started to "teach". But they took over, and told the class what having babies and bringing them up is really like. I will never forget. One of them said, "My first kid was kicking and punching in the womb. He came out kicking and punching, and he is still kicking and punching. The other one was gentle before birth and still is." She had learned well, and I learned from her. Good luck with the two of yours, who are still young. Our three are 'fully growed' ranging from 28 to 33.. They are married and have jobs. The youngest has a 16 month old son. The oldest will have a daughter in late June (or thereabouts).Thanks for sharing.
MelMeasure your output in smiles per board foot.
My boy was like that and my oldest 'China Doll'.. I just put a mattress on the floor and closed the door after removing any sharp objects!
two words: concertina wire
Sean,
Concertina wire! Yes. I can tell that you have kids.
MelMeasure your output in smiles per board foot.
Mel, my daughter was a climber and from day one hated being in a crib. As soon as she could get her leg up to the top of the crib we switched her to a bed with one of those metal-bar thingies that you anchor between the mattress & box spring to prevent kids from rolling out of bed. She still managed to break her collar bone twice by tumbling onto the floor. Nothing much you can do; they're doing what kids are supposed to at that age: explore every nook and cranny of the world and their bodies. Fortunately, at that age, the bones are so tiny that they heal very quickly and the breaks aren't as painful as later, when their bones are bigger.
BTW, my daughter grew to become a gymnast and dancer. I've lost track of the number of breaks and sprains. One I remember is a broken thumb from doing somersaults on my bed. It's all in the landing.
Have fun,
Norman
I'm a little puzzled by this thread. The "cribs" ("cots" here) that I am familiar with have high sides. When the toddler is standing up in bed the top rail is chest high and there is no way that the little angel can climb out. The rails can slide up and down to make it easier to lift the child into and out of the crib.The kid gets a new bed when the rail reaches to just above the bottom of the rib cage at the front. This is the point where a determined brat can roll over the rail.Then it's a low bed with a half length rail to prevent rolling out of bed. They can still manage it 'cos I've known mine to crawl right round and sleep with their head at the foot of the bed.Are your cribs different?
They are different and obiously yours are better designed as most of the ones in the States (colonies) the top of the rail is chest high for a standing toddler and it's not too difficult for the more determined to get a leg over....so for Mel, the obvious solution would be hight rails...in the hospital we have plastic covers that go across the top of the crib to prevent would be escapees .....though falls at home from cribs must be fairly common, I seldom see broken clavicles or arms from that cause ..
Neil
Dave,
Either our cribs are different or our kids are different. :-)Many kids climb up and over the high rail and just fall on the floor. As I said, the child of a neighbor, who is 18 months old just did that and broke his arm. Now the parents put him in a nightsuit in which the bottom is sort of a bag, so the kid can't use his legs independently. Also the kid has not yet figured out how to unzip the suit, and get out of it. Yup, kids climb to the top of the high bar on the crib and fall out. Parents try lots of ways to stop that. I was asking if anyone knew of any new or creative ways or crib designs, etc. Short of that, the way we solved it was to let the kid sleep on the floor so he wouldn't climb and fall. I am surprised that you haven't encountered this. I am happy for you. It is disconcerting, and very unsafe.Thanks for writing.
MelMeasure your output in smiles per board foot.
Norm,
That is a great story. I just told my wife. She got a kick out of it. We had one climber and two that didn't. We let the climber sleep on the floor. He used to go over to the closet with his blanket, and stick his head in the closet and sleep like a log. We left the crib mattress for him, but he liked the floor better.You are right. They explore. They grow up. But it is fun.
MelMeasure your output in smiles per board foot.
Mel,
The best I can offer is to send you the dimensions of a typical Maltese cot (crib). I've raised 3 girls and falling out of the crib may well be the only accident we haven't had. My two cribs (one bought, one made) have been used by a total of 9 children and they have all been safely "contained"
Actually I personally have never heard or read of this happening locally. Obviously YMMV.
I no longer have either cot but can easily check one out.
Dave.
Thank you for the offer. I think I have most of the statistics on crib dimensions. If it comes up, I know where to find you. :-)
Thank you,
MelMeasure your output in smiles per board foot.
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Don,
Thank you,
Excellent and practical suggestion.
Someone else suggested concertina wire. Yours is much more humane.
MelMeasure your output in smiles per board foot.
Thank you, Mel. There are wooden ones that perhaps might be more in keeping with the theme of the forum, however the type pictured is soooooo much easier to clean and sanitize when the little darling decides to fingerpaint with self-manufactured "paint".
Don,
Dealing with kids prepares one for dealing with Knots. :-)I am thinking about a crib with sides which are shaped like a pyramid. They slant down and out. That way, the kid just slides down the side if he is able to climb over the top, and he or she will just enjoy the ride and not be injured. This makes it difficult to put the baby in the crib, so I will have to add a crane to life the baby, reposition it, and then gently let the baby down into the crib.MelMeasure your output in smiles per board foot.
ever seen kids on monkey bars? As a parent of a climber a top would have been the only think that would have kept him in. I guess grease on the slats might work but it would have been a mess every morning :) The nine most terrifying words in the English language are, 'I'm from the government and I'm here to help.' - Renaldus Magnus
Bones,
I agree with your about kids who climb. You know me, I like to work with everybody in the style they like to use. SO, I just let the kid sleep on the floor. That made him happy for a while, then he wanted a bed. The climbing and falling from a crib was a short but exciting phase. I never wanted to crimp a kid's style. I like them to express themselves, just like woodworkers do on Knots. :-) Now that my climber is an adult, he has graduated to bicycle racing. Have fun.
MelMeasure your output in smiles per board foot.
Mine likes to hang on to and climb rocks(he's about 19). Scares the begeezus out of me so I quit watching. He just finished driving back to college (14hrs). The wife was scared but I told her we did good raised him as best we could have some faith! Still seems like yesterday he came out kicking and screaming. Funny part is he told me at 16 he could not wait to get the hell out of my house. Now he calls every day (I'm in PA and he's in Saint Louis). Funny how things work out. Take care.
The nine most terrifying words in the English language are, 'I'm from the government and I'm here to help.' - Renaldus Magnus
Edited 6/1/2009 9:07 am by bones
"The wife was scared but I told her we did good raised him as best we could have some faith!"As I keep telling my wife, that's all we can do. The rest is up to them.
Amen brother!The nine most terrifying words in the English language are, 'I'm from the government and I'm here to help.' - Renaldus Magnus
Bones,
Yup, they say "Insanity is hereditary. You get it from your kids."Best of luck to your rock climber. I remember my wife saying that when our climber got his driver's license, he would be in West Virginia in a matter of hours. She wasn't far from wrong. We are here in VA. When I asked our climber son where he wanted to go to college, he said "university of New Mexico." Yup. He went there, got two degrees and a wife. I have a great affinity for your State. I met my wife at Penn State where I got my doctorate. She is from York. Our oldest went to Carnegie Mellon for nine years, where he got three degrees, and he got married. PA, I love the place! Pittsburgh, for example, where else can you find a place that puts french fries in the steak sandwich? Have fun.
MelMeasure your output in smiles per board foot.
Funny, I'm from Southwest VA and have been trying to get back ever since I left. I'm a corporate vagabond and have to go where the paycheck is (St. Louis, now in Pottstown). The area I'm in has a lot of stuff, and cherry(my favorite), but I'd just as soon go back to Roanoke if I could. You take care. The nine most terrifying words in the English language are, 'I'm from the government and I'm here to help.' - Renaldus Magnus
"Funny part is he told me at 16 he could not wait to get the hell out of my house. Now he calls every day..."
Craziness of male children = 1 / abs(age - 16)
You will note that the function reaches a maximum of infinity at age 16.
-Steve
The desire to leave home and the friendliness of the relationship don't seem to be related.One of my girls is married. The other 2 have just bought a house which will be completed, and they can move into, in October. No hard feelings on either side but they can't wait to leave. Meanwhile they are still driving daddy's cars and getting advice from both parents. No need to say what topics my wife and I are consulted about.Saluti da Malta.
Dave
"Saluti da Malta."Parli bene l'italiano.
A presto,
MelMeasure your output in smiles per board foot.
I made an oval crib where one side can open like a door (but can be closed with recessed bolts), also, in this door, three of the slats (5/8" cherry dowels) come out. When kids want out they will get out. You have to find a way to let them do that safely. Don't mess with mother nature !
Now my second young one is about to outgrow this crib so it's bed-building time again very soon.
Pezzi,
The oval crib with the removable slats is a very creative idea. Thanks for sharing that. I really was looking for creative solutions to the design problem. Of course, creative practical solutions are hard to find. I believe you have hit on one.By the way, your name "Pezzi" has a bit of an Italian ring to it.
E' italiano Lei?
Ciao. A piu' tardi.
MelMeasure your output in smiles per board foot.
Hi Mel,I'm a Kraut, actually, and grew up only a few hundred miles from the Italian border. I moved to the US 6 years ago - now I am in Princeton, NJ.I'll need to take a pic and post - I'll try to remember that tonight. BTW I used SOSS hinges for the door ... so you don't know they are there.For the removable slats I just drilled the upper hole extra deep and made sure I had a friction fit. It's that simple ! My daugther does not need to climb or even figure out the slats, she'll just shout until her 5 year old brother comes over with a stepstool and lifts her out of the crib. Now I am not sure what to do with the crib. Not planning for a #3, so I'll keep it for the grandchildren :o)Pezzi
Edited 6/1/2009 10:04 am ET by Pezzi
Herr Pezzi,
Wie geht's heute? Ich bin ein Italianer. Actually all four grandparents were from Italy. Ich spreche Deutsch, aber nur ein bischen. And I can't spell or do grammar worth a darn, but I look for the verb at the end of the sentence. Thanks for the info on your crib design. I really suggest you post a photo of the crib since the design is so interesting, and since the topic is so important -- the design of kid's furniture for safety as well as functionality. What to do with the crib? Well, sign it with a woodburning pen, and burn a message into it - your name, the date it was made, who it was made for originally, etc. Hundreds of years from now, historians of fine furniture will study the message and attribute great things to you. It might be on "Antiques Roadshow 2075". I just finished a child's glider (rocker) for my 16 month old grandson, and am woodburning a message on the bottom. I also wrote a longer message on one of the pieces that will be upholstered by my wife. Someone will get a kick out of it if it ever gets reupholstered. It was my first attempt at a chair, at a mechanism, at rounded pieces, at joining curved pieces, at doing angles other than 90 and 45. It has been a great experience. I'll post photos as soon as my wife upholsters the back and seat.Have fun.
Auf wiedersehen.
A piu tardi.
A demain. Pick a language. Of course, I don't understand some of the messages in Knots and they are in English. :-)
MelMeasure your output in smiles per board foot.
Mel,
I have an 18 month old daughter who is starting to try to climb out of her crib. Toddler's can definitely get their feet up to about head height, and are surprisingly strong and resourceful. Unless you get a crib that has very high sides (which makes it difficult for parents), they will climb out. The crib we have is fairly low to the ground, so for the first two children, after my wife rejected my suggestion of chicken wire, we just waited for the first big bump. After that, we left the crib sides down, so that they were high enough to keep the kid from rolling our of bed during sleep, but low enough to climb out of without getting hurt. They seem to like the security of low walls around them when they sleep, and they enjoy climing in and out. After a few months of this I went to the shop and put together a toddler bed.
Simon
Simon,
Your approach to toddlers and cribs and beds is wise. We did much the same, and we let the kid sleep on the floor since that is what he liked to do. It didn't do any harm. When he wanted a bed, it was there for him.I like your name "poplarguy". Poplar is a wood that doesn't get the respect it derves. Enjoy.
Mel
Measure your output in smiles per board foot.
Hey, I know this is probably past the point you need any info, but I saw this plan today and thought of you. It's a crib with storage and converts to a JR. Bed. Pretty cool actually.
http://www.woodcraftplans.com/osc/crib-plans-p-630.html
The nine most terrifying words in the English language are, 'I'm from the government and I'm here to help.' - Renaldus Magnus
Bones,
Not too late. I just looked up the plans at the address you gave me. That looks to be a much more efficient use of space than the cribs that you buy in stores. Quite nice. I will show my wife.
Thank you very much.
MelMeasure your output in smiles per board foot.
Not a problem. If you build be sure and post pics'The nine most terrifying words in the English language are, 'I'm from the government and I'm here to help.' - Renaldus Magnus
There are hospital cribs that have bars on top.
If a kid can climb over the top, assuming that the mattress is set to the lowest level, it might be time to graduate to a bed and a gate on the room. Alternately, a portable playpen has sides as high as a crib but the bottom is just off the floor, so the drop from the rail to the floor is a lot shorter.
Doc,
thanks for the info on hospital cribs.Some kids are INCREDIBLE climbers. But the bars on the top will stop them.MelMeasure your output in smiles per board foot.
Some kids are INCREDIBLE climbers. But the bars on the top will stop them.
Never! I have two that I think that could climb that really big volcano on Mars!
EDIT:
And as to English... just try to think what this woman and man said..
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Eqfdn8_ftYQ&feature=related
Edited 6/4/2009 7:19 am by WillGeorge
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