[Max n Meghan's Mom]

We moved Max to a toddler bed at 20 months with no issue, however we were living in a one story home at the time.

Now we're in a townhouse with our bedrooms upstairs. We do have one bedroom downstairs, but I don't like the idea of Meghan being down there alone.

What can/should I do to make it safe for her? We were thinking of putting a gate inside her bedroom to block her from the door and her bathroom door (she has a little hall in her bedroom) and a gate at the top of the stairs. Maybe an alarm on her door?

Robert wanted to put a lock on the outside of the door and lock her in at night but the idea freaks me out and it's not happening.

I'm just terrified of her getting out of her room and falling down the stairs.

I think she's ready for a big girl bed, but I'm just so scared right now.

[mylene169]

When we moved Kaija to a toddler bed we initially did the gate her door thing. After a couple of nights we discovered she wouldn't get out of her bed on her own. She yelled for us every morning until just after Kolbie was born, so nearly 2 years! So we took the gate down and left her door cracked so we could hear her (we never used a monitor with her since our house is tiny and the basement wasn't finished yet). We moved Kolbie to a toddler bed at about 16 months and just leave her door shut. She can't open it yet so we don't worry about her. She does sometimes get up and cry and knock to be let out. The few times I've left her door cracked she comes straight to my bed. However do have a 1 floor house and if she did get up while I was in the basement I'd hear her before she got to the stairs.

[Meganpixel]

When Logan was little we did the gate at the door too. It worked out well for him. between the gate and baby monitors we had no issues.

[Twhylite21]

We have stairs and all of our bedrooms are upstairs. Vi usually sleeps in our room on her mattress still. I leave the door cracked when I wake up and she'll yell for me and then sit in the landing until I come to her. Then, she'll climb down the stairs to me. On nights she sleeps in Lily's room, I gate the door just in case. The 2x DH didn't gate it, she woke up and just came into our room though.

[Katie81]

We moved Lily into a toddler bed right before her 2nd birthday and didn't do anything special, but we did live in a single story home. This time I am in no particular hurry to transition Greyson because I think he will get into trouble. I would try the babygate method though.

[Max n Meghan's Mom]

Yeah I'm just especially paranoid after Max.

Meghan goes up the stairs with us right behind her (the bottom of the stairs are gated) but we always carry her down. I tested her last week and she won't even attempt to go down them even if I'm right there. I'm just afraid of her suddenly learning how to open the door and get brave enough to try...then fall and break her neck.

She's starting to lay sideways across the bed and get her legs stuck in the slats. Even with the bed at the lowest setting, she's so tall if she wanted to get out I know she could.

I guess after Christmas we'll start shopping for beds.

[becker206]

We have a ranch style home but we do have a basement with access to it right from our livingroom. The stairs are steep and there are a lot of them. We have a gate over our stairs but its a gate that bolts into the wall and swings open and shut with a bottom and top latch so it is very safe and secure. I don't trust those gates that are only in place with tension...

[renee4152]

We are planning on putting a gate at Levi's bedroom door when we transition him to a toddler bed. My husband even wants to leave the Angel Care monitor under his mattress so we will know when he gets up at night, but I'm not so sure about that. You could also keep the door shut and put a door knob cover on the inside of the door so she can't open it from the inside.