Triplescoop asked:


Today we use crib tents. What were some of the old practices (safe or not) that older generations used?

{ 11 comments… read them below or add one }

john r October 26, 2009 at 7:01 pm

A WILLOW BRANCH BEATING.. OR ROPE?

Lisa E October 27, 2009 at 2:34 pm

They just lowered the mattress so the baby couldn’t climb out. Once the mattress was as low as it could be…and the baby could STILL climb…it was time for a big kid bed.

danielromero60 October 28, 2009 at 4:30 pm

They used tied down harnesses that strapped the kids to the bed…. cruel and unusual punishment I say.

Yarro Pilz October 30, 2009 at 12:31 pm

I don’t know.

I’m guessing they didn’t. I wouldn’t, either. When (or even before) my kids were able to climb out of the crib, it was time for a twin bed with rails. And a baby gate across the bedroom door.

Sherry November 2, 2009 at 3:42 pm

When babies were old enough to climb out of their cribs they graduated to a youth bed or a single bed with a slide under the mattress rail and a foot stool.

MrsYuk November 3, 2009 at 9:08 am

I didn’t use a tent, we just got him a baby gate for his door and a toddler bed when he started getting out of the crib.
But I guess that doesn’t qualify, ours is 4 years old.
My mom just put us into twin beds when we climbed out of cribs, and whoopin’s to make us stay in there.

letaican November 4, 2009 at 3:40 pm

Often in past years children slept with their parents or in home made beds on the floor next to the parents beds. I’m sure that a lot of children fell out of their cribs before it was improved.

The Mrs. November 5, 2009 at 9:37 am

Well, if a child is strong enough to get out of the crib they should have a “big kid” bed. End of story…that is the only REAL safe way.

bikkerbabeee November 7, 2009 at 2:00 pm

my first child was born before crib tents and when he was able to climb out when the mattress was on the lowest setting.. we got him a toddler bed and installed a baby gate.

Melissa November 10, 2009 at 8:15 am

Actually, on both my husbands side of the family and mine, no one used cribs in the generations before us. The babies slept with the parents (my parents slept with their parents) until they were old enough to be in a low bed (usually by one year). My husband’s family, the younger ones slept with their siblings until they desired a bed of their own.

We don’t use crib tents ourselves, we usually start with a toddler bed at one year old.

jelliclepat November 11, 2009 at 11:57 pm

Lisa E is the closest of the answers so far. Even so, I was an escape artist, and I’ll bet a lot of my fellow Boomers were, too. I guess it’s been that way since the Year Dot.

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