Conference moira::parenting_v3

    I'm in England right now so it might be a little too far to drive but
    something you might want to "invest" in which has become a god-send for
    us is the "Sleeper Keeper" which is sold in the back of parenting
    magazines and in the Right Start catalog. It is a twin size sheet with
    bolsters that blow up and fit into pockets in the sheet. It cost about $30
    but it has been a life saver when cribs weren't available.
    We still use it when we travel and Berk in in his own bed. If you are
    in a double occupancy room where there are 2 double bed, you can still
    just lay the sheet with blosters inserted on the middle of the bed and
    it creates the same barrier for the child. 
    
    One point though - if your child really tosses and turns during the
    night, he might be able to flip out. We would wedge our son's bed
    against the wall and then push our bed against his bed so if he rolled
    out, he would land on our bed. My son did it a few times but he's a kid
    who literally lifts his body off the bed to flip over.
    
    If you can find the right size inflatable bolsters, you could make this
    so easily as well. Finding them is the problem - resulting in a "high"
    price for the sleeper keeper.
    
    Just thought the suggestion might help now or in the future.
    
    Andrea

    The easiest thing would be a sleeping bag (or whatever) on an air
    mattress or foam pad on the floor.  Or just put the mattress from the
    "big kid's" bed on the floor with its regular covers.  Or (I did this
    when Aaron was one) slice the bottom or side off a big cardboard box,
    say 6 to 10 inches deep and somewhat larger than the kid, and put the
    sleeping bag in this (on the floor).  The sides will keep the kid from
    rolling down the hall and out to the lake.
    
    		- Bruce

    You probably already checked this out, since you are looking for 
    bed rails to borrow, but some hotels do have bedrails.  We stayed
    in one recently in Disneyworld and I would never have thought to 
    ask for them, but they volunteered when they saw that my daughter
    was a toddler. (but then, they have "everything" in Disneyworld, don't
    they?)  If you haven't yet, you might inquire.
    
    Valerie

    Do you expect to need bed rails at some later point?   The reason
    I ask is that they only cost $10-15 (i.e. not a major purchase)
    and maybe you should just get one.   I think Bradlee's has one 
    type on sale this week.
    
    Carol

    Something we did once when Steven was small was dump the toys out
    of the playpen and unroll the sleeping bag in there.  
    
    --bonnie

How about imitating the way the "sleeper keeper" works, using blankets (or
anything!) rolled up and tucked under edges of the sheets?  This won't work
for a child that really thrashes around, but it will for ones that sort of
roll around the bed.

    Our first out of crib experience with our 2.4 year old was on vacation
    last summer.  The bed was pushed up against the wall and we put two
    chairs with pillows on them on the open side.  She fell out once
    at the other end of the bed!!! And then she was fine.  When we came
    home it was no more crib!

    Actually, I'm afraid that's what will happen with James.  I do
    plan to buy the bed rails, actually I ordered them through a
    buying club I belong to, but they won't be in in time.  And I
    found a set to borrow, thank you very much.  What _did_ you do
    when your daughter decided she didn't want her crib anymore,
    Maxine?  I mean, we can go out and get James another bed, of
    course, but it'll take a while before it is delivered and all
    that jazz.
    
    Rock-a-bye baby,
    Kate

    Fortunately we have the kind of crib that changes into a bed by taking
    off the side rails and the foot board.  Voila!  We had a short ceremony
    threw some pillows on the floor and that was that.  Also fortunately
    she doesn't wander.  She will play in her room after she gets put to
    bed (we often find that she has gotten a book to look at by the light
    of the night light) but she doesn't come out except to use the
    bathroom.  Too easy you say?  I choose to believe it is excellent
    parenting skills 8:)
    

    Kate,
    
    About that time while you're waiting for the bed to come, assuming
    James likes the bed while on vacation. There is some information in
    another recent note (climbing out of crib, I think). We put just a
    mattress on the floor - luckily we had a spare one. You could use a
    mattress from a sleep sofa or possibly borrow a mattress from someone.
    I don't suggest an air mattress. We lived on them for a few months
    during our international move and they cannot insulate enough to keep
    the child warm. We found out the hard way with a few sleepless nights
    of our son constantly trying to sleep in our bed and finally one night
    he said "cold" and we understood. I tried sleeping on it one night and
    froze!! Maybe even a sleeping bag on the floor might work.
    
    Good luck. 
    Andrea                                          

    Yes, a sleeping bag on the floor will usually work just great.  If
    the floor is hard or cold, you can put a folded blanket, or a
    quilt or two, underneath it.  
    
    This also works well for visits to relatives who might not have
    enough spare beds and for hotel/motel rooms when you don't want to
    take up space having an extra bed wheeled into the room.
    
    --bonnie