My son, Jake, is 18 months old and sleeps well all through the night, but we just bought him a new bed which does not block him in his bed. How can we teach him to stay in bed when it's bedtime? Is it something that CAN be taught? Any advice would be appreciated.
Thanks,

When our darlings reach about six months old and the threat of SIDS is greatly reduced, we breathe a sigh of relief. We begin to think of their cribs as safe havens. While they may not always be happy in their cribs, they won't be able to hurt themselves while in the protection of those four slatted walls.

Then it happens.

He learns to pull himself to standing. Soon he is cruising 'round and 'round the crib, instead of going down for a nap. Then he begins to bounce up and down. Before long, he catapults over the top -- generally landing with a loud thud. A long silence follows, then a heart-stopping wail.

It's high time for a big-boy bed.

Woody, your first task in this transition is to make his room as safe as his crib used to be. This means fresh, aggressive childproofing.

• Check furniture such as bookshelves for stability. If need be, fasten furniture to the wall.
• Put locks on dresser drawers -- toddlers love to pull out drawers and use them as stair steps to the top of a piece of furniture.
• Replace standard electrical outlet covers with childproof covers. I prefer these to the plastic-cap-type that are inserted into the outlet. The plastic caps are easily removed by an adult and then lost, leaving the plug uncovered. Worse yet, the plugs can be removed by children who will put them in their mouths while exploring the outlet.
• Make sure mini-blind, drapery, and curtain cords are well out of reach
• Remove any toys or other small objects that could be a choking hazard.
• Put any potentially hazardous materials, such as disposable diapers, in the closet and install a childproof latch on the closet door.