A mother has come up with an innovative way to stop her toddler son from falling out of his bed – but some people have pointed out an alarming risk after seeing the results.
Taking to TikTok, the US mother – known as @leahvidaurre on the social site – posted a video demonstrating the process of creating an inexpensive invention to prevent her son from rolling out of his Montessori floor bed.
The content creator regularly posts tips and advice for her 45,000 followers and fellow new mothers, from breastfeeding hacks to sensory play suggestions.
Leah revealed how she creates a ‘barrier’ to stop her son tumbling out using three pool noodles taped together.
The video received more than half a million likes and in excess of 1,600 comments, with many pointing out how her hack could be compromised.
In the video, Leah reveals the surprising method to prevent her toddler son from falling out of bed – three pool noodles bound together using tape to create a ‘barrier’
In the recent video, Leah was recorded entering a Dollar Tree store to purchase around half a dozen bright colored pool noodles.
She said in a voiceover: ‘My son keeps rolling out of his bed at night. It’s a Montessori bed – oh wait, sorry, I keep getting called out by all the Karens online – it’s a mattress on the ground.
‘Anyways, he keeps rolling out of his bed at night and this is interrupting his sleep. I’m up all night with anxiety thinking he’s going to roll out so it’s really just not working.’
As a solutiong, Leah attached three pool noodles together using sticky tape, creating a triangle-like shape to be used as a bumper.
She explained: ‘I decided to make these bumpers out of pool noodles, so I went to the local dollar store and I taped them up in kind of like a triangle shape.’
The content creator then removed all of the sheets and bedding from the mattress to place the bumpers on the right and left side of the bed, leaving the bottom edge open.
Leah continued: ‘I’m putting them on two sides. I’m going to leave one side of the bed open so he can get in and out.
‘He’s been getting really good at regulating himself. When he’s tired, he crawls into bed and falls asleep. When he’s not tired, he gets out and plays.’
The content creator removes all of the sheets and bedding from the mattress to place the bumpers on the right and left side of the bed, leaving the bottom edge open
The mother completed the video by rolling around in different directions on her son’s bed – demonstrating the successful effect of the pool noodle bumpers.
She concluded: ‘I did test them – they kept me in the bed! So here’s to sleeping through the night.’
Some people shared enthusiasm and gratitude in the comments for the cheap, creative tip – especially those who also have a Montessori bed themselves or for their little ones to sleep in.
One user said, ‘This is a good idea, I’m keeping this in mind for when my son has his floor bed too,’ while another wrote: ‘That’s actually genius.’
However, an overwhelming amount of users pointed out a flaw in Leah’s idea to attach the bumpers to a mattress that is placed directly onto the floor – the high probability of mold developing under it.
A commenter wrote: ‘I think it’s important to still have it elevated since a mattress without airflow causes mold over time.’
Another said: ‘You should get like bed slats to keep it off the ground for ventilation.’
One user warned: ‘As a student, I was sleeping on a mattress on the ground. But it grew mouldy and I got headaches. Please consider something for some airflow under it!’
Some people commented on the mom’s video to praise her for her creative idea, but the majority of users pointed out that her son’s floor mattress posed a health risk
Another agreed, writing: ‘As everyone else said, please put some slats of wood or something to elevate the mattress so it doesn’t get mold.’
One person complimented Leah’s idea but also issued her own advice. She said: ‘For small kids that walks around a lot at night this is a smart thing no injuries. But would recommend a small frame under so it doesn’t grow mold.’
A lone commenter explained that pool noodle bumpers have been used similarly before in particular industries, saying: ‘In the nursing home industry we’ve been making bolsters out of pool noodles for years.’
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