2 Yr Old Won't Sleep Anywhere but Crib

I hope you have a pack-n-play or portable crib to put your 3 month old in, because I don't think your 2 y/o should be pushed out of her crib for the baby. Your 2 y/o probably feels displaced by not being the baby anymore. That probably has something to do with her reluctance. I would just let her choose each night where she wants to sleep (crib or big girl bed) and when she chooses the big girl bed for a couple weeks then you can use it for the baby.

I recommend that you work 'backwards'... Have her wake up in the big bed so you can praise her for sleeping there. When she is out cold transfer her into the big bed. After doing this a few time read stories or what ever your bed time routine is in the big bed- and then put her in the crib to fall asleep. Then work your way to putting her down for a nap in the big bed, then for the night.
We started the backward process with my daughter when she was about 15 months- needing the crib for the newborn, I had her wake up a few times in her crib and then one day/night she got her leg stuck (it took 2 of us to get her leg out)3 times in her crib slats so from that night on she was in her bed.- the next day I put her (used) crib sheet on to her bed so it had her smell in the new bed. I left the crib empty with out sheets- she asked twice to go back /was climbing back into the crib I told her no, it hurt you and pointed at her oweeies.

This is a jealousy thing i think. She thinks that the baby is taking everything and it is just a power play. Decide to be consistant. Make the rules and stick to it. Sometimes bargaining with her is giving her room to manipulate you. What is her thing?? Movies--music--lights
you can let her watch a movie before bed (in her bed ) so that she will fall asleep there. You could put chasing musical christmas lights in her room too. Lulaby music. This is not really a choice it is a nessecity. It is for the safety of your baby. Ahhhhh..... Here is an idea, let her have a friend sleep over and i bet you will get her into her bed and not the crib??
Good luck and god bless

I find it funny that some people think that this is a power play, it isn't, she is comfortable in her bed, it's no different then we are away from home and can't get to sleep because the bed isn't "ours". Honestly if you force it it will become a power play, there are a few good suggestions, put the baby in a pack and play, move the bed to the crib spot and put all her bedding on the big girl bed with her. I think she really isn't ready, a friend of mine has a 3 year old who will only sleep in her crib, why turn what should be a good thing into a power struggle?

Just a thought maybe the walls of the daybed are a bit too much. We moved our daughter to a matress on the floor @ a little over 18 mos. She never was a good crib sleeper. the mattress on the floor complete with her own comforter set was great. She was able to get in and out on her own (and she could only fall the 8" to the floor) have some of her stuffed animals on the bed and she could play on it too. Then after a few months we put the mattress on her big girl bed frame and she thought it was great - now she could hold on to the railing and bounce... While your little maybe jealous, I don't thik you have to let her take control of the the situation. Empower her have her help make the bed, decide what animals will get to sleep with her on the bed, and allow it to be a place to roll around and have fun, which she can't do in the crib.

Good Luck!!

I agree with the other response. Your 2 year old is dictating the rules. You have to be strong. Make it comfortable, exciting, enticing, what ever.. but stick to your guns and let her know that this is her new bed. We just moved ours to his big boy bed for similar reasons. We have the luxury of a bit more time than you did. We took the crib down and put it away, there was no other option than his bed. We were lucky though he loved it right off. I did lay down with mine for his first nap and it helped him go right to sleep. However, now if I lay down with him he says no no, My pilllow. Anyway, it will take your strength and tough love, but you can do it.

let her play in it during the day to learn to like it along with napping

I transitioned my my two year old daughter into a daybed, too. So, do you have it flipped around so there really are four walls, with the open side facing the wall and the rest surrounding her? I did a chart and for each day she stayed in her new crib she got a star and when she stayed in five nights I gave her a huge, soft Dora doll she'd been wanting. She only got to sleep with it if she put it in her new crib with her. It became just a bigger sized crib for her and all her babies to sleep in.

You're 2-year-old may be feeling like she's being replaced. Baby came along 3 months ago and now takes more of mom's time and attention, and now is going to take the crib too! It's not exactly jealousy issues, but it sounds like she's not ready to give up being a baby. You may need to find a way for her to stay in her crib until she's ready to move out - maybe borrow another crib from someone who has one they're not using. Or get an inexpensive one somewhere (you can check thrift stores but be extra vigilant about the safety issues, regulations have changed in recent years).
Don't push your daughter to grow up too fast. LEt her take the lead. As you know, they grow too fast already, and you want to cherish every moment she's little!

Since your baby needs the crib you obviously cannot take it down, but can you remove it from your daughters room, or are they sharing a room?
I would say a chart with stars for every night she has to stay in her own big girl bed. It isn't an option. Don't let her run the show. She is having probably more issue with giving it up for the baby, kids get attached to their cribs and it is something some don't part with well. For my daughter I put her in a big girl bed before my son came, I filled the crib with stuffed animals and put a blanket over it so she couldn't even really see it, but like you needed it for the new baby so couldn't disassemble it.
I took my daughter to pick out comforter, sheets and all the stuff for her big girl bed and she did great. I used a bed rail and really empowered her with being a big girl.

That doesn't seem to be working for your daughter so I would put up a chart for every night she stays put she earns a star, then at the end of the week or whatever a special surprise is earned for her stars. If you have to, remove the crib, disassemble it if you can for a few weeks so it isn't present for her to pitch a fit about. If she sees it that makes it harder.
All you can do is stand firm and tell her she CANNOT sleep in the crib any longer, put her in her bed, do cuddles, snuggles and stories and walk out of the room, baby gate it if you can. If the crib has to be in the same room make sure she cannot get into it! :) Good luck. Just be firm and consistent and obviously it is coming to where she has no choice!

(my sis had similar probs w/ niece)... and I'll be doing this in a few months... so fwiw.... maybe she's probably not quite ready? but obviously you need the space... I'd try maybe easing her in to it. can you buy some time by moving your littlest to a pack & play for a few weeks?

here are a few ideas my sister tried... try using the "big girl" bed as a special place for reading stories, and storing her trasured lovies (create positive association). also, with my niece... she actually didn't want new blankets & sheets until she was older.. so my sis just used the bottom fitted sheet... and the same old crib blankets. She also ended up moving the "big girl" bed in to the same spot in the room... don't know why this helped (maybe same noises, light, etc?)

also, maybe the big girl bed should include an extra story or night time privledge... just try not to rush, and try to make it her decision.

good luck!

In our case, my son transitioned better with a toddler bed and his old crib mattress when he was 18 months. That way it still felt the same to sleep on. To him, a twin size bed was way too big and scary. We got him a race car bed, which he is still in at the age of three. Plus it is lower to the ground than a day bed. At first he was frequently falling out of bed.
Hope this helps. Good luck.