21 Month Old in a Toddler Bed Realistic?

I moved my son to his "big boy room" before he was 2. His bed had a trundle bed that pulled out and for a few months he slept on the trundle because I was afraid he'd fall out of the bigger bed. I did put a baby gate at his door so he could see out but not get out. I would only worry about her approaching the stairs while 1/2 asleep if you can't close the stairway off. I know my son has always climbed up and down the stairs safely, but would not be as safe before fully awake.

I also think doing the transition all at once makes sense!

Good luck

In my experience any big changes and moving and a new baby certainly qualify as two of the biggest, are a time when regression is common. It's probably not the best time to take away her familiar routines. Just my opinion. Best of luck!

Dear M.,

It has been a long time since I had a toddler in the house. My thought is that a new house and a new baby are enough stress for a child less than two. I really don't like the idea of having her in a room with the door shut. What if she gets out of bed and falls asleep right in front of her door. Then you couldn't get into the room.

I wouldn't rush her to be a big girl. When children are small it seems as though they will never grow up. Next thing you know they are heading off to college.

I'm a mother of two adult children. That's my two cents worth. Grin :)

My daughter started in her "big girl" bed at18-19 months, it was the best thing I've ever done. Why do you think it necessary to keep her door open? Also, why wouldn't you shut her door? Is she not tall enough/able to open to door herself? If she is, that's what I would do? As a mother, you know what is and isn't acceptable to keep in her room, whether you are or aren't in there. I mean, this may sound bad to other moms, but I keep her door shut so she can't get out HAHA. I find it humorous in some ways -- but realistically, I dont want her jumping up and running out of bed/her room to the living room, our bedroom, whatever...

I would also def put toys in her room cause if she wakes up and you aren't awake yourself, she can play with her toys --- or what if she wakes up in the middle of the night, and is totally comfortable by herself, and just wants to play? I don't personally see anything wrong with my daughter waking up at 4 a.m. and deciding "hey! instead of waking up my mommy and daddy, im going to play with my toys like a big girl"

Have you thought about letting her pick out the bed herself? Our daughter is HUGE into tinker bell right now, and she just LOVES her Tinker Bell Canopy bed :) Its sweet. It also has detachable side rails for her.

I woudn't worry about her rolling around in the bed as some people have said you should put soft toys in there for her. I really don't understand that suggestion....i mean, she rolls around in her crib, and people have always made a big deal about PUTTING toys, specifically SOFT ones, in there in the event of suffocation or whatnot, am I correct? (I think so, not sure)

GOOD LUCK!!!!!

i put all my LO' in toddler beds when they were able to climb in and out of them alone wich was around 1-1.5 with no problems. I just put a gate up at the stairs so we dont have any accidents and let them go. good luck with the move

My daughter was about 20 months when I put her in a toddler bed. Before that point she was already putting herself to sleep on her own (with a sippy cup) and usually slept through the night. The toddler bed worked very well actually. The first couple of nights I had to stay upstairs in my room at bedtime because if she didnt fall asleep quick enough she liked to get out of bed, but once she was down (which took maybe 30 mins) she was good for the night unless she needed more water in her sippy (which happened in the crib anyway except shed just cry until I came to help instead of coming to get me and not crying at all). After a few days of me being gentle but very firm that she was not to get out of bed unless she actually needed something she started staying in bed at bedtime without a problem. So yes, I think it is very realistic, but how easy it is will depend a lot on what kind of sleep habits your child currently has.

M.,
Great questions! I was in a similar situation when I was prego with my second. Here are a few things to consider. When my son went from his crib to his big boy bed (twin), there was no keeping him in bed against his will. Rarely did this happen, but he quickly realized that just because mom says it is time for bed, doesn't mean that he can't get up. He tried several times to "test" his boundaries when it came time to sleep (nap/bedtime)and I just had to repeat to him to stay in bed.
The other side to this is during the night. Before when he woke up, he was forced just to go back to sleep because he had no other options, but now he can get up and roam about. I know every kid is different when is comes to sleep routine, just consider your routine before you move her and have a game plan to know how you want her to act long term.
We have no problems with my son and sleeping (who will be 3 in July) because we started out with strong boundaries. He knows when it is time to sleep - he has to stay in his bed.
When he first moved into his new room, I would close the door (as I did when he was in the crib) when he went to bed, but listen to make sure he stayed in bed. The minute I heard noise that was something else, I went in. Then when we went to bed, we put a babygate in the door way to keep him in his room and out of trouble. His room is totally baby proofed and had toys so in the a.m. he could play when he woke up. Of course, instead he opened his door and joyfully yelled for mom to wake up so we could eat breakfast. We moved our son when he was 2 years old and he did great, so I am sure your daughter will be good as well. Now we no longer need the gate and when he wakes he just comes into our room. I think making a big deal about it being her "big girl" room is a great idea. Good luck - hope some of this has helped.
A.
Mom of two, Logan, almost 3 and Lexi, 7 m/o

I just moved my son who is 22 months old into a queen size bed and it has been the best thing I did. I am also prego and do not want to buy another crib especially when I had new guest bed that was in our extra room that will eventually be the baby room.

We talked every night for about a week telling him that he was going to get a big boy bed soon. Anyhow, we got a rail for the side and we put a baby gate up in front of his door at night (his bedroom is upstairs and ours is downstairs) and he sleeps great! The first night was rough, he was up and down majority of the night, but we never got in bed with him. We either sat on the floor next to him or layed on his floor until he fell back asleep. The first night was the only night we did that....after that we have not had any problems. Even going to sleep at night he does not climb out--he will sit on his bed and play--but he will not climb out of it. However, in the morning and after nap, he climbs out without a problem.

It is realistic and it will work. You will lose a little sleep, but better now, than when the baby gets here. I say to give the transition a week or so and you should be back to sleeping again! :) Good luck!

Hi M.!

I think your idea is very realistic. I actually put my son in his twin bed (on the floor, no frame) at 15 months. He slept much better once he had more space; he's a restless sleeper and was always getting a foot or arm stuck in the crib slats. My son's pediatrician said that as long as he can climb up and down by himself, it's safe.

We keep the door closed, mainly for safety reasons and noise levels (we're in an apartment). We do keep toys in his room and never had a problem with him playing instead of sleeping. We have such consistent bedtime routine, he knows it's bedtime!

I'm sure your daughter will be fine! Good luck!

we just moved our 19 month old into a new bedroom (same house, just down the hall) with a twin bed. she went straight from the crib to the twin (it's low to the floor). we were dreading it as well, anticipating many sleepless nights, etc etc. we were shocked b/c she slept through the night continuously for the past two weeks. she does get out to play with her toys sometimes & then falls asleep on the floor or in front of the door (we keep it closed) but that has only been twice. naps were a bit more difficult to pull off. she would play for a long time (an hour or more), then sleep for only an hour (she had been taking 2 1/2 to 3 hour naps in her crib before the transition) & usually slept somewhere other than the bed, like the floor or in the glider rocker. only in the past few days has she started to sleep longer in the twin bed for her naps. still, she would stay in her room the entire nap, (again, we kept the door closed) which still gave me about 3 hours of afternoon time to myself. it has worked out so much better than we thought! our pediatrician advised that she will figure out that it is more comfortable to sleep in the bed than on the floor on on her toys & this has been happening. good luck!

I transitioned my daughter to a toddler bed when she was 22 months in anticipation of a newborn a couple of months later. She did great. She was not old enough to open the doorknob so we would shut the door during naps and eventually she would go to sleep. I had to move a lot of her toys other than snuggly items out of the room so she would not be distracted. It was very important to keep the same nighttime or nap time routine.

We moved to a toddler bed before my child turned 2 so maybe 22 months. I walked in one day and her leg was caught in the bars from her trying to climb out. So it was time.The transition was actually pretty easy... but her crib broke down into a toddler bed so it didn't look too different for her. My advice is ... don't make a huge deal out of it unless she rejects it. I wouldn't advise toys and food either. I also keep her door closed because watching a groggy toddler wander around ain't pretty :)

I also don't believe in the cry it out method - we didn't do it with my little one and we've had smooth transitions from baby crib, cosleeper, our room, her room, and toddler bed. The key is consistency. It doesn't matter if they reject it - you just try daily until they accept it - but try not to make it a huge deal for them.

I think trying a toddler bed would be fine if it's what you want to do. The only thing that I'd say is to keep soft things around the bed in case your dd moves around a lot like my ds- he used to fall out of a bed that was totally surrounded, except for one half of the end. lol

To answer some other questions- I think locking the door would be a bad idea. It could be very scary for your dd, and not safe.
I also think that it is important to respond to all crying. It can be scary being by yourself in the dark, especially in a new place. I personally hate sleeping alone, and being alone if I get scared in the night. I won't make my ds stay by himself if he's scared or unhappy being alone!

I think that every child is different. Some little ones wouldn't be ready at that age and some would. I think you know your child best. I have a 21 month old and would transition her in a heartbeat! We are having some construction done on our house and and soon as its done she and my other daughter will be sharing a room... she will be going into a toddler bed. So I say go for it!

My daughter will be too next month, and she has been in her own bed from about 18 months, not a toddler bed but a proper single. She has a rail down the side so she can't fall out, and a mickey mouse clubhouse duvet cover and pillow case, I told her that Mickey Mouse would look after her when she's in her knew big girl bed, and she settled in without a problem.
There are some soft toys on her bed, and she has a little step where she can climb up and down from the bed. Usually when I'm going to bed I look it and usually there are books and what not on the bed and she's asleep in some odd position! LOL! My rule is she goes to bed but she doesn't have to sleep straight away.

My daughter was 22 mo. old when she got her big girl bed.
I took her to the store & let her pick out her new sheets/comforter. We took it all home, washed them up & that very night she slept in her new bed. She was SOOOO excited!!! That was it. No more crib. No requests for it either.
She would wake & yell for me, instead of getting up, so I can't tell you what your child would do. We had toys in her room already, you know how that is, but we didn't have problems with her getting up & playing.
Good luck with the transition & the move. :o)

I would suggest that you keep toys in her room and have her stay in her room until she gets a little older. I am a foster parent and I have an area also that kids can go, but as all kids do, they always go past their boundries. This way, when she gets up, she can play and have fun until you are ready to deal with them getting up. When you have more than one, you will understand. When you have more than one up, you have a bunch of stuff going on all the time. It makes it a lot easier when they all have their time to be up, but in their own space. You could set a sippy cup with water and a snack so that she can eat when she wants. I have two grown children and a 2 year old with special needs. I also have 3 two year old foster kids, so all together I have 4 2yr olds. I would love to let my 2 year old do more things, but my experience shows me from my other grown children that what you do with one kind of has to go with the others. Since I have 20 years space between children, I see what mistakes I made. You have to think of what could happen even if it seems like you are more strict. When I let my older children have that same freedom, they were jumping down stairs, and also conning each other into doing things that I would have died if I knew. They have only told me lately things that they did. I hope that this helps you. D. G.

We moved our daughter at 2 1/2, but we, too, were expecting our second child back then. We made A HUGE deal out of moving her to a new room. She picked out the colors, theme, etc. She loves her Tinkerbelle room. But, she was ready for the move, emotionally, and physically. You'll know the signs when your pixie is ready for her own big girl bed. Can you borrow a toddler bed from someone, or pehaps an air bed might work as "trial" run. Our daughter has stuffed toys in her room, but no other toys to speak of. And when we first moved her, we barricaded her in her room with a baby gate and left the door open in case she needed us in the night. She's 4 now and does great in her room. Good luck!!!

We just made this exact transition and we do close his door, but have been doing that since he was in a crib. There is a gate at his door (for now til he starts potty training) to make sure he stays put, but that hasn't been a problem. He has toys and books in his room, but loves his bed so much that's where we find him when he wakes from naps and nighttime. Good luck with the transition. :-)

I have a 2 1/2 year old that I just transitioned from his crib to his toddler bed about a month ago (mainly because we are expecting our next child due any day.) He really did a great job with it. I just explained to him that the crib was going to be for the baby and he was a big boy and he gets a big boy bed (or in our case a race car bed). He has done really well with this. I think he really understands about the new baby coming too. I think that has helped a lot. We've told him all along about the baby and he goes to all of my appointments with the "baby doctor" and gets to help listen to the baby. As for the toddler bed transition, to start off, we have set up his race car bed in his current room (the nursery) so it wasn't too much change all at once, but we will soon be moving him (and his race car bed) into his new room. He has done really well with this. I have actually only had to tell him to get back into his bed once! He even stays in it until we come and get him out in the mornings (and after naps). If he wakes up before we come up to get him, he sits in it and play with his stuffed animals and says..."Mommy" or "Daddy" until we come and get him. Which I am really glad, because he is upstairs and I was afraid of him getting out of his room and trying to come downstairs on his own. So to start off with, we were putting a gate on the outside of his room (with his door closed), just in case, but he hasn't tried to get out of his room. >knock on wood< He does have some toys and books in his room if he were to get out of bed, but we have really lucked out and he has been staying in his bed! Another thing to help with the transition is getting some 'special' sheets for the new bed. My son loves the movie Cars, so we got him some McQueen and Mator sheets and blankets! He loves to climb into his race car bed and lay on his Mator pillow case!! Just a thought! Good Luck!

My daughter's 20 months old right now. She had a toddler bed at 18 months old. At bedtime I put up a gate at her door and kept the door open. Sometimes after I'd put her in the bed she'd get up and play but she'd go to sleep after a couple mins so it's never bothered me. When she's asleep I take the gate down and put it back in front of the kitty box area (or whereever you need it, at the stairs) so if she wakes up she can get me if she wants to without having to scream and can play and such without hurting herself. Usually she'll go back to sleep if she does or she'll play

I had a friend who kept the bedroom door opened and put a baby gate in the doorway. She said that sometimes her little boy would end up falling asleep on the floor in front of the door, but at least he learned to stay in his room. She would move him into his bed after he fell asleep.

I couldn't get my son to move into a regular bed until he was about 29 monthts old. Then again, at the time, I didn't have another child coming and I wasn't moving, so I let him take his time.

Good luck!

L.

Both of my boys were in toddler beds before their 2nd birthday with no trouble at all. I got one of those side rails to keep them from rolling out while sleeping, but they could still scoot down to the end and get out when they woke up. We also have a playroom upstairs so I just put the gate up so they can get to my room and the play room and I close all the other doors (bathroom etc.)
Good luck!

My son, was at absolute most, 18 months old, when I transitioned him to a toddler bed. (I do believe it was 15 months). He was not sleeping in his crib anymore, but when I put him on the floor he would fall right asleep. We gave him a big boy bed and he would fall right asleep. His cribe was a transition bed, and we merely took the side off and it was then a toddler bed. So it wasn't like getting a whole new bed, and yet it was. He took to it right away, until he got sick the first time. :(
I think 21 months is a perfectly fine age to transition.

M.,
Congrats!!
I think she's at a great age to try the toddler bed! Is she getting a new bed and the baby getting her crib or are you getting another crib for the new baby?? If she's getting a new bed make a big deal out of it-buy new bedding for her, let her pick it out(they have really cute sets for toddler beds), refix her "big girl" bedroom with new curtains, new places for toys, books, dolls, etc.
Don't shut her door this may scare her, just let her know to come and get you when she wakes up.
Good Luck! Have fun!
R.

I had no problems with my daughter or my oldest son when I put them in there toddler beds, as far as my youngest son he is a little difficult and does not want to sleep by himself and I think that is partly because of me. For my daughter we made her getting a new bed a big deal, and it was very easy she went to sleep in it right from the start. My older son was a little harder, I put a gate up on the door to his room so he could not get out of his room, also I made it dark in his room, and I put there toys in the room while trying to get them to sleep there.
If that doesn't work maybe you could sit by her bed until she goes to sleep and move farther away each night until she stays in bed on her own.

I put my son in his big boy bed at 22 months and he did just fine. I was 8 months prego with our second child and couldn't lift him over the railing into his crib anymore. We made a big deal out of letting him help "build" the big boy bed with dad. He thought it was great. He was climbing around with his little plastic screwdriver. He never climbs out of it. We leave his bedroom door close because it has always been that way. He can open it on his own though. He does not have toys in his room. I thought this would be too big of a temptation. I hope this helps.

I think a toddler bed is a good idea at this age, but I moved my children out of the crib into a regular twin bed. One built low to the ground. As long as you have the upstairs gated off from the downstairs so she doesn't make that long fall part of the learning process I don't see a problem.
My children have always had their stuffed animals in their rooms and a bookcase. I guess this means there have always been toys in their rooms and a radio as well. That way they learn about the joys of music as well. Disney channel became a favorite with the 10 year old I am now raising and most of the music isn't something I object to them hearing.
I would leave the door open, not just so hearing her cry if that is a problem is easier and can be done without a monitoring system, but because she may get up, and being young want to wander into your room for a moment of comfort. I understand the desire to shut the door and if it is closed on her room now would continue to close it.
I would make it a big deal for her, big girl, big bed, etc. You are correct in getting her out of the crib and used to the idea of it not being her bed so she won't feel ousted by the new baby.
P. R

Hi M.,
There are many different approaches to this topic and what works for one might not work for another, so take this for what it's worth. My son turns 3 in 10 days and he is still in his crib. He never tried to climb out and is very comfortable there so we left him there. We had our second child when he was 23 months old and considered moving him so we didn't have to buy another crib, but... I have had a couple friends that had bedtime wars with their kids when trying to transition. So with the new baby coming, I didn't want to have that battle on top of everything else. I also read an article in Parents magazine saying that the average age for changing to a toddler bed was three. So, with that being said, if you think your daughter will transition easily, go for it. If you anticipate some trouble, I would just wait.
Good luck.

Hello,
I just put my 21 month old twins in twin beds! It took a couple weeks for them to stay in their beds during nap time, but they went to bed in them at night without getting out of their beds. What i did was i didnt put any toys or anything fun in their room. The first 2 days at nap time I let them explore their new beds and room. I let that get out of the way, hoping that they would get bored. It worked. I started on the 3rd day going in there when they would get out of bed. I did the supper nanny trick. I went in there and told them it was nap time, put them in bed and gave them hugs and kisses. The next time I went in there i told them to get back in bed & i put them in bed and that was all i said. the next few times i just went in and put them in bed without saying anything. i took about six times but it worked. I would say after about a week they were done exploring and stayed in their beds. we have not had a problem since. We also keep the door closed & keep a pin above the door in case they lock it. i hoped this helps!
A.

I absolutely think this is possible. Talk to your daughter and see how she feels about a big girl bed. If she is ready and excited go for it. We put a basket of books next to my daughters toddler bed and she did a fantastic job with the transition. Good luck

My daughter was about 12 months when we started working on a "big girl" bed for her. We are in a 2 bdrm apt. & the 2 kids have to share a room. We bought them bunk beds. She sleeps great in it. The apt is set up so that we put a gate at the front of the hall & close the bathroom door. She has no where to go, but my bed. I am also a lite enough sleeper that I hear her come in. We are also co-sleepers so that helps even more to let her know where to go. If she wakes in the middle of the night, she just crawls in bed with me. I agree that every child is different & you would know her best.

When my son was just over a year old we places a toddler bed in his room. over the next few months he learnt how to climb off and on it and just to accept it being their. Then we took out the crib when he was 17 months for two reasons. he seemed ready for the toddler bed and his crib had been recalled. He had some trouble at first because he wanted to play. we would check on him at night and find that he had slept on the floor because he had been playing. But that passed. he sleeps very well in it now and loves the freedom to be able to get up and play whenever he wants.

My son was in a big boy bed at 7mo old. Never left the door closed. This way if he needed me and I didn't hear him, he would crawl to my bed (we both had our beds on the floor). He would cry for me so 99% of the time I heard him and came to him.

Now that my son is 2 and still in a full size bed, he has every right to get out of bed if he needs me. I have no problem him coming to my room in the middle of the night (usually 3am) because he lost his bubba or needs me. Leaving his door closed made my son very insecure, even though he knew how to open it. So I felt there was no reason to have it shut. Thankfully my son never strolls beyond my room unless he asks first. When he wakes up in the morning he is usually in my bed (i put him to bed with me at 6-7a if he gets up). Then when he is finally ready to be up for the morning, he asks if he can get down and go play.

My suggestion is try the bed. Work with her. Make it a fun adventure and be understanding that this transition may be hard for her. Personally don't force her to stay in her bed. If you are comfortable having her up in your home at night while your asleep and you take the necessary precautions to keep her safe, then don't make it an issue. Just tell her she needs to come into mommy's room first and ask for permission. Then enforce your rules in YOUR room.

I started having my son go back in his room on his own if he got up between 12a-5a. He sometimes would put up a fight but i never got upset at him. I would console him, tell him he is okay. Then tell him I love him, thank him for coming to check in on ME. Mommy is here for you and thank you for being a good boy and good night. 90% of the time he would settle down, say night night and walk back into his room.

Just be patient, kind, understanding and loving. In due time she will feel secure enough she doesn't need your comfort. But be prepared that things MAY change once your little one is born. Good luck and try not to stress over it too much. In due time, she will be asking you to go to her big bed.

M.,
As the others have said, you know her best. At 16 months my son was very large and rolled around a lot in his crib. From my room I could hear him crashing into the sides of the crib. It would wake him up and of course I was up too. We put a twin mattress on the floor and a gate at his door. (our upstairs was not safe for him to wander)He slept very well and was sometimes on the floor by morning, but he had plenty of room to roll. Not that I am against toddler beds, I just knew he would roll out. That worked so well for us I did the same thing for my daughter at about the same age. We put the mattress on the frame by about 2 1/2 years. Just one more idea. Hope it helps,
J.

My oldest is now 17 and we transitioned to a toddler bed at about the same age as you are looking at now. We also did it in a move and it worked out fine for us. I made a big deal out of his new big boy bed and he was aloud to have his favorite stuffed animal and blankey along with a nightlite and a book to read while he unwound and fell asleep. As far as making the room safe I just made sure he had no access to sharp objects in his room or around the house in case he wandered in the night or morning.

I think you're right that this is the perfect opportunity to switch over!! I don't think you should keep the door shut in case she needs her mommy but make sure the upstairs is safe and there is a gate at the top of the steps. My granddaughter was climbing out of her crib at 9 months so it isn't too soon if you are ready!!

Definitely make a fuss over her having her own new big girl bed. You could put a few of her favorite toys in her room and make a fuss about her playing with them in case she is up before the rest of you. If you are that comfortable about her roaming the house, then let her do so, but only after she gets use to it. You could try to tell her that if she gets up before them, that she should only go as far as her room, your room or the play room. Make sure all the doors are securely looked and she cannot reach them to open them. My Daughter kept climbing out of her crib at 15 months and that's when we made the transition to a bigger bed at 16 months. New house, new bed, new playroom------------She should be OK.