Is It Time for a Toddler Bed?

When my daughter gets her own bed(at 2yo in Dec.) I will not only keep the moniter in her room, but i am going to put up a gate in her doorway. That way she can't get out and if she tries i will be able to hopefully hear her climbing. Definitely put a gate at the top of the steps!

I have a 2 year old son as well. This was my 12 year old daughter's idea after I took her to an orientation for Montessori school for my son. She decided that Robert should be in a bed. I balked telling her I wasn't ready to buy one, etc. But she insisted. So she removed the crib mattress from his crab and placed it in the middle of his floor. She pushed aside the crib (which we eventually put into the attic), neatened up the whole room and set up the bed all cozy for him. She then put some puzzles and books on the bookshelf for him to get himself. She did such a good job that we couldn't really undo it. We were concerned about him getting out and going down the stairs which are difficult to put a gate on. So we put a gate in his doorway. He is able to walk around his room and entertain himself with books and puzzles and also open the door himself to yell for us, but he cannot get out. He goes to bed at night and stays asleep. I think I am lucky. This may not be the answer for everyone, but it is working for me and is buying me some time until I have to buy a toddler bed or even a regular bed for him.
Hope this helps.
Elizabeth K.

Hi. I would keep him in the crib as long as you can...esp. If he doesn't have any problems with it and sleeps good. Why mess with a good thing??

I would move to a twin bed whenever you are all ready. You may be surprised - my kids transitionted to a bed very easily. My youngest will be 2 in Nov but I had ordered new beds. He wanted to sleep in it the first night it came. It has been a week. He still has not gotten out. One step ahead sells extra long bed rails that you can put on both sides of the bed. Then I put a big pillow at the end. It feels like he is still in a crib & it took my kids a while to figure out they can even get out. Good luck

i guess i will join in. my middle child slept in his crib until he was past three years old. He loved his crib and never tried to climb out, (even at three) and he went to be so easily. why mess with a good thing! Honestly we only took him out because i was pregnant with our third. when we moved him to his big boy bed, we put him in a double bed. it's actually a bunk with a double mattress on the bottom and twin on top. he didn't like it at first (he wanted the crib) but adjusted quickly and really still never got out of bed at night. One side of the bed was against the wall and the other we lined with pillows. ~ a funny side he slept at my mothers house (when she watched him) in her crib until he was past 4. she didn't have the heart to make him switch to a bed. he even thought it was funny he was doing that and with a smile would say "mom, i slept in the cribby today" and then giggle.

We moved my son to a toddler mattress on the floor around 13 months old. He hated the crib. Then around 18 months we put the mattress up on a toddler bed and he did fine. He has never rolled out of the bed... He did roll off the mattress on the floor a couple of times, but that trained him for the real deal.

We also close his bedroom door at night so he can't get out. I read several places that it is safer to keep the babies/toddler rooms closed rather than open. If you don't like the door being shut, then just put a baby gate up at the doorway so he can't get out. Baby proof his room and he'll be just fine!

Keep them in the crib for as long as they are safe there. Then simply either gate the steps or gate the baby's room. My sons are now 5 and I still keep a monitor in their room so I hear them when they get up.

Hi A.,
I was worried about the same things, my son turned two in June. We had and extra bed in his room so I just tried it out one night to see how he did I would have to tell him to get back in bed. The other night I change hi crib in to the daybed and he has stayed in it. I put up a baby gate at the door so he can still get to the door to call for me when he is up and I don't have to worrie about him falling down any stairs. I hope this helps. I waited till my son started to fuss when I would put him in his crib for a nap or bedtime. Good Luck.

Hi A., well first if he isn't climbing out of the crib I would leave him there and watch him the next couple of months. If he is then yes it is time for a toddler bed, both of my kids stayed in their beds I had good luck with that. I also put a gate in the door of their rooms so they couldn't get out and shut the door too. If you are afraid of steps put up a gate I did and it worked out great. Good Luck R. C.

Our steps are right out side our daughters room. And we but a gate across the steps at night. That way she has full range of the upstairs when she gets up. As for crib or todder bed. Dose your crib turn into a toddler bed? And dose your little one hit the weight limit or try to climb out?

U could try the toddler bed on weekeneds to start or nap. Let him pick out the bed and the sheets that he will be sleeping on.

It's recommended to keep children in cribs as long as possible. As long as he doesn't try to climb out, keep him in as long as possible. When you do transition to a bed, have him pick out his own bedding. They take pride in that and sometimes it helps to keep them in their beds. Have a nightlight as well. The biggest thing to have is a gate at his door. This is best for his safety until he gets a bit older to understand. Later, you can remove it from his room and put one at the top of the stairs so he can come in your room when needed or get up to use the toilet as needed.

K. B
mom to 5 including triplets

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A.,
If he is not complaining about his crib or trying to get out do not change a thing! if it is notbroken don't try to fix it, that is what I have heard anyway. My son is 20 months and we are keepinghim in his crib until he can climb out.
If you insist on getting him a toddler bed, than put a gate up outside of his door so he can not get out or fall down the stairs.
Good luck!
Christina

IMO, if he is within the weight range for the bed and is having a good sleep experience, I would wait. Social pressure to be in a big bed can be very extreme, but if he is happy I wouldn't change it. If he is getting to big for his crib in length then I would skip the toddler bed and go right to a big boy bed. Toddler beds are just as long as a crib so it is a waste of $ to buy one to just have to go to a big boy one anyway (if he is long). I had one that had a toddler bed and one that had a big boy bed right away. Now, they are different people with different temperment but my 2nd son had zero trasition to his big boy bed. He went with for the shopping, helped pick out the sheets and Whamo! He was in his big boy bed with no problem! I would also wait and ask hiomto let you know when he is ready to change. It is a big transition for a child and having some control in the process makes it much smoother :)

Hi A.. The rule of thumb we followed was if our girls tried to climb out of their crib it was time for a toddler bed. This usually happened around age 3. Once we put them in the toddler bed we used baby gates at the top of our stairs of at the very least across their bedroom doorway (I don't like closed bedroom doors...I was always afraid I wouldn't be able to hear them if they needed me!) We did have cabinate locks in the bathroom, and we kept toys to a minimum in their bedrooms. With the help of a baby monitor you will hear them if he gets up! Best wishes and good luck!

You have received some great advice about taking your son out of the crib or not. My advice to you would be, when your son is ready to graduate from his crib to a bed...get him a regular bed. We've never had a toddler bed. We have 4 kids (and one on the way) and they never had a problem with the bigger beds. In fact, the first time one of our kids fell out of bed was this year...he's 8 years old. Now with our oldest we put his mattress on the floor and gradually worked up to the frame with the mattress. He has special needs and was so overly active in sleep that it was best for him until he got used to the boundaries of where the mattress ended and the floor began. I would save your money on the toddler bed and get a decent bed your son can have for the next 20 years.

Take care,
B.

I have a WEALTH of experience to share! First--the transition to a toddler bed will rock your world for sure! They just get out, walk around, etc. My son LOVED his crib and slept SO well in it. He would put himself to sleep and it was wonderful. And guess what? In the morning--yoiu'd find him right where you left him. He never tried to climb out. Then after he turned two, people kept asking me "Is he out if his crib yet? Is he out if his crib yet? Is he out if his crib yet?" I bought him a toddler bed and returned his crib to my SIL. BIG MISTAKE! I swear it was the day after we returned the crib that I read a W. article that said "If your child is not climbing out of the crib, leave them in til they are 3." Too late for me but not too late for you!
He hated his toddler bed. He ended up sleeping on the floor of his room for months. We basically turned his entire room into a crib by putting blankets & pillows on the floor! We had to gate his door b/c his room was at the top of our stairs and I worried about him falling down the stairs at night.
Also, you may not realize this (I didn't) but the bed rails you buy for kids' beds are NOT for use with toddler beds. His toddler bed didn't have sides so he would just roll out.
My advice: Leave him in his crib til he can climb out or turns 3, whichever comes first. Also, at that point just skip the toddler bed and buy him a twin or full and buy the side rails for it. IMO, toddler beds are just a waste of money. Wish I had know this all sooner :-)
Good luck!

We put our son in a toddler bed just before he was two. I saw you left feedback to the other moms who recommend he stay in the crib. I had to move my son because I have back issues and lifting him in and out of the crib was too hard. But it really went smoothly for us. If you want to keep him in the crib, that is fine too. If you want to know how I did it, I would be happy to share, just let me know, you can respond to this post. I don't want to waste your time, however if you have no interest in moving him any more. So just let me know. Good luck in whatever you decide.

Hi

My thought is keep them in the crib until they try to escape!

We switched my son when one day he was down for a nap and then 2 minutes later he walked into my room and said "hi Mom". His crib converted to a toddler bed (which was low to the ground), we baby proofed the room even more and put a step through gate on his doorway. That way even if he got up he would be contained in his room. Found keeping only stuffed animals and books in his bedroom works best. That way he is not enticed to get up and play with toys. Also if your son does get up early he can look through books. My son was just shy of 2 1/2 years old. This worked pretty well but there were definitely times when we found him sleeping on the floor.

Good Luck!

I am facing the same issue, but my son is 31 months old! He never jumped out of the crib so we never gave much thought to moving him up. With #2 on the way we have to soon. My DS is big enough to go straight to a twin and I also fear him wandering at night - but I think that's inevitable. From the reading I've done it's like anything else, you have to firm and consistent in the teaching. If he gets out of bed to follow you, just calmly walk him back; each and every time. Don't cuddle him or talk to him - straight back to bed. I'm also prepared to find him in our room sometimes so we'll likely leave our door open. We're also going to lock the other upstairs doors so he doesn't wander into other rooms. And get a locking gate at the top of your stairs!

J.

If you are worried that your child will go downstairs put a gate in his bedroom doorway. My daughter has been in a regular twin bed (we skipped the toddler bed because we think it is a waste of money) since she was 18 months old because I was pregnant with our second and I wanted the baby in the crib from the get go. We didn't have any problems at all with the transition. Do what you feel is right for your particular situation. No one knows your child better than you do.

My little girl is 2 1/2 and I just put her in a twin I do have problems with her getting out of bed but I just put up a babygate in front of her door so she can't roam the house if I don't hear her get up

We just moved our daughter to a 'big girl bed' last week. She's a little more than 2.5. She was fine in her crib, but we're going to need the crib eventually for #2 and I figured we might as well. We just got a twin mattress and put it directly on the ground, so there's literally only 3 inches for her to roll off (she hasn't though). Oddly enough, she doesn't realize she can just get out of bed - if she sees something she wants in her room, she just yells for me or my husband to get it for her - which I guess is better than the alternative.

Frankly I don't recommend a toddler bed. At age 2, we went right from the crib to a twin bed. That way you don't have to go buy yet one more bed as your child grows up.

If you are worried about the stairwell, put a gate in front of it. If you can't put a gait across the top of the stairwell, put one at his door (although I hate that option, because then he can't get to you guys if he needs you at night.)

Yes, I would say put him in a big boy bed. If you are concerned about him leaving his room, put a baby gate up. That way, you don't have to close the door, and you can hear him when he wakes up in the morning. If you have been closing the door when he is sleeping (like I did), I put a baby proof door cover on the door handle so mine couldn't get out and I knew there was nothing in his room that he could get injured on and he couldn't get out of his room in the morning.

Hi A.,

Personally, I would keep your child in the crib as long as you can especially if he's not climbing out.

My son was in a toddler bed at 2 and not the best idea.

Good luck,
D.

I have 3 children (and one on the way) - almost 6, 4 and 2 (today!) - and here's my advice - like "Denise P" I don't think there's any reason to rush it. My children never tried to climb out, and when I did put them in a toddler bed (it had only a small opening in the center for them to enter, exit - and yes sometimes fall out) it was definitely a different experience. First suggestion - a baby monitor helps with hearing if the child is possibly getting out of bed. Second - I then hung a wire hanger or bells on the door so that I WOULD def. hear if they exited the room. Now, we gated (a permanent swinging gate with a slide lock) the top of the stairs and my kids can't reach the lock, but if that's not an option - at least the hanger or bells will give you a heads up of a kid on the loose!
Also - be prepared that your child WILL get out of bed several times. (It's new and exciting to all of a sudden be "free!") - but repetative attempts by you and your husband to place the child back in bed will give them the understanding that once in bed - there are only a few circumstances that they should be out. And at that - I believe the child has to have the ability to understand/be involved in those circumstances. For instance - if they are potty trained and have to go the bathroom. Or if they are sick. (Not that these are the ONLY reasons) We taught our children (before they shared a room) to call us if they were sick or had to use the restroom at those younger ages, then at around 4ish - we instructed them to get up and come get us, or go straight to the bathroom themselves.
We still have instances with children getting up, needing re-covered, bad dreams etc. - but it's not very much at all.
My husband tried removing the crib side on our daughters bed a few weeks ago (not my suggestion) - and she wasn't even 2 yet. Didn't work. She doesn't understand the concept of staying in bed and you can't reason with her.
So - I hope this has helped, sorry to ramble on! And again - expect to lose a little sleep at first - but as long as you and your husband are consistent, and stick to a routine - your little one will do great when you and your husband decide he is ready!
Good luck!

Hi A.
My advice is to keep him in his crib for as long as you can! Their whole sleeping dynamic changes when they leave the crib I have found. My sons stopped naps altogether upon getting a big boy bed. My second son I kept in a crib until he was 3, even though he could get out on his own. (I just kept the railing halfway down and he had NO problem with falling.) I think that it was the 4 sides that made him feel secure and cozy. He would only get out when he was finished sleeping-not when I would put him down. With the big bed I found that if they weren't completely exhausted they would want to roam.

Good Luck!

My pediatrician told me to leave my daughter in her crib until she was able to crawl out on her own and it was no longer safe, up until the age of 3. I loved that advice and she was in there until close to that point. (When her older brother taught her how to climb out... :) )If you are worried about them wandering, you should put a gate on their door that secures and they are unable to open, or at the top of your steps. Safety is the biggest issue.

Good luck!