Toddler Bed or Twin Bed? - Winnetka,IL

You could always buy a twin bed from Ikea. They are in the children's area...and are really low to the ground. And you can still install a rail to keep him in.

Why spend the money that you do not need to. Buy the railings, and use the bed you already have. This way you can buy what you know is going to be expensive diapers and formula unless breastfeeding. I had both and my daughter liked the bigger bed better only cause she felt more safe in it.

For both of my sons I took off the side rail of the crib. That way they were slowly able to adjust to being "free" without having the huge twin bed to contend with. They both slept that way for several months before we got a twin mattress. For my first son, we kept the box spring & mattress on the floor. For my second, we went straight to a regular bed and he was fine.

Such and interesting issue and I've had many friends do many different things on this! We moved our son from crib to twin bed when he was 2 years and 7 months. There was no real need to do so (he was happy in his crib and we have no 2nd child on way), but the furniture we liked was on sale and so we went for it. I was sorta sad - little child in such a big bed! Did we need to do this so soon? But we realized that it was just time to begin to let the baby-stuff go. And he took to it with absolutely no problem. For months he even sat up in bed and said "mom, I'm awake" - he'd never elect to get out unless we were there to "get him out" just like in the crib! Now of course he gets in and out all on his own...not always at the right time (like naptime), but that's manageable. So it was a good lesson to me - sometimes we just have to give them the tools to be independent, and I'm finding that between age 2.5 and 4 and beyond are all about that concept. Sure, sleeping in a crib is easier....but you have to eventually let go...just like all the other stuff like letting your child self-feed, teach how to walking safely in a parking lot, putting own clothes on, etc.....if the child seems ready, go for it - and be done with it before baby's arrival so its not at all an issue when new baby gets here. I would not purchase a toddler bed especially if you have an available twin. Put up a rail and provide a step stool (and teach safe entry/exit methods). The bed we have is in a frame where just the mattress (no boxspring) is used, so it doesn't even sit up that high. + with the guard rail up, it feels pretty enclosed anyway. And our favorite part of having our son in a twin bed - makes reading time/snuggle time that much more cuddly and special!

I've never understood why people buy toddler beds. To me, it seems like a waste of money. The child will only sleep in it for about a year, maybe less. I'd go for a twin bed, but just start out with the mattress on the floor. that way he can get in and out by himself with out falling, and you don't have to worry. My 2 year old sleeps on a full size mattress on the floor, and we all love it. Daddy can lay down with her and read stories at bed time, and mommy can snuggle up with her when she wakes up at 6:00 am and get a little more rest.

Another option is to keep your toddler in his crib for a few months after the baby is born and keep the baby in a bassinet.

Hi M.,

Don't waste your money on a toddler bed. Your son will be fine in the twin bed with safety rails. I know it looks huge and high - I had the same aniexty with my son. He came out of the crib at a little over two and went right into a twin which has a trundle so it is a little higher than your average bed. He was so proud of himself in the "Big Boy" bed.
Good Luck!!!

I agree with Anne about going to IKEA. The furniture is perfect for little people especially since the beds are so low to the ground. It is so easy for them to climb in and out of the bed. However, I didn't do the toddler size because they had twin size beds that are low to the ground so I figured the extra length would be cool to have. Additionally, it will give you a reason to go to IKEA!

We went straight to the twin bed with rails when my son was about 18 mo. and I was pregnant. We made sure to do the transition before the new baby came along. We started with out with naps first and didn't have any problems. Hope this helps.

To avoid the too high issue, we placed the twin mattress and box springs right on the floor. Our daughter loved it and slept there for over a year before moving to a regular bed.

I see you have a ton of advice...keep toddler in crib for as long as possible! My kids are all close in age and that is the best advice! Then after 3 transition to the twin bed with rails.

Hi,

Just a little information you might find useful....a toddler bed is only about $35 at Walmart and he may be too big for it by about 5 years of age....so than he would need to move to something bigger. OTOH, there are portable bed railings that you can insert under the mattress of a twin bed. I found this to be a popular item at the garage sales.

Good luck, C.

I think the issue is more if he sleeps well in the crib or not and if he climbs out or not (safety issues). We had our 2 in the big boy bed when they were 2 years old. We kept it low to the floor (without a frame). They did fall out a few times. With our 3rd, we kept the old crib mattress next to the big boy bed in case he fell out. 1st was in a toddler bed at 2 years. My 2nd didn't like the toddler bed or crib, and preferred to sleep on the floor so we got him a big boy bed. I think its preference. The hardest part about the big boy bed is that he knows he can climb out. I hope that helps.

Hi,
If you are planning on using the twin bed at some point in the future anyway,
(instead of buying a new bed) just put the twin mattress on the floor until he gets used to
it and is not rolling off anymore. Then when ready, put the bed together permanently.
Hope that helps.
S : )

M.,

I transitioned all 3 of my children from a crib to a twin size bed. They loved it. We used a side rail for about a year for each of them. My mom put me in a twin bed when I was 9 months old. She said I didn't have any problems.

Good luck!
B. (SAHM to 3 beautiful girls-10, 8, and 3 yrs old)

i agree with your husband that buying a toddler bed is silly--especially if you have another bed already.

why not start by just moving his crib matress onto the floor... it's the right size, he knows it, is comfy in it and if he falls, it's all of, what? 8 inches? no biggie. i've heard that a lot of moms also have the 2 beds in the same room, and i'm guessing that you could move the crib matress into his new room so he can sleep with his new bed even if he's not in it. once you're ready to move him into his new bed you can either put the twin matress on the floor or install rails.

good luck!

When my son was about to turn two, we moved into a new house and decided not to bring along his crib. We purchased a twin bed and installed a safety rail (Target ~$40) that pretty much goes from the bottom of the bed and leaves a small gap to get up and down by the pillow. I was a little worried because he seemed to move a lot while sleeping. So, I had one side of the bed pushed up along the wall and on the side where the gap in the rail is, I placed a couple of pillows on the floor just in case. I cannot remember a time where he actually fell and he got used to climbing up and down from it very quickly. Another good thing about the rail is that he did not get out of bed and play in his room at night. Maybe it seemed like his crib to him. Good luck to ya!

Good morning! We took our 3 yro son's crib and removed the front rail (the one that moves). So it was like a transition for us to test the waters...he fell out a couple of times because he moves a lot but that stopped. After several months of that, we then got him a twin bed - no rails. He has never fallen out of this bed and it's a captain's bed (drawers underneath). He loves it and he can move a lot.

Bottom line: It depends on your child. Anything we've ever done with him had to be done - no transition. Formula, straight to milk. Bottle, straight to cup. Diaper, straight to underwear...etc.

GOod luck and hope this helps. Keep up the great work!

If it's an older twin bed, they're not too high off the floor. Put a thick rug alongside of it and the other side against the wall. Use the guardrail also so the toddler crawls around it to get down (less chance of getting hurt). My kids loved their "big bed".

How about using the mattress and boxspring without the bedrails until he is good at sleeping in a big bed. That way he is close to the floor and won't fall far if he gets around the guard rails. I wouldn't spend the money on something he will only sleep in for such a short time.

Having bought a toddler bed, I have found its a big waste of money, unless you are limited on space. When I had our daughter, she and my son needed to share a room, so we went with a smaller bed. The thing is, crib mattresses are so uncomfortable, why get another? you might have to lay with your child in bed for a while so its nice to have a bigger bed to do that in. Just get the side rails and it works just fine!

Instead of putting money into a toddler bed, how about placing the twin mattress on the floor, instead of the bed. My girlfriend did it, and I wished I had thought of it. She let her boys pick out their special new twin bedding, and it was always made like a bed, but was a nice transition with no extra money.

I'd take your friend up on her offer. If it ain't broke, don't fix it. My son was in his crib until 3+. Daughter on the other hand climbed out before 2. Toddler bed was not terribly effective since she rolls around a lot. When the time comes I'd do the twin with rail. Put the mattress and box springs on the floor at first making it easy to get in and out. Then transition to the bed up off the floor.

We went right to twin beds with all three of our kids and they did great. We didn't put railings on them and they were fine. If you go to a toddler bed, you'll just have to move them into a twin at some point anyway. Your son will be fine, this is one of those transitions we moms stress about and then it ends up to be super easy.

My two oldest are 19m apart and we lived in a 2 bedroom apartment. The boys had to share a room and we bought a toddler bed for the oldest. It was a Lightening McQueen one and cost about $45..best investment. He loved it!! It was so close to the ground we didn't have to worry about him falling out (he did a couple times but it is so low he kept sleeing) and he felt he was "getting something" for giving up his crib. It took him one night to transition. Then when #3 came and we had to move #2 he so was waiting for the day to get the toddler bed that he never looked back when #3 moved into his crib, and the oldest was moved to a twin and didn't need the rails, having slept in the toddler bed he learned how to sleep on a twin bed. For us it was a great investment. Good luck in your decision!!!!

we used a toddler bed for my son when he was about 14mos but honestly only because we were given one...if we had the available twin bed, we would have used that. If you are uncomfortable with the height of the twin bed go ahead and just put the mattress (or mattress and boxspring) on the floor until he gets used to it...our son only rolled out of bed twice the first two nights he was out of a crib and hasn't had any problems since...he just turned two and is now in a twin bed with no problems...it's up to you, but i say go with what you have...with the new baby coming i'm sure you have other things to spend money on. :) My opinion is that toddler beds are just a waste of money but do what makes you most comfortable :) good luck!

My son was so happy in his crib that he was in it unil he was 2 3/4. He put him in a toddler bed, and he did fine. He also sleeps in a twin bed at my mom's with the guard rail, and he does fine with that too. Since you already have a twin bed, I wouldn't bother buying a toddler bed. The guard rails make them feel very safe and secure.

Hi M.!

We put our daughter into a twin bed for the same reason. She was a month shy of turning 2. She did great in it and loves it. We did not put the box spring on right away, b/c it was too high, even with a stool. So we just put plywood on the frame and the mattress on top of that. It worked great. We just put the boxspring on about 6 months ago. She is 31/2 now. Good luck!

Michlle,

We opted for a full size bed for our kids since the toddler bed is a waste of money (our opinion). We didnt want to do a twin size bed, but we have out of town family come and visit and this is a great way to make space for bedding. The only downside to it, you can't find any cute sets for the kids - it is all sold mostly in twin sets.

Our kids love the size of their beds - they can move around freely - which they do - all our kids are movers! My little one (3) has rails on the side of his bed, but he likes it.

Hope this helps!

Blessings, L.

Mom of 3 kids: ages 11, 7, and 3

Hi M.,
I was in the exact same position (with baby on way).....and I decided to upgrade my son to a full bed with rails. My reasoning at the time was.....I didn't want to have to deal with transitioning my son twice (from toddler bed to big boy bed).

It worked out great. There were no issues at all. We talked about his 'new' bed for a few days and then, put it in his room (so there was both the crib and the big boy bed). We would nap him on the big bed and have him sleep in his crib for the night. We did this for about a week...and then moved the crib out.

Seriously was simple and no issue for him at all.
(we just made sure that he didn't see 'his crib' in the new nursery for several weeks so he would lose claim to it)

Good luck!!!
:)
L.

It seems huge, but he will be fine in it. My son transitioned to one beautifully and we didn't have to buy a new bed a year later! Stick it up against a wall and rail the other side and you'll be in business. We purchased a twin bed with drawers under the mattress, thus eliminating the need for a box spring. His bed isn't very high at all. Shop around and see what you can find.

Hi M. -

I was in the same situation a little over a year ago. My children are 16 months apart and I did not want to get another crib. I got a full size bed from Ikea and put him in it at 14 months. I think that the frames at Ikea are lower than most. We set it up against the wall and have a rail on the side. He loves it. We got lucky and have never had a problem. I would use the twin that you already have. Good Luck!!

Hi, I know you have lots of advice, but I will throw in my two cents! ha! My daughter slept in her crib until she was 3-1/2 years old!!!! Some people thought I was crazy, but she just LOVED her crib, and she slept so good, and I am one of those people that if it ain't broke, don't fix it! But after 3-1/2 years, it was time, and she went right to a big ole' twin size bed with box spring, mattress, the whole 9 yards (she was much older then your child though)! We did buy those railings for each side. The problem is that she always put her feet on them, and broke the one side, so we then put the bed in the corner, and she broke the other side. She has fallen out a few times, so I was putting a pillow there to break her fall!

I have an almost 2-year old now, and believe me, he is staying in there for as long as possible. As long as he doesn't try to get out, we are all good!!!!

Soooo, I would either go directly to the twin bed (although like some others posted...lay down the law and make sure he know the rule is he can't get up, just like when he was in his crib), or borrow your friend's crib for awhile longer...it won't hurt (unless he is trying to climb out). Whatever is easiest for YOU and only YOU!!!!

The best of luck to you...keep us posted!

M.

Hi M.
I think everyone goes through this same issue at some point. We did not have another child on the way, but our son was climbing out of his crib, and even with the side rail left down, we felt it was a safety issue in the middle of the night. We also had a twin bed that was the perfect thing to use. We took the box spring and matress off the frame and put it directly on the floor, which took care of the height problem. Our son was almost 2 1/2 and we got lucky.....the transition happened to coincide with a family vacation, when we would usually rented a crib. We told him the hotel did not have cribs for big boys and got him a rollaway matress. He loved it! It was part of all the adventure of the vacation. When we got home it was an easier transition right into the new bed. I have to say, though, he was not really attached to his crib (my daughter was the opposite, and her transition was a bit more emotional)! They do look awfully tiny at first in that big bed, but it's fun to see their growth as time goes on. My baby boy is in high school now and most of the time his feet stick out of the covers he has pulled off the bottom! When I read your note, I thought how my daughter already looks the right size for the bed, and it seems like last week she looked "tiny" in it.....Good luck and enjoy each moment. Happy or frustrating they are all good!

I would recomend a toddler bed. My twins switched to toddler beds from Cribs just after their 2 year birthday. It was an easy transition for us and the kids liked it. They could get in and out of the bed easily and never worried about how far they might fall (whether asleep or awake). The toddler bed still had "gaurd rails" up so to speak, but at the bottom had some open space to get out. We transitioned the twins out of toddler beds 2 years later once they were four and that was also an easy transition. We debated about beds or bunk beds and because went with bink beds because they figured out who was going to be on the top bunk.
I plan on moving my other daughter to a toddler bed at two years later this year.

my 2 were in a toddler bed by the time each was about 17-18 months old. As long as you are ready to lay down the law that they need to stay in their bed when it's bedtime and if they wake up, they can come get you or call you however you want to work it.

My first we ended up leaving her door open and putting up a gate to teach her to stay in her bed/room but if you're going to have 2 we later ended up going with, come DIRECTLY to mommy & daddy's room if you wake up (unless it's for the potty).

If it's easier to get a twin bed though, I don't think it'll matter, But I'd just suggest maybe doing the box spring & mattress on the floor, maybe against the wall if possible. If he falls out of the bed (which mine never really have) you can always put those guardrails on the side, but I'd wait and see how it worked out first...

Hope that helped!

hi M.,
i am the mom of 2 adult son's and i never with either one had a toddler bed. i think your husband is right, use the twin bed and install railings if you must. i never had railings for my kids. i also take care of 3 small children and with the first one his mom brought me a toddler bed. he was'nt in it for very long( what a waist of money). i let him sleep on my futon and he loves it. with a twin bed they can roll and stretch and not feel confined, and you dont have to get them used to another transition!save yourself time and money and get your son used to an even bigger boys bed.hope this advice helps.
sincerly,
an old school mom

You could do what we did 15 yrs ago. We place the twin mattress and box on the floor. that way it was a start to the big bed without the height. For our 3rd child we did the toddler bed and we used it for about 3 years then put him in his regular twin bed ( not on the floor)and used a railing in the beginning for safety. As far as taking him out of crib try not to do that too close to baby coming or he will think he is getting pushed out of it and could resent it all. Do what makes you feel most comfortable. Good Luck

I agree with your husband and use the twin bed and install railings. Kids grow so fast that to buy a toddler bed seems like a waste of money.

We just went through making this decision with our first and expecting a 2nd on the way. We ended up buying a twin bed but using a bunk bed board instead of a box spring for the first few months along with the bed rails. He is now 24 months and we have his matress on the box spring. He uses the frame to get into bed. We also didn't have any bed envy when we brought the baby home a couple weeks ago since he has been in his new room for nearly 6 months. It is really weird to see them in such a big bed.

My suggestion would be to borrow the crib from your friend and let your son stay in his own crib. You all will have SO much going on and so many things to transition to. You don't want to have to deal with two kids up at night once the little one comes. I've been told to keep the older one status quo until they start asking to move to a big boy bed.

Once you do make the transition I would suggest you move right to the twin bed without the box spring and put side rails on. This will keep the bed low to the ground, but will save you money. We bought a toddler bed and only used it for a month or so.

Congrats on the new addition to your family...good luck!

Hi there well congrats on your new baby on the way.. I have a soon to be 2yr old. We bought him a fire truck bed since he was 16months and used the crib mattress he loves it. It makes him feel like a big boy and he loves to sleep in it due to it being a fire truck bed. Since the day we crougth it home he was jumping on it and we werent even finished installing it. They are not to expensive you can look into that, otherwise I would use the twin bed, put the rails up and maybe take him to the store to choose his own bed sheets theme. He will also feel like a big boy and be eager to sleep in it.

We used both, My daughter used a toddler bed, and it took the crib mattress. When we needed the crib mattress back we got a full size mattress and liked that much better. It was so much softer and warmer. When my son got big enough we put the crib in storrage and got a real bed with a step stool, and got a bed rail that slides between the mattresses. It was great at bed time to lay with them and read stories too.It may seem so big now, but they grow so quick, and you won't have to switch beds again. My sisters boys went streight into a twin mattress and they love it too. Ikea has bed frames that are low to the ground too if you want to try to get it lower especially if your mattress is extra thick. Go with your Husbands instincts, You'll be fine! Best wishes.

M., I personally wouldn't waste the money on a toddler bed. My son is 3.5 now, but we transitioned him at 2 to a toddler bed (his crib converted) he only slept in it for about 3 months because he was too big (95% for height since birth)for it. We then transitioned his bed into a full bed and put side rails up. He loved it from day 1 because he had room and it was a big boy bed. It was also nice for me because I could actually lay down with him to read his bed time stories. I will never have to buy another bed for him (new mattress at some point) but he can take this bed with him to college. Good luck!

I don't know if the older twin beds have this feature. We bought a new twin bed for our three-year-old and it has 2 settings for the bottom of the bed. The low one being so that it is very easy for our son to climb into the bed but you cannot fit much of anything under the bed. We also did not put a box spring under the mattress yet because that seemed just way too high. In addition, we bought a railing that covers about 2/3 of the length of the bed and the other side of the bed is against the wall. We didn't go with the toddler bed because you will just end up buying the twin in a few years.

With our second, we used the twin bed, but also put it and the box springs directly on the floor as others have done. He's been in this bed like this for 1 1/2 years and only has fallen out once. We plan on getting him a bedframe early next year.

We went right to a twin bed for both of my children for the same reason...we needed the crib. We chose to do the twin because we figured why transition AGAIN after the toddler bed. It really was a good experience for both kids. We talked it up a lot prior to putting it in their rooms, like "you are getting a big girl/boy bed!!!" They were excited once it was there. Start early talking about it and whatever decision you make, gate the door! Good luck, but I would say a twin 100%!

Wow, so many responses! I will make mine quick. I am getting ready to do the same thing. I am going straight to the twin bed also. My sister did it with my niece and it worked great. they also eliminated the box spring so that it wasn't so "high". I think with the rails, either way is fine. Good luck. I would love to hear how it turns out!

I would suggest going right to the twin bed! when we moved our children(2 boys, now 19 and 13) we went right to the twin bed with no problems what so ever. they never fell out of bed, we placed one side of the bed against the wall. we put a gate across their door so that they wouldn't wander out at night. They slept so much better because they had plenty of room and weren't banging against the sides etc. like in the crib. the toddler bed is not bigger than a crib, so why waste your money on it. I think you will be pleased with the result.
If you are worried about him falling out of bed, by all means purchase the side rails.

I would use the twin bed...reason being....if you get a toddler bed, then you will eventually have to make a transition to a bigger bed...and you will have enough on your plate with having another baby. I never used a toddler bed and I have three kids...It worked out fine. I actually put my son in a double when we transitioned him because we purchased bunk beds with a twin on top and double on the bottom..My thought was for when he got older and had sleepovers. He is 12 and it was a perfect idea.

We used a toddler bed at first, that way she could get in and out of it by herself and she loved it. After about a year, then we got her the "big girl bed" and she loved it. I would suggest a toddler bed.

We did a toddler bed for my son around 2 yrs old and he did fine. The mattresses are usually the same size as the crib so you can just swap it out. Toddler beds range in price but they are pretty reasonable at Babies-r-Us. What I liked about the toddler bed was that it was closer to the floor and more cozy. We would have needed to put a step stool or something for my son to get up to a big bed safely and he did have a tendency to turn around in bed and roll out (rails do not cover the ENTIRE bed circumference). I'm sure you'd be fine either way but if you put him in the twin bed you'll have to buy the bedrails anyways especially if he moves around a lot. Good luck with the transition!

We skipped the toddler bed and put the mattresses on the ground. For the first few nights we put some pillows on the ground. It worked really for us, and it was so low to the ground that if he did fall off, he didn't get hurt.

I haven't transitioned my own daughter yet (she's 2 1/2 so we will be soon) but a friend of mine has. She used a toddler bed and told me it was the biggest waste of money she's ever spent. She said her daughter was in it for 2 weeks and that was it. In hindsight, she feels her daughter would have been perfectly fine in the big bed right from the crib.

Can your child climb onto your bed by himself? My daughter can, but she's pretty tall for her age. If he can't, get him a stepstool so he can climb into his big bed. (Our daughter uses one sometimes for this too). Also, there are rails you can buy that fit on the side of the bed if you fear him tumbling out.

Anyway, hope this helps! : )

Hi M.!
I have 2 boys and they both were in a "big boy bed" before they were 2. We just put one side of the twin bed against the wall and put the rail on the opposite side. If it makes you feel better, you can put a rail on the side that goes against the wall also. I know what you're saying about it being so high, you can also put pillows on the floor or even an air mattress or inflatable pool raft. It just make more sense. The toddler bed would be a waste of time and money because that's ANOTHER transition that you have to do in year or so anyway, so you might as well just do it now.
Good Luck!
J. H.

For both of my girls, I transitioned them to a full-size bed ( we already had one in the guest room, so we used it). It seems huge, but it's nice to give them so much room to roll around.
We also took the boxspring out temporarily so even if she fell off, she'd be really close to the ground. :)

Hi! We went through the same issue over two years ago. What we did is we had to move our son out of the nursery room so we made it more about his new room. The bed was just a bonus to the new room. We made him help us decide what he wanted in his new room, how we decorated. We ended up painting a wall chalkboard on one of his walls. As for the twin bed, we used a twin bed with guard rails on it. We got him his own special stool to help get up and down. We also made sure when people came over they asked to see his new room, even while we were still getting it ready. He was so proud of his room that everything transitioned. So my suggestion, don't make it about losing a crib but gaining a new room or a new bed. Hope this helps.

I would do the twin bed. My daughter turns 3 in January and we are already looking to move her up to the twin bed from the toddler bed because it is getting short for her.

Also, make sure you do this as soon as possible so your son doesn't associate the move with getting displaced by the new baby. As others suggested, make a big deal out of him moving to a big boy bed.

Hello and Good Morning.. I think use the twin bed, the are normally not that higher then a toddler bed. My son hated his crib since day one and he started craweling out at 11 months. At that point we had a twin bed in our guest bedroom and at that point after a few nights of getting out he switched into that. We put the bed up on the wall and then put a bed rail on the another side. He was in a bed before hise first birthday. I think you son would be fine. My son has not fell out yet. Also make a big deal thats a big boy bed like mommy and daddy. Good Luck.

My daughter transitioned into a toddler bed at 2.5 years old & is still sleeping in it a year later. I would have gone right to a full size bed but I borrowed my sister's toddler bed. One thing I would suggest is that you could use either the extra crib mattress (which is the same size as a toddler mattress) from your friend or use the twin mattress & put it right on the floor in the begginning if you think that the twin bed is too high. I actually know several people that did this with their kids & it worked out just fine. Good luck!

Hi M.- If I were you, I'd wait if your child is happy in the crib. Once they move out, it's a whole new world. With my children, I had to move my son out of his crib at 18 months, it' seems sooooo early. But we had baby #2 on the way and had to. My second child stayed in until about 2 1/2 because baby number 3 was on the way. I used twin beds with railings... the toddler beds don't last that long and then they outgrow. Get him or her a railing and a stool. Have a talk with your child and tell them they are not allowed to get out without mom or dad- have him call for you if they want to get out as they may fall and get hurt. Good luck- but if you do take him out do it before the baby comes. He may feel like he's losing his bed to the new baby and that may not be a good feeling for him with the transition of a new child in the house. good luck with it all

We moved our 2 1/2 year old into a full size bed upon the expected arrival of our second child. It was a regular full size bed and we just picked up the rails at babies r us. I believe that they were fisher price. They just slid under the matttress on top of the box spring.

We did make a big deal out of the new room....he "helped" paint, helped pick out the decorations (mickey mouse), helped to wash the new linens when it was time. We did put a gate on the doorway to his room so he could get out of bed but we would hear him if he tried to get around (I put bells on it ).
The gate was because our house is pretty big and I was afraid of him wandering during the night. I don't think he ever even got up once.

Best of luck to you!

Can I encourage you not to move your 2 year old son out of his crib? I know a lot of people do make this transition with a new baby, but it isn't required by law. We kept our first in his crib when #2 arrived...we just got another crib for the baby. We bought a second, used crib for #2. The kids were only 2 years 6 weeks apart and the two year old was very happy and sleeping well in the crib. Several months later we went to the toddler bed with a rail and then a twin. We sold the extra crib to a consignment store. If your 2 year old is happy there I would leave him in his crib and make the transition to the toddler/twin big boy bed on the basis of his timing, not yours. There will already be enough change for him with the arrival of a new baby so its important to keep some stability in his world. This is especially true if he is sleeping well in the crib....I wouldn't do anything to jeopardize sleep at this point!!
As for toddler vs. twin, I don't think there is a big difference. If you go with a twin, just get a rail to put on the side and push the other side up against a wall.
Good luck to you all!

Borrow the crib, then go right to the twin bed. You will be busy enough with the baby. Keep you toddler contained as long as possible. Good Luck.