What Age Should You Move Your Child from the Crib to a Big Kid Bed

Hi B.!

I moved my daugher into a big girl bed when she started to climb out of her crib. That happened to be at 2 years 7 mos of age. I kept her in the crib as long as I could because of the convenience and safety issue. She did great in a big girl bed too. We just bought a twin box spring and mattress and set it on the floor with no frame.

Good luck!

I am the mother of a 20 month old and now a two week old. I moved my daughter out of her crib about a month ago, so that she would be used to sleeping out of the crib by the time the baby came. I put her in a toddler bed which has little rails on the side so she doesn't fall out while she is sleeping but it is very low to the ground so she can get in and out of it herself. Hope this helps

i agree with everyone saying that every chid is diff. my son is 19 months old and personally i don't know if he will ever be able to sleep in a regular bed. if you could see the laps around the crip my son does in his sleep you could probable place bets...lol...seriously. my husband and i went out when my son was about 16 months old and got my son a toddler bed because he kept getting his arms and legs stuck in the rails of the crib...we thought it was our only option. before we put it together i went online and looked up advise on when it was time to do this. pretty much everyone said that he would not be ready until when he got up we would come strait to your room to find you. now my son was born two months early and he is a little behind in the whole comprehension thing...i know that if my son woke up in the middle of the night not only would he not come look for us but he also would not be able to put himself back to sleep. so basicly i would never get any sleep because my busy body son would be up every time he realized he was not in a crib that kept him there. you know your daughter bettr than anyone...your concerns are because you know exactly what she will do...if you think she will do something she probably will. my doctor suggested working with him on that...comming to find me in my room when i am not in sight. hope this helps

my son is still in his crib and he is 2.5. i bought one of those convertable cribs that goes from a crib to a toddler to a FULL size bed. my son is 3 ft tall and still has plenty of room. tell your relatives that you are the mother not them and you will move yor child when you feel comfortable she will be alright. until then as long as she is not trying to climb out leave her in the crib. thats what im going to do. at least until he is potty trained.(i hate it when i here people say their child(ren) where potty trained at 1. the child wasnt trained the adult was)

I never used a crib, but I moved both of my older 2 out of my bed and into their own big bed at 15 months old. They never got up on their own or got into anyting. I'm usually up at least an hour before they wake in the morning and for quite some time, they would just sit up and call "mama" when they woke.

A lot of other moms I know wait until their kids can climb out of the crib and risk falling and getting hurt tumbling over the side rail. You really have to do what feels right for your family and tell everyone else "thanks for your concren. I've found what I'm comfortable with".

ps - just a note about early potty training ~ just because you haven't seen it doesn't mean it doens't really happen. My second child was out of diapers and going potty by herself at 15 months. She was pretty advanced, walking and talking very early too. Using disposable diapers delays potty training so most people now are used to seeing 2-3 year olds in diapers, but 50 years ago, almost all babies were out of diapers by 18 months old and earlier was not uncommon.

Even though we made my daughters crib into a toddler bed at 1 yr old (only because she would make herself throw up, I would've kept her in the crib as long as possible. My second is 10 months old and already walking, she will definately be in the crib as long as I can keep her there, I am hoping until at least 2!
S. Gallo
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Dear B.,

Your concerns are legitimate and you should stick to your guns. I can't stand when people use other kids as comparisons like it is a competition or something. Every child is as different as every adult. My daughter stayed in her crib until she outgrew it. Mainly because she loved it and I had the same concerns of her roaming at night, etc. By the time we moved her into a bed, she was verbal and we were able to make her part of the decision. Because of this the change was no problem at all.

My advice is to just follow your instincts and use your own judgement and to heck with other peoples opinions.

D.

it really depends on the child.it's usually best to keep them in a crib til they are about 2 as long as tehy aren't trying to climb out.if they are trying to climb out then you do need to move them.as long as you can get them to come straight to your room when they wake up in the morning it won't be too bad.it's when they decide to try to do things themselves that causes problems.one time my 3 year old tried to make me coffee...that was a mess.but it really does depend on the child.if you think she can stay out of trouble then it's ok.nut if you think they need to be better supervised then try and wait.

When they can climb out of their crib or if the crib is too short for them.

Well the obvious answer is "when they're ready". :) For my kids that's been different each time. The earliest was around 18 months, the latest was closer to 3. I'm in the process of transitioning my 22month old to a toddler bed. She climbs in and out of her crib easily, so there's really no point in keeping her in it.

The hard part is like you said, keeping her there when there are other things to play with. This is when you set up a bedtime routine, like reading a book or two before lights out. I usually cuddle for a little while too, until she's almost asleep and then leave. Some nights it works, some nights she's back in her crib, mostly because it's familiar, and the big bed isn't.

Some of my kids needed a transitional period, some went straight to the big kid bed without a 2nd thought.

My son is 19 months and not ready for moving out of the crib. I seriously don't see that happening until he's at LEAST 2 and then we'll just have to see. I am glad you asked this because this was something that I've worried about as well. It does seem like a competition thing with other family members and that's so annoying. I think it's great that our nephew could sleep in a big boy bed at 21 months but my son won't be ready by then and I hope that my family can understand that. I'm glad to see that my kid isn't strange! :)

According to the Acadamy of Pediatrics, it is safer to keep a child in a crib until around 3 UNLESS it is harmful for them to stay in the crib. (i.e.- Climbing out etc.) It can be extremely dangerous having a young toddler roaming around the house especially under the age of 2. We moved our son into his toddler bed a couple of months ago and he will be 3 in a couple of weeks. He wasn't a climber though, so we were lucky in that aspect. Every kid is different and you just have to use your best judgment for your child. Good luck.

I moved my son to a toffler bed at the age of 18 months. I had to do it becuase he kept climbing out of his crib. It all depends on the baby. I dont think there is really a set time for them to be out. Good lUck

With the RARE exception of a friend with a 17 month old boy that was moved from crib to bed (he was GIGANTIC... the size of a 3 year old), I've NEVER known anyone who moved a child under 2 or just under 2 (like 23 months!) to a bed. I think people lie or just don't remember correctly about the ages. Like the people who claim all 5 of their kids were potty trained at 1 and in beds at 13 months! SURE, I believe that! Ha ha. I have at least 30 acquaintances or friends with kids under 5 right now. I know none who had babies in beds until about 2 or 2 1/2 (for some... mostly the boys... it was closer to 3). My oldest was 25 months. My youngest just turned 2 last week. He's still in a crib and will be for as long as I can keep him there... or 2 1/2, whichever comes first! Don't sweat it. You will give yourself more stress than you need trying to keep a baby in a bed when she should be in a crib anyway. Best of luck!

I personally think your instincts are right and she's way to young to move to a 'big girl bed'. My daughter is 14mths now and there is NO WAY I'm moving her anytime soon. She's not a climber or anything, but she's secure in her crib and it's not hurting anything for her to stay there. I got all sorts of advice from family, including the one where I should have been potty training her from the time she was about 2mths old. GIVE ME A BREAK! Times change, ideas change so just go with what makes you comfortable. If you're still not ready and she starts to try crawling out, I found this and I remember having an actual 'tent' that was attatched to a sheet when I was a kid (it fit on our top-bunk). Good luck sweetie...
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-A.
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my daugther was ready at 1 year old (she tried climbing out of the crib and almost landed on her head - i caught her before she did). my son was not ready till he was almost 2. my nieces weren't ready till they were almost 4. it depends entirely on the child.

if you know that your daughter has the habit of climbing and thereby increasing the risk of her getting hurt, i wouldn't recommend moving her. you will know when your daughter is ready to make the change. trust your instincts. if you have 2 children in a crib because your daughter is not ready to make the move to a "big girl bed" - so be it.

My doc recommended that we move our daughter (almost 3) at the age of 18 months to a toddler bed and she did well until just a few months ago she started waking in the middle of the night and coming in our bed (her room is right next to ours). But I think if I was you I would at least wait til the new baby comes so that it is not too many transitions all at once.

Hello. I have so been in your shoes! Don't worry about what others are saying, first of all. Remember this is your child and your life. You need to do what fits in your family. My son is 19 months and is not in a big kids bed yet either, because I know for him its not safe yet. You have to evaluate the situation for yourself. Do you feel that she is ready to sleep in a big kids bed? Children are going to climb and fall no matter what we do. Just make sure your home is child proofed. Which I am sure you have already done and do whats right for you, and your family.

My son was 2.5 when we moved him. I wasn't ready to but he had outgrown his crib and needed a larger bed. The other reason was i was about to have another baby and we were doing her nursery and wanted him to feel special and get something new as well.
My son never climbed out of his crib and if yours hasn't yet i doubt the will.
once he was in his bed we had every door childproofed but he was old enough that it was ok.
i would not move her until you feel she is ready. i personally feel 18 months is way too young. maybe wait until you are ready to put the new baby in a crib then get her a new big girl bed then.

have you converted the crib to a toddler bed or does it do that?
you could start with that and see how it goes. we didn't convert his until he was 2.
good luck but do what you think is best.