When & How to Switch to a Big Bed?

WE asked him, he chose the sheets, the bed, everything. We bought one that the bed was sided into with drawers on each side, and a top bunk, but forgot to install the ladder till he was older & it was safer. He called it his secret cave. We had no problems, it just was. The crib went downstairs to storage. We didn't worry about him falling out of bed & sometimes because it stayed darker in the "cave" I found he began to sleep longer in the mornings. He never tried to get out or get up untill we had people stay over & they told him to get up with them.So after that I brought the baby moniter back out.
I kept a baby moniter on, so I could hear & he had one we had from when he was a baby had a motion sensor, as long as it could feel him breathing it stayed quiet, he got up it beeped, (it was actually to protect against SIDS) it scared him the first time he snuck out of bed with his friends, actually it scared all of them so badley he didn't get up anymore till he was like 5. & his friends stay in bed till I get up still.

As far as safety goes...you would be fine by just putting up a rail.

If your own child is ready to do it, that you have to determine. Are you ready to have a child who can get up and wander? A 20 month old could easily be up out of bed without you knowing it. At this point he sleeps through the night. But you might be surprised what that new freedom of being ABLE to get out of bed might do to that, the very fact that he would be able to get up might change his sleeping habits.

Whatever you choose to do, be sure to set specific expectations. "once you are in bed you stay in bed" "when you wake up in the morning you find mommy and daddy right away." Set a specific consequence for not following the rule. If he doesn't find you right away he loses his morning cartoon for example. He can follow a simple direction like that easily and regularly.

We switched our son about a month before our second baby was due (he was 21 months). We took the crib completely apart because we knew the baby wouldn't be using it for about 3-months. We made a big deal out of him getting a "big boy bed" and the first day we set it up, he climbed right in and took a nap. That night, he cried a little because he was scared he was going to fall out, so my husband quickly ran to a store to get a bed rail. As soon as we had that installed, he fell right to sleep. We've never had a problem with him getting out of bed at night, and for the first year, he'd wait for permission to get out of bed. He's always been an excellent sleeper.

We switched our daughter when she was about 2.5 and she was potty-trained and started climbing out of the crib. She had a hard time staying in her bed and even though it's been 6-months, there are still times when she'll just get out of bed after we put her to bed or in the middle of the night. She's never really been a good sleeper, so I think that has something to do with it.

I say somewhere in the second year is a good time to move from a crib to bed. I'm sure he'd do just fine.

Every mom will do something different, but with both of our children it was tied into their 2nd birthdays. We made a huge deal of it. Our son was really into hot wheels and cars (still is) so we bought him one of those race car big boy beds for his birthday. He felt like such a big boy! He didn't have any problems going to bed. I think he thought it was cool that he could get out of bed and come check on us at night. When our daughter turned 2 we upgraded both of the kids' beds. Our son outgrew the race car. We got them both the really cool Pottery Barn (from Costco) locker room sets. Our daughter got one with hot pink, lime green and white locker drawers and doors. Our son's is red, white and blue. He loves the American flag. They got to choose new comforters and sheets. They both love their rooms and this stuff will last a long time. 2 seemed to be the magic age for getting our kids out of the crib. You could try one more thing if your son loves to help with taking things apart or putting things together. Let him help you and daddy take the bed apart, even let him turn the screwdriver. He will surely feel like a big boy then and may want to get a big boy bed. Good luck!

maybe instead of going by an age limit you could look at some other criteria:does he seem ready for this transition? where is your room in proximity to his? my son sounds much like yours as far as being a good sleeper but when he was able to get out of his bed on his own, he got up several times before falling asleep, and then in the middle of the night from time to time especially at first. at first he would come in our room to say "hi" then he started making his way to the couch and the tv or to the fridge.we didn't use guard rails just put the box spring and the matress on the ground and against the wall. then we put some pillows on the floor just in case so make sure you are able to hear him if he is wondering around the house.or buy guard rails if it suits you. if you think he would enjoy the transition and you are ready for the time and effort it may take as well, you may like to do what we did: first we put the bed in our sons room. we sat on it, played on it, read books on it. then we took naps in it, and then we slept a night or two in it. it was all very casual and at his pace. it took several months but now most nights he stays in his bed and sleeps well. best of luck, i know for me it was a little sad to say goodbye to the crib :)

I think if you wait too late it is something that his harder as then they are really attached to their crib. I moved my daughter at 25 mos and then my son at 23 mos. Both transitioned well and like your son went to bed when it was time and slept well. Get a bed rail and get a twin (buying a toddler bed is money down the drain as they outgrow it super fast). I took both of my kids to pick out their own comforters and sheet sets and they were so excited. If the crib is going to be sitting for a while, either take it down or put it in another room, as that was hard on my daughter to see her crib still. I had to fill it up with stuffed animals and tell her it was there for the baby later on...
Babies R Us has cute bedrails. Both of my kids loved their Elmo bedrail.

I tried to get my son out of his crib at about 19-20 months. He always slept well, like yours, and we rarely had any problems getting him to bed. But man, when I "desecrated" his bed, his refuge, his secure place in the world, things fell apart. I really did get him excited about it, and he even kept asking me all day long to change his bed to a toddler bed (our crib has one side that comes off, then rails for the toddler bed). But that night, and every night that week, if he stirred and woke up even a tiny bit (which we all do, every night, but don't remember it), he'd get out of bed because he COULD. He'dd get out and scream by the door (he couldn't open doorknobs yet). I was a few months pregnant at the time and exhausted. So one morning at 3, all bleary-eyed, I converted that thing back to a crib. He slept the rest of the night perfectly, and every night thereafter. A few months later, I bought another crib at a yard sale and didn't even try to get him out in time for the baby.
Sometime after baby brother arrived, my then 2 year old started climbing out of his crib in the morning, and one day soon thereafter started eying the queen-sized guest bed that was in his room. He asked if he could sleep in it, and that was it! He never looked back.
I'd tell your son his options, ask him if he wants to do it, and try it out if he wants to.
That baby brother is 22 months old now, and I can't imagine taking the side of his crib. He would be into everything, never go to sleep, and would get up and destroy all within his reach before I ever knew he was awake. That's just his personality. With no new baby on the way, and two cribs anyway, I'm in no rush with this one. Also, I just don't think he would get the concept of our rule, which is that if you're in a big boy bed, when you wake up, you have to come get mommy and daddy up, too. My oldest didn't understand it completely at first, but he was much more likely to do it than my baby is. Without that rule, son #1 ended up smearing ketchup all over the kitchen one Saturday morning. He'd gotten his own "breakfast."
You know your son's personality, so you're the best judge of when he'll be ready. It's not like you can't go back (like I did), so give it a whirl if you want to!

You know, I just don't know that there is a right or wrong, other than I imagine the older they get, the harder it would be just due to being used to their crib...but that's a theory...I'm certainly no expert. I read somewhere something a long time ago that I cannot remember at all, but it lead me to do the switch at age 2 (we just switched my youngest). She has a normal twin bed with double gaurd rails (rails on each side so she doesn't fall out of bed). We really haven't experienced any out of the ordinary sort of trouble. I always used a babygate at their door in case of a middle of the night wake up. Always made me feel more secure about their safety so I could sleep more peacefully.