Advice on Bedding...

Hello. I gave my daughter a pillow and comforter type blanket at age 3. Everything I have read has said not to give kids sheets until age 4 because they can become wrapped up too tightly in them and get strangled since they don't have the "mechanism" yet to allow them to wake up and know how to get out of it. The sheet doesn't even have to be around the neck and head but just wrapped too tightly around the chest. From what I understand a thicker blanket can't wrap as tightly as sheets or really thin blankets can. Also always use sheet clips under mattress because if the fitted sheet comes off they can get wrapped up in it too. There is an article somewhere on line called the "crib sheet catostrophe" that is a wonderful read. =) Hope this helps and good luck!

I had my second baby when the first was 20 months, so at 18 mos in preparation for the new arrival, my daughter got her own "big girl bed." Unless you have a space problem, I didn't bother spending money on a toddler bed, nor did I use the convertible crib (had to use it as a crib for the new baby). I just bought a twin bed and got a safety first bedrail at Walmart. We pushed the bed against the wall and put a stool where the opening was (the rail goes almost the whole lenghth of the bed). I also gave her a pillow and made the bed with sheets and blankets. She had a great time in her big bed and we had no problems at all.

Good question - I would ask his doctor but once they are getting close to two I would think they are less at risk for SIDS - and they do have children's pillows at Toys R Us I think, but probably the trick is to find one that is flat and not to big for their little neck. I babysat for an 18 month old and she already had tons of stuff in her crib, pillows, blankets, stuffed animals, etc. so I would think he is probably ready.

I moved my son to a toddler bed around age 2 when we were expecting his brother, and he loved it. I actually felt more secure that I did not need to worry about him falling out of the crib, since it is low to the ground (now that my boys are older, I have to worry about them falling off the top bunk lol). If you are a light sleeper and check on your child often you could move to the toddler bed soon - I would probably put up the toddler bed and leave it in his room (if there is room and if you use another mattress) for a while to give him time to transition. Maybe let him nap in it first to see how he does. The key is, "Whatever works" and if the change seems to disrupt his sleep, I would wait. If he is sleeping well in his crib and not trying to climb out, I would probably wait - don't try to fix what isn't broken.

You CAN use a twin bed with rails instead of a toddler bed, but it made me more nervous about him falling off - the advantage to a toddler bed is is uses the same mattress as the crib (if you want to save money). I like the ones that look like cars that are pretty much enclosed, but we used a wood one that looked like a real bed. There are lots of options.

Good luck!

Our daughter is 28 months. She started sleeping with a blanket at 11 months. We converted her crib to a toddler bed (took the front off)when she was 20 months, and she began sleeping with a pillow a short time before that. I think the general rule is to make sure they are developed enough that they know or are capable of turning away from the blanket/pillow if they can't breathe. You know your child best. Kids develope at different rates. Use your judgement and trust your gut.

As far as the transition to the toddler bed...we did have a couple of rough nights. Her new freedom was both inspiring and exhausting. After a couple of nights she was fine. She's not had any falls and she so enjoys showing everyone her bed. I've had friends that went straight to a twin or full size and neither of them had significant issues. We will be transiitoning to a queen soon. I hope it goes as well.

HTH

I know they say not to give them blankets when they are babies, but my son had one when he was 6-months-old simply because Ohio winters were down-right cold! He was in a twin bed at a year old (with a side rail)since he hated the crib, and had pillows and it was never an issue.

My son was 2.5 years old when he figured a way out of the crib. I was like you I felt safer with him in there than to were he could get up and play in the middle of the night. But he had a pillow and a toddler comfortor to cover up with. He now sleeps in a toddler race car bed and he loves it. The transition was easy. I think he wanted to be a big boy and did not want to sleep in a baby bed any more. I hope this helps. Good luck, K.

I know that expert advice contradicts what we did, but my daughter always slept with a blanket...she wouldn't sleep w/o one. I believe she started sleeping with a pillow at about 11 or 12 mo. When she balled her blanket under her head continuously (to make her own pillow), we knew it was time:)

I give all my kids pillows now, but they rarely, if ever, use them. So, I wouldn't push it. But, your son is old enough to wake himself up and move around, so a pillow shouldn't be a danger anymore.

Army wife, me too! My husband is Special Forces, though he is mobilized with the 75th reserve unit here in Houston. :) We have 3 kids and we moved all of them to toddler beds when they started to climb out of their cribs. Each did it at different times...our middle one did it at 16 months! UGH! Her transition was the most difficult, maybe because of her age though. She would play in her room (because now she had the freedom to get up and roam) and would finally crash in a corner on the floor...that lasted about 3-4 months. We just said that she couldn't come out of her room...maybe we should have said that she couldn't get out of bed! ha! :) Once my kids were in toddler beds, that is when we introduced pillows and real blankets. They each had one cherished stuffed animal by that time (that was used in the crib probably beginning around 1 year-ish). I took my youngest with me to choose bed sheets, a pillow and pillowcase, a new "big girl" blanket, etc and her transition was much easier. Of course, she was older and she has a totally different personality. You just never know what will work for each kid! Good luck and take care! Being an Army wife is challenging, thank you for your sacrifices. :) jen

Well, I actually switched my son to a toddler bed when he was 16 months. Surprisingly it was easy. I let him help us put it together and he had absolutely no problems. A few nights he did come into our room, but we quickly just put him back into his bed and that was the end of it. He loves his bed now. As for the pillow and blanket I started that right before we switched him to the toddler bed. He loved it. I think that is how he made the easy transition. He was happy as long as he had his pillow and blanket.

Hi R.,

My daughter was about 2 when we gave her a pillow to use - Babies R Us sells small toddler pillows. Around the same time we moved a twin bed into her room, w/o the bedframe so it was lower to the ground. We didn't make a big deal about it, we left her in her crib (she never tried climbing out) and told her she could choose when she wanted to sleep in her "big girl bed." She started in her bed and moved to her crib the first night or two, then it was big girl bed all the way. Good luck!

During my SIDS training when I was getting licensed for my daycare back in Indiana, they said that 2 was the magic number. My daughter was/is gigantic for her age. I was concerned that she would jump out of her crib, though she never tried. We have one of theose cribs that transforms to a toddler bed. We switched when she was around 21 months. I did not give her pillow until much later. She just didn't need it so she didn't get a pillow with her toddler bed. We found a small Dinsey Princess pillow when she was about 2.5 years old. That is what she still sleeps with now. It is made of the poly that many throws are made of. It breaths well and is machine washable.

Hi R. ,
you can move him to a real bed now and give a flat pillow if he dosnt like the pillow he want use it ,but in his crib there is no space for a pillow and his sleeping buddys
good luck L.

well with my daughter i started to give her blankets to sleep with when she was about four months. I know your not suppose to but she enjoyed playing with her blankie during the day that when i tried to take it away for night time she would scream. so i dont really think there is a set time for when your not suppose to give them blankets but she does not have a pillow as of yet. i think its more of at your discretion. Good luck!

My son was 15 months when we moved to the toddler bed. The regular pillow and toddler size blanket came with the bed.

My daughter was 17 months when she make the move.

FYI - they were both climbing out of the crib by that age, that's why they transitioned - my children are monkies! The both loved the switch and never had a problem staying in bed or with falling out (it had those side rail things). We just told them about their new "big kid" bed and that's all they needed to hear to buy into it! :)

We waited until our toddler was 3 to move to a regular bed. It is for the toddler safety, because if they wake up before you, just what trouble can they get in (lots). But once moved to twin bed we purchased the rails.
We used pillows age 1.

my 2 yr. old has been sleeping w/ 3 blankets and seriously, no exaggeration, 15 dolls, a pillow for a year now. never an issue. this is my 2nd child....i can tell this is your first, b/c 1st time moms do everything by the book....no criticism to you, i did the same.....i learned with the 2nd to relax!

All my children have had blankets since birth. They were either swaddled in it or it just layed across them. my 3 month old won't fall asleep unless a blanket is on her. My son I moved to a toddler bed when he was 22 months. To keep him in his room (I've found him climbing on the stove in the middle of the night) I put a door knob cover on the inside of the door. He is now potty trained and I no longer have the cover on. I gave them a pillow at age 1. I still have my 27 month old daughter in a crib just so I can make sure I still get me time. I'm afraid that once I move her to a big girl bed naptimes won't come as easy. I too will need to transition her soon though because my baby is outgrowing the bassinet.

My kids have disney store pillows that have a felt like feel to them that I gave to them around 2, I am in the stage of the toddler bed and it is the War of the Worlds, I have a security gate up at the edge of the room and this has been a boundary saving Grace, however I think it depends on your childs personality if you'll have trouble, I have a very active don't want to miss anything boy and a sleep like a princess for beauty rest girl. So bedtime and naps don't go smooth with my boy but I don't give in I stand at his door and my will wins out after about an hour each day for nap and bedtime is a little easier after I run him like a track star in the afternoons. Its just a stage as my mother tells me, a long one but I am staying consistent that they must stay in their beds for resting time and never my bed. My kids will be 3 in the Fall so I've been fighting the fight for a good 7 months. Its part of the testing, and exerting power thing too. I do get my full sleep at night so I can't complain about that. Best Wishes
Mom of 2 precious power testers

We moved my daughter to a twin bed on her 2nd birthday and I just got the flattest pillow I could find. She does fine with that. She is 2 1/2 now and has never even tried to get out of her bed at night. I think we've just gotten lucky there. She loves her big girl bed and I never really worried about the SIDS thing once she hit 2 years old. We skipped the toddler bed because we also had a convertible crib, but I was pregnant with #2 and we knew we would need the crib for him, so we just went ahead with a twin bed with a rail on the side so she can't fall out.

Best of luck to you. I wouldn't worry about the pillow or blanket. I think he's plenty old enough now to have them.