At What Age Do You Transition to a Toddler Bed?

I know I am a little late, but I have just gone through this. My daughter is exactly 2 1/2, and she JUST climbed out of her crib. So, we have switched her to the toddler bed. I had been wondering about it also, but everyone told me, wait until she tries to climb out or actually does. I didn't think she ever would but she did! Last night was her first night in her toddler bed (we have a convertible crib) and I am happy to say that she stayed in bed all night, and still called for me to come and get her in the morning (I don't think it sunk in that she could get out on her own!) We'll see how long that keeps going! LOL I also want to mention that she isn't potty trained yet either.

Wait until she can either get out or shows interest in bigger beds. There's no reason to take a child out of the safety of the crib until they show a readiness for it!

My daughter is almost 25months old and we moved her to a toddler bed right before she was 2 and she loved it. She actually sleeps better now in the toddler bed than she was in her crib. It was a very smooth move, she slept prefectly fine from the 1st night in it.

I have 4 kids 3 of which are now in bigger beds. I moved all of mine to a toddler bed, when they started to climb out of the crib. You don't want her to fall while attempting to climb out in the middle of the night and get seriously hurt and you or your husband not know anything about it.
If she is climbing out the crib, I would move her to be on the safe side. If not let her stay in there, maybe she isn't ready for the toddler bed yet.

My son was totally fine in his crib at almost 3 & i left him there until a few months before we moved to a new house (cuz we would need the crib for a new baby in a few more months). If they're happy, leave them (less for you to have to worry about).

I think for most it matters when it becomes a safety issue. If she is able to crawl out of the crib herself, and I'm guessing she probably can at that age, she should be in a toddler bed. My daughter was about 1 1/2 when she switched, but both boys were closer to 2.

We have two year old twins and they have been in toddler beds since they were 18 months old.

Hi there,
I waited until they were climbing out. The longer they stay in the crib, the better for you! Do not rush it!

Good Luck,
K.

My son moved to his toddler bed around 20 months.
They start them on cots (for nap time) at day care around 18 months if not earlier. I can't imagine having a 3 year old in a crib, it seems a bit insulting to the child!

I would do it now. I don't think a 2 year old really would get that the big girl bed is an incentive for potty training. As for the safety, just put a gate on her door so she doesn't wander out. We took our boys out at 17 and 18 months, and they did well with it.

We moved our boys to regular beds when they were 21 mo & 17 mo, but for us it was a safety issue - they were both very tall, where their hips were almost above the railing of the crib and I felt that although they were not climbing out of the crib, that they could fall out and get hurt. We bought one of the temporary rails and used that on the "big boy bed" for each of them until they were comfortable and safe enough in the big bed (although my 4 yr old still falls out of bed sometimes!).

Good Luck!
-T.

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I agree with you. If your daughter is interested in the bed, you should put her in it before she gets too attached to the crib. We put our son in a toddler bed at 2 and he did great with it. We talked to him about it for a few days before we installed it. We had purchased a crib that turned into a toddler bed. So on the day we decided to make the transition, we asked him if he would like to help dad build his bed. He had a blast and has loved sleeping in the bed that "he made with dad".

We had to switch my son to a toddler bed when he was 20 mos as he started climbing out of the crib. For us it was more of a safety issue that made us switch. Although, we did not buy a separate toddler bed. With our crib, we are able to remove one side of it to convert it to a toddler bed. This summer we will probably move him into a twin bed, as we will be needing the crib for his baby sibling who is due at the end of august.

Sleeping in a bed and being potty trained are two separate issues and one doesn't necessarily preceed the other. My 3 year old was just about two and we just put her in a regular full sized bed, no toddler bed. She was clearly ready for that. Potty training came a few months later when she showed me she was ready for that. If your little girl is interested in a bed then go ahead and put her in it (although it would be a good idea to keep the crib available to her at first if she gets scared and wants to go back to it for awhile). She's certainly old enough for a toddler bed. No need to wait! Good luck!

My son will be 3 next month and we moved him from his crib to a regular twin bed. He is all about being a "big" boy and that help with potty training him and moving him into a regular bed. I would do one thing at a time, so set the bed up now, let her get used to it than work on potty training. I know with my son it worked best to do one thing at a time. If she has trouble transitioning to a new bed and you are trying to potty train at the same time it might be too much for her to handle.

I am a firm believer in not pushing it. My son loves his crib. He leaps in it at bedtime and feels safe and cozy in it. I do not plan on getting him out any time soon. If your daughter is happy and comfortable, why disrupt her? If she is upset and crying or crawling out, then you should make the transition.
One mother I knew put the crib and twin bed in the room and let her son decide. He stayed in the crib for a good 6 months before he decided to sleep in the twin bed and when he decided to do it; the transition was smooth as silk. They wold read, cuddle, and play on it, but not sleep until he was ready.
It seems to me that people are so quick to want their kids to grow up. If she is content, I would leave her be.

I think the toddler beds are a big waste of money. It's just another thing stores want you to buy during the early years of childhood. To me, they're also way to easy to get in and out of. So, when my kids were 15 months old, I bought them each twin beds with wooden frames that I know will last them until they're much older, basically until they're tall enough that their feet are about to hang over the ends of the beds. I bought a bedrail from Babies R Us and used it, and put the other side of the bed against the wall. I also used big floor pillows at the foot of the bed, to deter them from going to that end where there was no bedrail. There was absolutely not one night of transitioning because they were young enough that they didn't really notice or cared where they slept. I never once had a kid fall out of a bed. I always transitioned my children during times when I just simply didn't think they'd notice. I took the pacifier away at 6-9 months and never had a transition either. It's all about timing. Now, you're is over 2, you're borderline being able to transition smoothly. But, do you really want to transition twice? Because that's what toddler beds put into your agenda.

S.

I am a SAHM of two, 3 1/2 y/o boy and a 15 m/o girl. Our son was in his twin bed when he was 2, because we needed the crib for our daughter. I would tell you that if she is showing interest definitely make the move. Make her feel like a big girl and then you may be able to use that in assisting with potty training. Big girl bed..big girl underwear...For me it was getting use to him getting "up" whenever he wanted, instead of confining him to this bed. Of course, the baby gate kept him in his room, but didn't stop him from yelling for me to get him at 6:30am..... Good luck

Hi S.,

It really is more covenient for parents to keep the crib because it keeps the kids in bed and not all over the place(in my experience); however, if she's starting to try to climb off the crib, that can be dangerous and a toddler bed is your best bet.

Good luck!

I kept mine in as long as I could. They were happy where they were so I kept them there; my son was almost 31/2 ; neither of them climbed out (obviously that makes a difference; safety issue). I agree the other poster who said toddler beds are a waste of money. they fit in it for such a short period of time before they move to a regular bed and why transition twice? My kids went from crib to regular bed(with bed guards); pretty easily too. they got to pick out fun sheets and stuff as the "reward" for moving to a big kid bed

Not really necessary... we waited til 3 years of age (our kids never climbed out of their cribs or anything, and were small kids) and just got one of those 'fences' for the side of the twin bed, as well as a baby gate for the bedroom door, so they wouldn't be wandering the house at night. I guess it depends on need (some people have babies that need the crib!) If you've already ordered maybe your decision is made though.

First toddler beds are a waste of money, go straight to a twin bed and get railings for it. Second if she is fine in her crib leave her there as long as you can. The longer you wait the more she will be able to understand that she needs to stay in her bed. You've got to remember being in an open bed gives them the freedom to come into your bed creating a whole new thing to deal with. Mine were 3 1/2 or more before we did it. One of them got up once we put him right back to bed and that was it. They have never gotten up unless they were sick. Goodluck

We transitioned our oldest when he was 26 months (we knew we would need the crib when he was 30 months). We set the toddler bed up in his room where his crib had always been. We put his crib on a different wall. Anyway, we started with nap, and after two days he requested to sleep in his "big boy bed" We left the crib up for a week afterwards, just to make sure. He did great with the transition.

My older daughter slept in her own bed around 2 years old but she climbed out of her crib so we did not have a choice.
We bought her a bed and she loves sleeping in it. My second daughter(she's 2) loves to sleep in big sister's
bed and has verbally asked for her own bed but has not attempted to climb out of her crib. We've let my my younger sleep with her big big sister on weekends (to see how she does) but she always ends up getting out of bed to find us. Therefore, we've elected to keep
her in her crib for now. So, if your daughter has not attempted to climb out of the crib, I would wait a little longer as she may not stay in her bed and end up wandering the house of going to you in the middle of the night.

The question really is whether you are ready to deal with a toddler getting out of bed a million times a night. she might not do this--my oldest daughter didn't, but my son did all of the time. I guess my oldest didn't realize that you could get out of bed, but my son had seen his sister get out by that time and knew that it was a possibility. We put him in his big boy bed at about 23 months, and he was out of that thing every two minutes. In the end, we told him that if he got out of his bed he would go to his crib, and he didn't want to do that. We did have to put him in the crib, which we had left up, and it seemed to deter his desire to explore!

It was very stressful and difficult, though, so with our third we have left her in her crib. She's almost three, and we are thinking about keeping her there for even longer. We bought a crib tent, which you zip up to keep them in the crib so they can't get out and fall, and she loves it. She thinks it's cool, and she wants to sleep in it, so it's not a punishment.

After my son was already in his big boy bed, I read in a book about kids' sleep habits that they aren't ready for a big bed until they're three because they are too curious and want to get out and explore on their own at a younger age.

I'm not saying don't do it without a doubt, but just think about whether you're ready to deal with a child popping out of bed every few minutes.

I transitioned my 2yr old son to a twin bed when he was 20 months old. He started sleeping on cots at school and did very well. He transitioned very well into his bed. For the first few months we did put up a gate in the doorway so he wouldn't wonder around.

Of course we make bedtime very special with songs, stories. We also have a few cool sheet/pillow sets for him and he seems to like this.

Good luck with the transition!

Hi!

We had to move Emily (my oldest) out of her bed at 22 months to make way for little Haley. We moved at the same time, so we talked up her new room and her new "big girl bed" all at once. She was pretty good about it, but the first few weeks there was a lot of up and down. We used our gate strategically..at first we placed it at the end of the hallway, but then moved it closer and closer to her door. (We have one of those gates that expands up to five feet and it portable.)

Eventually we placed it in her door frame and she figured out that she was supposed to stay put, but it took a good 3 weeks to get her to that realiziation.

When Haley turned 18 months old, we were contemplating trying the toddler bed with her and did it. She took to it wonderfully and is already in a twin bed in her sister's room at 22 months!

I think it all boils down to how ready your daughter is and if you think she will understand the concept. I wouldn't wait until she is potty trained, though. If she is interested in the big girl bed, take advantage of that and use it as a reinforcement of why she should potty train in the future (big girl bed, big girl potty, etc). I have a whole other opinion on that, but I'll wait for you to post that question later! :o) Good Luck!

My daughter is 29 months or 2 years and 5 months, this past weekend we moved her over to her big girl bed(Thursday noon nap). She's not potty trained, but that's next. We've had the bed set up in her room for a while though, she would play on it and sit on it, mostly getting used to it. You may be able to just move your girl into the big bed because you have an older child that makes it look fun and interesting. We cleared out her pack and play and set up her bed the same way and set her down for a nap just as we had before, keeping the routine the same and only the location change helped. The first few times she fussed at little more then usual, but she settled quickly enough. Now there's no fuss at all.

Good luck.

Good luck.

Go for it! If your child is showing interest, why wait? I don't think you should use this as an incentive for potty training. If potty training is going to take her awhile, she may be too big for her crib. This may even help with the potty traning if you tell her that big girls sleep in big girl beds and that big girls go to the potty. Since this is also just a toddler bed, the only difference is that it is low to the ground and she is not so caged in as she is in the crib but it is the same size. I put my daughter in a regular twin size bed at 2 1/2 yrs old, no problems whatsoever. She was getting too big for her crib and never wanted to sleep in it. Good luck!

This was just me personally but we transitioned her crib into her toddler bed when she was about 19-20 months. That didn't last too long, maybe 6 months before we got her a big bed. She is now 2 1/2 and sleeps in a twin bed. We are now focusing on her potty training and it is going very well. We tried starting that when she turned 2 but she wasn't really catching on. Waiting those 6 months worked wonders. She more consistent about telling us & about actually going on the potty.
Good luck with everything!

She is old enough for a toddler bed, but you might want to consider a single bed with railings and save the money on the toddler bed. We bought a cute one that never got used. My daughter wouldn't sleep alone at that age, and I couldn't lie down next to her in a toddler bed to get her to sleep, whereas I could lie down with her in the single bed. Just a thought!