At What Age Should Your Toddler Sleep in a "Big Girl" Bed

It all depends on the toddler. I've known kids as young as 1 who sleep in a toddler bed. I wouldn't plan on buying another crib unless you plan on having more children. Otherwise she may be ready for a toddler bed. My son went into a toddler bed when he was 2 but probably could have gone in sooner. Good luck.

I would just buy her a regular toddler bed. My lil boy's crib fell apart too so we are just gonna get him a toddler bed when we can scrouch up the money.

People move their toddlers to toddler beds at all different times, but from what I've read and heard from some experienced moms, it's best to wait until as close to 3 years old as possible. Younger than that and they usually don't have the impulse control to choose bed and sleep over playing. I know that's true for my 2 year-old, so I'm keeping her in the crib as long as possible; if she starts to climb, I'll just put a crib tent on. I know they sell inexpensive Jenny Lind cribs at babies r us. Good luck!

How about starting with a mattress on the floor. That way you don't have to go out and buy another crib. My son around that time went to the mattress with a side stopper (so that he didn't roll out) and after he got the hang of getting in and out of bed we moved him straight into his own single bed.
T.

My daughter started sleeping in a toddler bed at about 18 months. We also had another baby on the way so we needed the crib and didnt wanna buy a new one we hadnt even had the one 9 months yet. But she did great and loves her big girl bed. just make sure you take down the crib she wouldnt sleep in the toddler bed until we moved the crib to our room.

We're moving and I'm planning on switching my daughter to a "big girl" bed at around 15 months. You could try just putting the mattress on the floor if you're worried she'll fall out, otherwise use the bed gaurds and she should be fine--I'm just not looking forward to my daughter being able to get out of bed on her own--so if you have any tips for what helps with that, let me know!

All three of my kids went to regular beds shortlly after their first birthdays. They all did just fine, I think your girl will too. If she has some issues with a bigger bed, you might want to let her pick out some bedding that she likes. Good luck!

It all depends on the child. My oldest was ready for a "big girl" bed before she was 2. But my youngest is almost 2 and not anywhere near ready to be in a "big girl" bed. I would buy a toddler bed and test it out. Have her start out taking naps in the toddler bed but still sleeping in the crib at night and if all works out, have her start sleeping in the toddler bed at night too. Just make sure she gets to help pick out everything. My daughter loved when we had her help pick her sheets and stuff for her new bed. Also, make sure you stick to the same bed time routine every night because that will make her feel a little more at ease about the new bed. Good Luck!

I think it depends on the child. You could try it and if she doesn't like it, let her have the crib back if she doesn't climb out of it....safety is key. Or you can get rails for both sides of the toddler bed and it's even safer than a crib because it's lower. If you get excited about it she probably will too...frilly bedding or a character she loves! :) Good luck!

My opinion a toddler bed is a waste of money. Why don't you get a twin, but not use a box spring....use one of those board things so she isn't as high up. That's what I have done with all 3 of my kids. Why whould you pay for a toddler bed when they grow so fast she'd just be moving into a regular bed with-in a few years later. With the regular twin bed, she has more room to move without falling out as well.

All of the responses so far are farely positive, so I was writing to give you a different idea of what could happen. I really do think it depends on the child, and you are the one that knows your child the best.

I did switch our daughter to a big girl bed when she was 18 months. It was horrible for both of us. I made sure to put her bed in the same place as her crib and use the same mattress and I put her crib bumper around her bed. I read to her each night, like I normally do. Nothing worked. She would not stay in bed. She thought it was a game or something. She played in it fine, but would not sleep in it. She started losing a lot of sleep and so did we. We tried for two weeks and then gave up and put her back in her crib.

My daughter is now almost 2 and a half and she is still in her crib. I plan on switching her before the end of the summer, but my first experience was horrible so I really need to get myself prepared for the transition. It probably scared me off a little also. :)

Good Luck with your transition.

I wouldn't buy another crib for her unless you plan to have more children and would be able to use it again in the future. She is old enough to be moved to a big girl bed. I moved my son when he was about that age because I was pregnant with my daughter and, like the other mom on here, wanted him to be out of the crib long enough he didn't feel like she took his bed. It was a little challenging getting him to understand he couldn't get up just because there were no rails, but he did fine in a regular bed. I just don't think I personally could justify spending that kind of money for a bed she'd only use for another few months. Good luck!

My daughter starting sleeping in a toddler bed at 18 months. You still use the crib size matress so it really isn't that big of a change. Plus, most of them have rails around the sides so they can not fall out. I definitely would not buy another crib. you wouldn't need it long.

It would be best to keep her in a crib until she is 2, her crib still offers her the support and security. When you do purchase a toddler bed make sure you have guard railings on the side. You can buy the new three in ones crib, toddler and twin bed, grows with the child. Hope it helps you with this problem.

As a mother of 3 and grandmother of 2, there really isn't a certain age. We usually moved them up around 18 months to 2 ish. As long as you can get her settled and use a rail of some type to keep her from falling, she should be fine. But from experience, she will be getting up, waking up sometime scared, and sometimes wandering. She has freedom once she is in the big bed. Our kids would wander into our bedroom and want to sleep in our bed. We made that mistake with daughter #1 and it is very hard to break. I know my kids were ready that young, but if I had waited like my friends or even borrowed another baby bed, I would have been able to sleep through the night in my own bed, and the child would have been able to sleep better, too. Usually I would get up, or my husband, put the child back in bed and lay there to settle her down. We would usually fall asleep there until morning. But it really does depend on your child. Good luck.

I think that depends on you. I didn't give my kids a choice when they moved to a new bed. My oldest 2 had to move because I was pregnant and wanted them long out of the bed before the baby arrived and gave a wrong association that they were being replaced. My oldest child was 15.5 months when he moved and my middle guy was 15 months. They both loved the transition just fine, though I tried to make it easier for them by using the same mattress and keeping the crib set up in the room so they could see it and if they REALLY wanted to sleep in it, we'd stick the mattress back in and allow it. Rarely did that happen and we did go through a phase with both at around 18 months where they kept getting out of bed and asking for something. We had to work with them rather than punish them and just set a ground rule of no getting out of bed, but rather call and say you need something. We then had to transition from that to "now you have everything you need as we listed everything and then told them we are just in the other room if you need us. We will see you when the sun wakes up". We have since become more lax because the routine has been well established and they truely do not get up unless they need something (to potty or something else). I am about to make the transition again with my almost 2.5 yr old daughter. I have had no reason to move her (as far as needing the bed for something else, etc), but we figured it was time. Good luck and I hope your transition goes smoothly whenever you choose to do it.

B. :)

This really depends on the set up of your home, how safe her space is, and the maturity of your child. My daughter could not open a door when we started her in her toddler bed at age 1. It worked for us because I knew she could not fall down the stairs and the small furniture in her rooms was placed in front of her outlets. It worked great for us. I definitely would not buy another crib. I have a red crib that I would give you if you wanted to come and pick it up.

J.,
Good luck with all of this, My son is 16 months old and putting him in a toddler bed, we would never get to sleep, but if it came to getting a toddler bed or another crib, I would buy the toddler bed. My other son is 6 years old, and we had the same problem, the crib was destroyed and I had to make the choice he was 2 years old. He did just fine with the toddler bed, but we did buy a longer bed rail so it went down the whole bed. So that is always an option. Good luck and best wishes to you.