My question is this - are there any special "tricks" to change from a crib to a toddler bed? I have an 11 year old son who changed to a toddler bed at 14 months with no issues. So since my daughter is now 14 months, we tried to change her over - notice I said "tried" - it was HORRIBLE! She saw me take down her crib and put in the toddler bed. I kept telling her what a BIG girl she is and that she is ready for a big bed like her brother and sister and mommy & daddy. She was putting her toys to bed and covering them so I thought she would be okay. That night she CRIED when I put her to bed and my husband finally got her to sleep an hour and a half later. She woke up 2 hours early the next morning and would not take her morning nap in the bed so by lunchtime, the toddler bed was out and the crib was back up. I understand that all children are different, but I am just looking for advice for (hopefully) a smoother transition when we try this again! Thanks mommas!
I didn't move my son or daughter out of their crib until they were 3 years old. When I put them in their youth bed, I didn't have any trouble with them wanting to go back to their crib.
P. S
She may just not be ready yet, I'd keep her in the crib until she starts climbing out of it. The crib is her comfort zone. When she's a little older she will be able to understand better about the big girl bed thing, right now she's barely a year old and still very much a baby.
We didn't move our daughter to her toddler bed until she was 33 months (she will be 3yrs 9/29, so about a month ago). About a month before then she began crawling out of her crib, but that was the first time she showed any signs of outgrowing the crib. We talked to her for a while before moving to the toddler bed about it and what was expected of her with her big girl bed. Kind of building up that it was a big deal. Then when we converted her bed, we let her "help" with it also. So, your daughter just may not be ready yet. Our daughter is very articulate and "mature" for a not quite 3 year old (most people ask if she's 4), and I just couldn't see her in a toddler bed at 14 months, or even before she was 2. Maybe she just isn't ready.
I agree, I think she's just too young. We just put up a twin size bed (skipped the toddler bed) for my lil one this weekend - he's 35 months. It still wasn't smooth sailing the first night, but the past two nights have been fine. I took him with me to Target to pick out his new bed set, and got him a new set of PJ's, and that helped a lot. He also has a bed rail on the side. My sister tried to put her son in a toddler bed last month (@ 26 months), and they went through the exact scenario you described. I'd wait a while!
We waited until ours were about 22 months. We knew they could understand better. We talked about it to/with them for about a month prior & then we just did it...we built their beds and had them in the room for a couple of nights, & then dismantled the cribs in front of them and switched them over. The only issue we had was keeping them in bed after their newfound freedom! :-) Good luck!
Wow--14 months sounds so young to move out of a crib. My son is 2 1/2 and is still in his, and I plan to keep him there until he starts to climb out again. He did start crawling out at one point, so we borrowed a crib tent. It actually seems to make him feel secure in there. We don't zip it at all anymore, but he doesn't try to get out with it on there. We moved my daughter at 2, but she was very verbal and very obedient. If we told her to stay in her bed, she would. When I can expect the same from my son, then I'll move him. I think we'd lose nap time if I moved him, so I don't mind waiting until he's old enough to be done with naps altogether. Good luck with the transition whenever you decide, but I'd definitely wait!
Mine stayed in the crib so long it was ridiculous because they loved it. With my son, I set up his twin bed in the room and he napped in the bed, slept at night in the crib. Since you have a convertible, maybe you could just make a little pallet on the floor and tell her if she would like to put her babies to bed there, she could, then maybe she could nap with them because they were lonely (etc....). Worth a try. 14 months is on the early side from my world, but everyone is different. Sleep was way too important for me..:)
Good luck, J.
This isn't easy for either of you. I have a 15 month old and she wouldn't be able to be in a toddler bed at this point. She wouldn't understand why we'd be doing that and would probably feel like her security blanket was gone. We transitioned my first daughter around 18 months. It went ok, not great. She understood though that it was time to move on (I needed the crib for baby #2, but I didn't tell her that). Your daughter may just not be ready yet, maybe not as mature as your son was at the same age. Good luck!
When she's climing out of the crib is the only time you really need to move to a bed. My son climbed out of his crib during a nap when he and his sister were about 19 months old and I took out the cribs and put in toddler beds that weekend.
We made a point of saying 'bye bye' to the cribs - now whenever they see a picture of a crib they say 'bye bye'. As you probably learned with your son, the transition to 'beds' is tough from a babyproofing perspective - we turned the lock on the door around so it locks from the outside. Otherwise, the only things they have in their room are stuffed animals and books - not even a lamp.
Good luck!
We waited until my daughter was 2.5 to switch from her crib to a full size bed. Her crib could have transitioned to the toddler version but we decided to just buy the mattress and make it the full size. She has done really well! The one thing I recommend is to put a tension gate up at the bedroom door. This will keep her from "visiting" now that she'll have the freedom to climb in and out. We also go the bedrail so she won't fall out.
We transitioned our son at 25 mos. We tried at 22 mos and he was not ready. We put the twin bed in his room along with the crib so that he could see it and get use to it. He seem to transition on his own when he was comfortable. He really liked the coziness of the crib. It is a safe secure place for toddlers. But eventually he wanted to be a big boy and sleep in the big boy bed. We do have a gate on the door. I could not imagine my child being able to roam free at night while I am sleeping. No telling what he could get into. Good luck but I would give her more time. She is still so young.
