Crib to Big Bed

Alot of people disagree with what I am about to say, but I've given a few other moms this same tip so her it goes--Turn a tv on in her room turned down--then turn it down or off when she goes to sleep. After my daughter (3) falls asleep we turn the tv all the way down bc she likes the tv as a nightlight. SHe wants all other lights turned off. I know people say if the tv is on all night the kids don't sleep soundly--but you gotta ask yourself--what works to get them to go to sleep at all? So maybe this will work for you too. GOod LUck!

Hello I have a little girl named Lily that will be 2 this weekend. A couple of months ago I bought her a 3 piece disney Princess toddler canopy bed set...when w egoit it together sh ewas so proud of it. I couldn't believe how she just started sleeping in it right away with hardly any problems, because she is very stubborn and very strog willed and I just knew it was going to be trouble. The first night she went right to sleep. We have had little problems sometimes and I just say to her " ok Lily I am gonna put yu in your baby bed then because you dont want to sleep in your big girl bed". She says NO and gets back into her bed. They feel important and like they are a big girl in the new beds because they dont feel trapped like they do in a crib. My daughter was climbing out of her crib to and thats why I gto her a toddler bed. Also try giving her a small pillow that is her favorite, her favorite blanket and all her favortie babies. My daughter will not go to bed without all these pacific items in the bed. that way when she wakes up in the morning she doesn't sneak I alos put up a locked gate in fornt of her bedroom door and I leave the door open so she knows we are just down the hall. That way when she wakes up she can't sneak around and get into stuff she noit suppose to. My daughter also would get upa nd play and destroy he room a few times and when I would go in there she would run to her bed and cover her head. You have to come up with a consequence for her everytime she gets out of bed. You may even have to consistantly go into her room and keep putting her back to bed along with her consequence until she is tired and wore out. Eventually it will become habit and become alot easier. I have no problem getting her to bed most days but sometimes she just dont wanna go to bed and she will cry and have a fit and cry for her daddy because daddy gives in to her little sweet face...LOL. Anyway good luck to you and your toddler!!

We moved our daughter at 27 months and I guess we were just lucky she never got out. We converted her crib to a toddler bed so maybe that is the difference. She has the fisher price aquarium music box so she turns that one when she cannot sleep. You might want to try music to see if that helps. We also told her from the very begining that if she did not stay in her "Big Girl Bed" we would put her back into the crib. She has gotten out of her bed at during naps, but I would just tell her she has to go back to bed or she was going to timeout and she did you might try that to see if it works. She also has a couple of Build A Bears she sleeps with and also plays with in her bed before she falls asleep try putting a toy in bed with him.

Here is what we did when out daughter was ready to move out of the crib at age 3. In her room, we put one matress on the floor, and of course dressed the bed in fun bedding and made her room fun and girly and said "this is a big girl bed". As she got older, we put the box springs underneath the mattress (everything still on the floor) until finally at age 5 she had a full grown up bed with box springs, matress and the bed off hthe floor.

We sitll do the same routine. Sing songs, read a book, a back rub and off to sleep in 30 mintues. It works!

Hi N.,

Your transition sounds like my first son's transition to the big kid bed. I did spend a lot of time going in and putting him back in bed, but eventually child-proofed everything and just shut the door. I joked with family that his room was basically a cell with a race car bed. I'd say the transition took several weeks - and even then, he'd sometimes fall asleep on the floor or in his closet. His naps did eventually get back to normal. My second just moved over the weekend and it's been a lot easier, I think because he's a lot younger - he's only 17 months. My first was almost 2 1/2 before I moved him out of the crib.

Good luck!
C.

Man I guess I was a little early to put my son in a big boy bed then all of the other mothers. But we put my son in a Big Boy Bed when he was 15 month's old. Now he is 2 and he loves it. We just put his bed up aginst the wall and then put a side rail there. But to get him to stay in the bed you will just have to be firm at some point. My husaband and I tell our son " get back in bed" (usually after about 5 times of coming out of his room). He doesn't like the firm voice but listens and goes right back in his bed. I let him cry a few mins and then go in and tell him "this is your bed you have to go to bed now we have a big day tomorrow" and kiss him that usually works. If not you could try putting a gate in her door way that way she can't leave the room. And of course you can take it down once she is asleep. But that way if she can't leave the room she will eventually get tired and go to her bed. Hope this helps.

We just moved my daughter about 6 weeks ago and we thought we had it made because for the first month she never even tried to get out of bed. Well, after a month, she figured it out. We did a couple of things. First, we moved her night table closer to her bed and left a few books on there that she could look at. There is also a light on her night table that she can turn on just by touching the base. We read stories to her right before bedtime, so we told her that she had to wait until she woke up and then she could turn her light on and read (this includes naptime). She also sleeps with a blankie and some dolls, so we told her if she got out of her bed again, we were taking them all away. If there is anything that he sleeps with that is really important, you could threaten to take it (you have to follow through though and not give it back if he is going to take you seriously).

We never had to actually take anything. She knew I meant business and hasn't gotten up again since. I think the best thing to do is let him know that he can get up to play AFTER he wakes up from his sleep and/or tell him that he can't have his special things in bed with him if he doesn't stay in it. This has also worked for my friend's son (that's who I got the idea from). Best of luck to you!

Wow I guess we put my daughter in her toddler bed early about two weeks after she trurned 1. We put up a baby gate in her doorway and have her room totally dark. We read her bedtime stories then put her in her bed with her fav bear and her fav blanket and she has pretty much stayed in bed I dont know if it has to do with the fact that its dark but she has never cried more than a few mins max 5. Maybe i'm just blessed. Dont know if that helps at all. But I do know that haveing a scheduale is key and so is sticking to it

This was our big fear several years ago when we put our son into his big boy bed and now we have the opposite problem! What worked for us was to have a "talk" about what a big deal the big boy bed was and that he would have to go back into his crib if he didn't stay in his bed. We told him that those were the rules for big boys with big boy beds. 2+ years later, he we are, still having to go get him before he will get out of his bed! We have told him that he can get up to come and get us or go potty, but he ABSOLUTELY will not leave his bed until we go in and get him! Be careful what you wish for and good luck! My sister has twins and they have what we like to call"Rock Parties" at night from time to time when she doesn't goin and put them back in bed! She has walked in to room that looks like it had been ramsacked on more than one occasion! I guess that I should be thankful!