Crib to Toddler Bed - Eustace,TX

Hi M.:

I hope I don't offend you, but, I think toddler beds are a huge waste of money.

You will be needing the crib mattress for the new baby, right? And you will also need a new bed (twin size?) for your little girl, right?

Why not just go with the twin set-up right away and save yourself that extra step and expense? For both of my boys, I started with first putting the twin size mattress (not box spring) right onto the floor. Of course, you must doll it up with pretty sheets and comforter to make it more enticing! Have her on the mattress for a couple of months, then add the box spring. You could even add the safety rail at this point if it seems too high. After your daughter feels comfortable after a couple months of that, add the bed frame. (You can even spread the cost out for everything; mattresses first, bed second)

I tell you, it works out really nicely for us!

Have fun and Happy shopping!

Congratulations on your new baby-to-be!

if you're making the change before baby arrives, you need to make it NOW... you want enough time b/n the change and baby's arrival that she doesn't associate the two. i would AVOID any reference to the new baby needing the crib, etc. my boys didn't really have any major issues with the change, i did make sure they had either a doorknob cover or a baby gate up b/c i didn't want them getting out of their rooms and falling down the stairs or something like that. i would get your little girl a brand new doll to be given to her at the hospital on the day your baby is born. get a bottle for the doll, maybe some pants/diapers, a small spoon, etc. - then, when you are tending to YOUR baby, make a big show of her tending to HER baby. also, when your newborn is napping, make a show of saying "okay, 'newbaby', it's special time for 'biggirl' now, so you're going to have a nap"... new baby won't know what you're saying, but big girl will! good luck with them both.

Hi M.,

My youngest 2 are a mere 15 months apart in age. With all of my kiddos (I have 3 total), we went straight from the crib to a twin size bed (we always arrange one side of the bed against a wall and use a bed rail on the open side). It has really worked well for us and has saved us the expense of a toddler bed and then a regular bed. All of mine (even the almost 2 yo is in a bed now for 3 months now) have done really well transitioning into a big girl/boy bed. It helped all of mine to place the bed in the same spot in the room where their crib was since that was where they were use to sleeping. We tried deviating from this with my middle child and had it on the other side of the room, but he had a hard time sleeping until we moved it back to the side he was use to sleeping on. When I was moving my middle child into a bed, I made sure to do this a couple of months before the baby arrived, because I didn't want him to feel like the baby was taking his crib.
I think it gave him time to feel like the crib (which remained in the same room) wasn't his.
In prepping our children for new arrivals... I was really worried when I was pregnant with my youngest. My middle son was just a year old by the time I reached mid-way through the pregnancy and wasn't really very verbal. I would point to my expanding waistline and tell him there was a baby in there. I would also let him fell the baby when he would move around. I always had to take my kiddos to the OB with me because I didn't have anyone who could watch them while I was at the doctor (I'm a stay at home mom). I think this really helped because they were able to hear the heart beat and see the baby during sonograms. Whenever I had the baby arrive, I let the kiddos help with simple things like getting diapers, picking out the outfit to put the baby in and helping burp the baby. If you are using bottles, even young ones love to help with feeding the baby.

There isn't any specific "right way." Some things work with some children, and some things don't. You know your daughter best, so try to do things that you feel would best help her. You said she was really independent so I would think that she would be really excited to sleep in a "big girl bed" and to help with the baby. Don't be surprised if she is more clingy or not as independent when the baby first arrives. This is normal and a big change in her life as well as yours. With love and attention, the transitions should go fairly smooth.

Good Luck and Congrats!!

I don't have any advice from experience I just wanted to let you know that this is what we are doing. I'm 28 weeks pregnant and I have a 17 month old. I thought I was going to transition her to a big bed by now but she really loves her crib and lunges toward it when she knows it is nap or bed time so I've gotten another one and I plan to put her in that one.

Also, I'm going to have a small tea party for my daughter a week or so before I'm due and let her know it is a special tea party for a special girl who is about to become a big sister and give her a big sister outfit to wear to the hospital. I also want to make sure when my daughter comes to the hospital the baby is either in the nursery or in the bassinet so that I'm not holding her when she first walks in. Other ideas are to take a tour of the hospital the week or so before and look at all the babies, etc.

Hope it helps - good luck.

Do you have to take her out of her bed? Will she have her own room? I suggest letting her sleep in the crib until she is ready for a big bed. If she goes to bed sweetly, stays in until she wakes up, etc. don't mess with the apple cart. Use a bassinet for new baby, then another crib in nursery. Borrow one, buy a used one. My grandson loved his bed and slept in it until he was 3 1/2 and the bunk beds for he and his older brother. She just borrowed anothe crib and now her 2 1/2 year old is so good in it, loves naptime and bedtime and is so happy. Just a sugestion. Good Luck!

I know my daughter starting involving her oldest child for the birth of her little sister very early on. She was about the age of yours when Rachel was born. Courtney learned early on that her baby sister was in mommy's tummy, all about the Dr visits and they let her come in and hear the heart beat as well as her own. They involved her in the naming of the baby and started referring to her as Rachel, not only as baby sister. I was there when Rachel was born and the hospital let Courtney be in the room. We stood back and my son in law was between us the birth, but Courtney did get to see Rachel even before they cleaned her. She commented that she was "dirty" and I explained that they would give her a bath. Then they let Courtney get in the bed with my daughter before they brought Rachel back. So she was involved with the whole process. My daughter did the same thing before Nicolas was born and again both girls got to be in the room, just not seeing the actual birth. All 3 are very close to each other and they are at the age they should be fighting, 15,13 and 10. I've always thought that the way my daughter made them feel as if they were a big part of the whole process really made a difference. There was never any "new baby" jealousy involved. Congrats on the upcoming event.

set up the new toddler bed in the same room so she can play and possibly nap on it. The new baby can sleep in a bassinet for several months, so there is really no hurry. If the 2 year old sleeps well in the crib, and seems to like it when the new baby is ready for it, you might consider borrowing one from a friend and just having two cribs. Some kids sleep well in a crib until 3 - I wouldn't do it unless she is ready. One child didn't like the crib at all and only slept well in my bed, so we moved him directly into a regular bed, with a double rail - and he slept great.

went through this last year. enlist someone to come and keep your toddler company while you and husband can care for newborn. my parents stayed a week and focused completely on the care of my older while i took care of the newborn. she was totally fine and engaged. we also had to transition to a toddler bed; however, did it when my younger was 6 months. they just shared a room for while and my younger was in a bassinet. good luck

We just went through this last year. We let our almost 2 year old daughter help decorate her new room and pick out the decorations (we actually moved her into a new room and asked her if she would give her old room to her baby brother, she happily agreed). We set everything up and asked her to tell us when she was ready to try her new "big girl bed" and when she did everything went great. Our daughter just turned 3 and our son is 11 months old and I believe that we spaced them out perfectly. Our daughter was so excited about the baby and has always loved helping to take care of him and showing him new things. Our son absolutely adores his sister and follows her around more than myself and my husband. Just make sure you make her feel like a big girl and ask for her help as much as possible. Our daughter loves feeling like we need her help (asking her to bring a diaper over or asking her if she will carry the bottle). Good luck during the first few months as there is no sleeping when the baby sleeps when you have a toddler running around! However, once the baby starts sleeping through the night you will love watching your kids play together.