Toddler- Tips for Moving from Crib to Bed?

If she's very active I'd suggest putting the mattress directly on the floor so that if she rolls off she won't have far to fall. I never had much luck with the guard you put on the side of the bed.

Also be aware that she'll get out of bed a lot in the beginning. It's like anything new so make the move when you don't have a lot going on in the household and you can use a lot of patience to keep guiding her back to bed.

we moved both our kids from a crib to a big girl, big boy bed around 2 years...we just moved them over...didn't make a HUGE deal out of it, but it was exciting for the kids. Our daughter has never been a good sleeper, so she had a few issues, but our son was great.

If you have a twin bed that is higher off the ground, don't forget a bed rail!

J.

K.,
For my son, we used the idea of a big boy bed as a reward for becoming potty trained. He went into a twin bed with bed rails. We surprised him one night -- he didn't know that we had set up the bed when he was out of the house earlier that day. So, when it was bed time, he saw it and found out that he would be sleeping there. The look on his face was priceless. He looked as though he had just won the lottery. He said, "Wow! For me?! I can't be-lieve it!!!" I will never forget that day or his reaction. I wish I had had the forethought to have the video camera going at the time. That is my biggest piece of advice: record the first time she sees the new sleeping arrangement. :-)

Hi K.,

When our oldest was about 18 or 19 months, we took the front rail off of his crib, converting it to a toddler bed. We kept him in his room for a few weeks, then transitioned him and his "new big-boy bed" into a bigger room, as I was due with our 2nd child. I got him new toddler bedding, which fits perfectly on the crib mattress. The transitional crib came with a safety rail, but my hubby and I opted to buy a taller one that slides under the mattress. He is still using it today, at 33 months.

I hesitate to change to a regular bed & mattress yet, because he isn't potty trained. I just fear ruining a new mattress with night time potty accidents. Plus, I imagine that he won't be as fearful to get up at night to use the potty if his bed is easy to get in & out of. I'm hoping that a new bed might even work as incentive. We'll see!

Best of luck to you!

My suggestion would be a twin bed with rails. The toddler bed probably wouldn't be used for all that long. However, if she gives you a problem after a while then invest in a cheap toddler bed. I, too made their rooms from baby to big boy...adds to the excitement. Good luck!

Well what worked for me was to buy the toddler bed,
it made it easier for him to get in and out of safely,

I bought a Nemo comforter set to make it fun and exciting,

and then I just happily said this is your new big boy bed, do you like it?

And he said yes.

as for getting in and ou of the bed at night well it just makes it easier,

they toddle over and climb in beside you.
and when they fall asleep you transfer them back to their beds, making sure they wake up in their room,

and that makes them feel safe and comfy in their rooms.

M

my son was MUCH younger for this, he was shaking the crib til it fell apart so the switch came at 13 months. That said.. the biggest help was putting the mattress right on the floor in the place where his crib use to be, we did a 'bye bye crib' ritual, he waved bye bye and got to "help" me move in his own mattress, we made it a big deal, I left the crib in his room for only a couple days til I was sure. and then for him being so young i felt compelled to buy a superyard gate with the extension and put that around his toddler bed on the floor, that way he had the crib imitation of walls and I had some piece of mind that he wasn't going to get into anything. I bought the Step2 fire truck bed, the wheels come off and the bed itself will sit on the floor til you're ready to add some heighth, but it was nice cause the way the bed was made it was pretty much enclose by half walls of plastic he could learn to get in and out gracefully and still be safe plus he absolutely loved playing on it, which I think helped him to love being in his bed, he didn't miss his crib at all.

i am in the same boat and just wanted to read some of your responses

My older girls were in toddler beds by 2 and my son was the same way. We just told them that at age 2 the cribs go bye -bye to little babies who need them and big kids get new beds. We got new comforters and pillows and made it fun. they went to bed in their new beds (we never transferred in) and they were fine. It went very smoothly. We did not go into twin size beds until they stopped rolling out of bed. My son is 4 and still rolls out on occasion, esp in summer when he's not tucked in as tightly. Good luck, if you don't have anxiety over this , you child will likely not either.

You might want to start her with a junior bed that has a partial, removal guard rail near the head board. It sounds like she is very ready and will adjust immediately. Perhaps take her with you when you go to pick it out or pick it up (if you are looking for a second hand one from a house or garage sale.) You don't need them for very long and the transition to a twin bed as she gets bigger will be flawless.

Hi K.,

Every child is different so it depends on your child. I was terrible when my daughter made the big switch. I took out her crib and put in her bed. No transition no nothing... she did it cold turkey. Probably not the best way but it worked for her. I could remember my sister saying "no toddler bed? Did you at least keep the crib up in the room?" oops! did not do any of that! The only thing I can suggest is to get a full size bed. (If the room allows that big of a bed.) It is great for when they are sick or just want to sleep with you. I rather keep them in their room then have them come to mine and you get to sleep comfortably. For the first week we had to sleep with her (but she has the most comfy bed in the house since it is brand new!!) but then we slowly started to wheen her off of that and it was fine. We also included her in picking out her bed, and I talked it up for a week before the bed was delivered. I told her she is a big girl etc... It was easy to do since we have a little one who is in the crib. She saw this as being the Big sister. Good Luck and remember with any change comes a few moments of being scared and saying did we do the right thing. (I could remember my husband on the verge of putting the crib back together at one point so she can have that back.) Oh and I did keep all her special dolls and stuffed animals in the bed with her that would be in the crib, that may help.

We totally changed his room over. He got a big boy room. We bought totally new bedding and changed his room from a nursery rhyme room to a finding nemo room. We also didn't go through a toddler bed. He went straight to a twin bed. It was really easy. We made it exciting for him and we never looked back. He does have a bed rail so he won't fall out, but nothing more.

My daughter was 24 months when we made the switch - and her sister was going to be born 2 months after that. So we kept the crib in the room since her sister would be using it. But she was so excited to have a big girl bed that she has never asked to go back into the crib. We have a twin bed that has a rail on one side - the bed is up against the wall on the other side. She moves quite a lot in her sleep. Having a baby gate in the room helped so I didn't have to worry.

Hi K.! What a fun transition for your baby to move into this new stage! My daughter was 16 months old when she fell out of her crib for the first time and scared Gramma half to death. We moved the mattress down and thought we had her secure but at 18 months she jumped out again.

We had to use a pack n play until she was about 20 months old and transitioned slowly to a toddler bed. We bought the bed and her favorite character, Dora, bedding set. We started with naps in the bed and after 2 weeks we started nighttime. I put a baby gate up in her doorway so that she couldn't get out of her room, just for my piece of mind for the first six months. She took to the bed well. The first night I sat with her and read her stories and talked with her but I left her to fall asleep on her own. She did really well but she has always been a good sleeper.
Take it at your daughter's pace and let her get used to the idea. Good luck!

I put a mattress on the floor... so they get used to it.. and they can't fall off. after about 1 or 1/2 months we moved it up to the bed... without the box spring. then 1 mo. later a box spring.. my kids did wonderful.. and never fell out of bed.. goodluck....