Hi ladies,
My son has always loved his crib since he was 4 months old. He is 2 years and 7 months now and rather tall. Up until 2 weeks ago he slept sooo well. He would often sleep 12-13 hours at a stetch up until recently. I thought it was because he was sick but now he is over a cold and still getting up early. Sometimes he gets up at 7 or 8 which is ok since then then he gets a nap (he had dropped it 2 months ago because he was sleeping 12-13 hours straight in the morning). But like last night and a few other nights before it was 3:30! I brought him to my bed and he seems to move around a lot. I don't know if its just because he is getitng comfrortable or this is what he really should be doing in his own bed and can't because it too little. How did you know it was time for the big boy/girl bed? We are not doing a toddler bed since it makes no sense here. Please share your experience with a toddler especially if your answer is not "he was climbing out" since my son has never done this. He just cries for me.
Yesterday he slept till 9:30 then today it was 7. Like I said, I don't mind him in our bed from 7:00 onward. I will see how it goes but for now, he is staying in his crib.
If he is not looking to get out, I would leave him in his crib. If you continue
to bring him into bed, you will not get him out. That being said, if it works
for you that's all that matters. He might be dreaming and that's why he
gets up.
If you think he is ready for a bed, get him one but do not take down his
crib if you have the room to keep it up. Then he can decide where he
wants to sleep.
We converted to a toddler bed just before 2 because our son was getting too heavy to put in the crib. We recently converted to a full size bed (w/ rails) around 2 1/2 because we have a baby due in Nov. All went smoothly. We talked both moves up a few weeks before we did it to get him excited and reinforced that he was a "big boy." I think he loved being involved in decisions and we let him show his friends. I think it is a good age because they are starting to look for independence and can get in/out on their own. He is also potty trained so he can get up and go on his own. He is a pretty sound sleeper so come by us very much but if he does we take him back in his room and lay next to him for "2 minutes."
We put my son into a twin bed when he was just past 3 yrs old. I guess the main reason behind it was that he was falling asleep on the couch and I was getting tired of lifting him over the crib rail with out waking him. Also I was to tired to lift him over it in the morning to get him out. He wasn't falling asleep for a long time in the crib and before that he'd fall asleep but I'd be standing there and it would take a long time (thus the reason for falling asleep on the couch every night after that) and I was TO TIRED. So really it was all about me....LOL! He slept through the night when I did transfer him into the crib. He just seemed to not want to go in it awake! So around his 3rd birthday we started talking about a big boy bed and he was really excited about it. So we got it. He's been great in it! And I have to say its much better for me too - hahahah - b/c I will be honest, I do lay next to him and tell him stories at bed time or I will lay next to him if he wakes at night or even in the morning when we are being lazy. I don't mind it. He still tries to fall asleep on the couch but its not comfortable for us both. The good thing is, he doesn't get out of his bed at night...even if he wakes. Its like he was sooo trained with staying (not being able to get out) of the crib that I'm nots ure if he realizes he can get out. Actually he knows he can get out, I'm being dramatic...he's just good about not. He just calls me when he needs something or wants to get out. So what do you think? Do you think he doesn't have enough room in the crib? My son tosses and turns a lot! We didn't do the toddler bed either b/c we waited so long to get him out of the crib. Like I said we did a twin. I had bought a rail but didn't put it on right now and realized he was fine sleeping without it so I sent it back. He could still be a bit congested from cold...and thats why he is tossing and turning and not sleeping well...
My daughter never climbed out of the crib but by the age of 1 1/2 wanted no part of the crib anymore. She would scream and cry everytime we went to put her in. So we talked to her pedi and she told us that it was time for a big girl bed. We felt that maybe she was feeling trapped. We had a twin bed in storage that I had not quite a year before I got married. We made sure that we put the bed in plastic so that it didn't get damaged. When we set the bed up she was so excited that she had a big girl bed. We bought her Mickey Mouse and Tinker Bell sheets that she could call her own. When she gets tired she will say "I go to bed now." She is now almost three and we have had no problems. Because it is a twin bed there is plenty of room for her to move around. She never fell out of bed either so we didn't bother with the bed rails. Her bed is up against one wall so there were no worries cause she sleeps closer to the wall (just like I did). So I would think about getting a big boy bed. It's time for him to be in a bed. Talk to him about it and ask him if he wants a big boy bed just like mommy and daddy's. Then maybe show him some sheets in his favorite themes. I wish you luck!
If he has just gotten over a cold are you sure he does not have an ear infection going on they could be the cause for the waking at night. You may want to rule that out before changing him to a bed. If he is healthy no secondary infections from the cold and already has his two year molars which could be another reason for needing you during the night for comfort I say go ahead and try a big boy bed. :) We did use a toddler bed because our little guy climbed out before he turned one and a twin just seemed like it would be too big but in your case I'd go right to a twin.
for my twins was 2 weeks ago when they start taking naps and in the night going to sleep to my older kid bed,they just get out of the crib or just cry to somebody take them out and then they go running to my older kid bed and sleep there .
I knew it was time to get my babies out of a crib when they became too heavy to put in it. I have had both my sons out of a crib at 10 mos and 1yr. If your child hates confined spaces, sleeps crazy, toss and turn, those are indicators to consider whether he is ready or not. If you feel for security reasons it is best, then keep him n the crib, but at 2, that's a good crib weaning age.
My son never climbed out of his crib, but he was climbing a lot more on other furniture, which made us decide to try the switch to a twin bed. I was going to transition slowly, keep the crib as an option, but he took to his big boy bed right away, so I guess the timing was right. I also took him with me when I bought the bed, so I think that helped as well, make him a part of the process. If you feel it might be the right time, go for it! My son also moves around quite a bit while sleeping, and has fallen off quite a bit, even with a bed rail, but we started with the bed straight on the floor so he didn't fall too far.
I put my son in a toddler bed once he stood on the top side rail of his crib and jumped out he was a year and a half old at the time. We opted for a toddler bed because he loved firetrucks and Step2 has one. With my older 3 I went from the crib to a twin bed and found that they fell out quite a bit in the beginning but with the toddler bed it was a little higher on the sides and his head was under the front of the bed so he didn't fall out and he loved going to bed. As for the naps, my kids stopped them at 2 years of age which was good for me, they slept great at night. We did however have quiet time after lunch where we would make a tent or lay on the couch and cuddle for an hour or so.
Our daughter got a bed when she turned 2 b/c her sister came along and we needed the crib.
It's normal for kids to wake up - they are always growing, developing - they go through periods of 'everything easy' and then developmentally or attitude wise, they grow and things need to be adjusted. So now he needs to be taught that when he wakes up at night, he rolls over and stays in bed. Period. As parents we are always teaching - they don't come in to the world knowing how to brush their teeth, put clothes in the laundry, make their beds, say please and thank you, etc. Go in to him, rub his back, and remind him to stay in bed. If you don't want him in your bed regularly, don't let him in at all - go to him, even lie down with him there, but then go back to bed. A well rested mom is a happy family.
If you want to go to a twin size bed and are afraid he will fall out, put the box spring right on the floor without the frame. this way he wont fall so far and get hurt. Chances are he wont even wake up.
My son was exactly like yours and was perfectly happy in his crib until he was three! He never tried to climb out, never once complained about being in his crib. We finally decided on his third birthday that it was time to make him feel more like a big boy. It was also our "ploy" to help push him toward being potty trained - you know, since big boys who sleep in big boy beds use the potty. :)
On his third birthday, we turned his convertible bed into a toddler bed (no rails) and just two weeks ago, we turned it into a full size bed. He's been sleeping great, save for a few nights after each change when he would wake up in the middle of the night confused.
It's completely up to you and when you feel it is the right time to make the change. I think my son would have been happy sleeping in his crib forever, but we knew it was time to make the change. If you are skipping the toddler bed, I would recommend putting the new mattress on the floor so he can get used to sleeping without any barriers. Also if he does fall out, it's not too far to the floor. I also agree with Rachel - if he's abnormally waking in the middle of the night crying, I would rule out an ear infection. Otherwise, if you are ready to make the jump into your little guy having bed freedom, do it! Good luck! :)
