Crib to Jr. Bed?

Updated on February 04, 2008
A.R. asks from Brooklyn, NY
29 answers

I have a 19 month old son, who is still happily sleeping in a crib. Many of our friends are saying he should be sleeping in a "big bed" by now. I am thinking wbout him waking up and walking around unsupervised, getting hurt or causing trouble, while my husband and I are clueless and asleep. How do you know when your toddler is ready, and how do you keep him/her safe when they are able to walk around freely at any point in the night? Ideas? Suggestions?

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So What Happened?

Thanks so much for all of the encouragement and very practical suggestions. We have decided to let Calvin (19 mos,) continue to sleep in his crib until he shows signs of needing a big bed on his own, or until we have another baby - whichever comes first.
Thanks again. Always great to hear from other ideas.

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P.T.

answers from New York on

My son is 2 months shy of age 3 and he is still in the crib. He only climbed out once around 18 months and he scared himself so much he didn't try it again. He has been perfectly happy in it and I loved knowing he was safe and not roaming.

We are now getting him a bed because he is starting to get uncomfortable in the crib - because he is getting bigger. I have read that a child "should" be moved to a bed between the age of 2 and 3.

The moms I have spoke to who moved their child out sooner said they did so because the child was climbing out anyway and they feared for his/her safety.

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K.M.

answers from New York on

My pediatrician says you should keep them in a crib until they try to climb out or get married, whichever comes first. :)

My advice? Keep him in the crib. You'll know when it's time. My older son was in a crib until 2 yr 2 months. He was getting too big for it and his little brother would be needing it soon, so we switched him to a twin bed. He was great about bedtime so it was no problem. My little guy will be 2 in a month and I have no plans to move him out of his crib any time soon. He's smaller than his brother and he's quite content.

When DS1 was switched, we closed his door at night. He was a really good sleeper so I didn't have to worry about him climbing out. In fact, he never did. We put up guard rails on his twin bed and to him, it was still very much like a crib.

Good luck!

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J.S.

answers from New York on

When he is climbing out, that is when it is more safe to take down a side or get him a bed. Until then, there is NO PROBLEM with children staying in the crib.
J. Shapley, MSW
momsupport.org

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L.W.

answers from New York on

HI!
I had the same problem. My son was and is not a great sleeper..and he would rather be in my bed than a crib. I was expecting my second and figured it was probably a good time to transition before his brother was born. So around the same time (19 months)...I moved him into our guest room which had a queen bed. I made a big deal out of it that he was moving into a big boy bed. I bought him a car / truck quilt (he is obsessed w/transportation). I talked up his "car bed" for about 2 weeks...and once his big boy bed was ready. There was no argument or fuss. I pushed it against the wall and put a rail on the other side. I had to fall asleep w/ him for a few weeks (sometimes I ended up in his bed for 1/2 the night b/c I would fall asleep)...but since it was a queen, we both fit perfectly. He never even asked about the crib..and when his brother was born...he did not ask then either.

Let me know if you need more advice. Good luck.
-L. W

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J.C.

answers from New York on

hi! i would just wait til he was 2 yrs old. that's what i did with my son...and now he's 4 and sleeping on his own ever since and happy. so don't worry and dont push yourself or him...as long as he's happy!

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Q.F.

answers from New York on

i personally believe that they're ready for a "big bed" once they're trying to climb out, or are starting to get cramped in the crib. my daughter is going to be 2 in april and she's still in her crib. she has no problem with being in there, goes down, even stays in there when waking up as long as the tv is turned on. once i decide to put her in a bed (possibly by her birthday) i will be putting one of those gates on her bedroom doorway so that she CAN'T come out unless i take her out. the only thing to do once you decide to put him in a regular bed is to make sure his room is completely child proofed, and get a gate to mount into the doorway...it's much easier if you get one that has the "door" on it so that the gate STAYS in the doorway at all times, and you just open and close the "door" when coming in and out. the reason i suggest that kind is because they're somewhat taller then the regular ones, and this way you don't have to worry about him climbing over the top! just remember, every child is different, just because everyone's saying that he should be in a bed by now doesn't mean he has to. my friend had her kid in a toddler bed a week before he turned 1. don't mess with something that's working...if he doesn't try to climb out, why move him into a bed right now??? good luck. you'll know when it's the right time!

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V.E.

answers from Albany on

I disagree with your friends, especially since he is sleeping happily in his crib. 19 months is WAY to young, IMHO. I have a 2 1/2 year old and I wish I never moved him to his toddler bed, as he slept in his crib fine, as well. I wish I had heard about those mesh tents for cribs (to keep toddlers in) before I switched him. The only reason I even put him in a toddler bed was because I was worried he would get hurt launching himself out of his crib as he was so fond of doing. Good luck, and I am glad you asked this question on here instead of just listening to your friends!! God bless you and yours!

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D.D.

answers from Syracuse on

Let him sleep in his crib for as long as he will or until YOU feel that he is just too big and it is disturbing his sleep. If he is not climbing out of his crib where he might be putting himself in danger, there is no reason to move him out.

Transitioning into a big boy bed is just like any other change, there are going to be hiccups.

My 2 1.2 year old was about 2 years when we moved her into her big girl bed, but our pediatrician said that as long as she wasn't too big for her crib where it was disturbing her sleep, let her stay. We moved and that is the only reason we transitioned, I figured do it all at once.

Another thing, don't spend money on a toddler bed, go right to a big bed. Our daughter has already out grown her toddler bed and we just yesterday moved her into a full size bed. It's easiest just to go to a full size and put the mattress on the floor at first just in case they fall out.

Anyway, sorry so lengthy, but don't let what other people think influence you. To each his own!

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C.R.

answers from Syracuse on

when you want to move him then move him, as far as safety...child proof his bedroom and baby gate him in...he will enjoy his new freedom but eventually after practice he will stay in his bed and you'll be able to remove the gate...

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N.S.

answers from New York on

Hi Amy,

My son is 2 1/2 years old, and still sleeps in the crib. I wont put him in a toddler bed yet because just like you, my son is doing just fine in the crib... he doesn't climb out, and I don't have to worry about him up and about in the middle of the night.

If your comfortable with your son sleeping in the crib, then leave it alone. If he starts climbing out then you may want to consider switching from the crib to the big bed, but until then, I wouldn't worry about it.

N.

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C.H.

answers from New York on

I don't know what the consensus is these days, but I say, if he is fine in the crib, KEEP HIM THERE! My 27 month old is still in his crib. He's happy and secure in there, so what's the big deal? I have friends whose kids have waited till 3 to get into a big bed.

I think they are ready when they realize they cah 'get out' of the crib, and could get hurt climbing out!

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C.P.

answers from Rochester on

My 2 1/2 year old is still in a crib! I wouldn't fix what wasn't broken. Until your DC tries to get out of the crib and could potentially hurt humself, I wouldn't worry about what other people say.

C.
Mommy to Jess, Katie and Julia
www.TimetoChangetheDiapers.com
Adorable, affordable cloth diapers and reusable items for babies and kids.

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D.

answers from New York on

My son didn't come out of his crib until he was almost 2 1/2. So no you don't have to move him out and I would suggest leaving him in there until he can climb out or is tall enough to fall out. 36 inches is the standard height for moving out of the crib. Once you do have him out of the crib he is free to roam. However, baby proof his room really well. Anchor all dressers and bookcases or anything that's heavy and can fall over, then put a baby gate in his doorway. So he doesn't have to sleep but he has to stay in his room. But your friends are crazy. unless you need the crib for something else, keep him in there as long as you can.

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C.R.

answers from New York on

I suggest waiting until he is at least 24 months old. There is no rush especially if he is still sleeping comfortably in his crib. I could see if he was trying to climb out or he was too big for the crib. As far as his wondering you would need to put a gate up on his bedroom door & keep a monitor close to your ear in case you hear any goings on his room. Keep his room kid safe like putting child locks on his drawers so he can't open them & climb or pull anything down on him. Hope this was helpful to you and Good Luck!

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T.H.

answers from Rochester on

My oldest son was in his crib till he was almost 2 1/2. My second son was a different story. At 18 months, I caught him trying to escape over the side. Well needless to say, the crib came down that day and he went into a toddler bed. My advice, If he's happy and content in the crib, let him be. You'll sleep so much better knowing he's contained and safe. Don't let your friends "shame" you into moving him out of the crib. There's no need to fix what isn't broken yet!!!! Enjoy it while he's still in the crib as long as you can.

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W.Y.

answers from New York on

I would suggest putting a gate up in his bedroom door way that way he can't leave the room and get hurt. He'll keep getting out of bed but be consistent and then he be sleeping through the night for you in no time :) If you go with a toddler bed they usually have the side rails to keep them from falling out of bed. Good luck with everything :)

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J.V.

answers from Syracuse on

When my some was 17 months, we transitioned him to a toddler bed. We were worried about the same things! We shouldn't have been so worried! He loved it! We put the bed in the same spot the crib was and kept the crib in the room in case we needed to put him in it in the middle of the night. He loved his "big boy bed" so much he didn't need the crib anymore. I would tell him that it was time to go to sleep. He would always ask for one toy or book, which I gave him so he wouldn't get up to play. And we made sure we put a gate across the door so we could leave it opened to hear him. Anytime he needed us, he came to the gate and called.

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M.D.

answers from Jamestown on

I am a mother of 3 grown children and 5 grandchildren. My opinion is that if your son is happy in the crib, let him there, where HE feels safe and secure. Sometimes parents want "babies" to be big boys and girls. The time is short as it is so some things need not be rushed. When he is ready, he may just say it or keep climbing out. To keep him safe at that time, you could gate his doorway, top of the stairs etc. hang a bell or have a monitor that would let you know he has gotten up. I hope this helps. Deb

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J.H.

answers from New York on

Hi A.,

I am a sleep consultant and saw your post and wanted to respond as this is an area where I see a lot of parents get tripped up and, inadvertently, create a situation where kids start to have night wakings when things were going fine. My recommendation is always to wait until a child is three-years-old before transitioning to a bed. At three children are not only more physically capable and therefore safer in a big bed, but also can internalize rules better and will understand that they need to stay in their bed until morning. In short, your gut instinct is right on!

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K.S.

answers from New York on

Hi Am-Marie,

I really don't see the rush of putting him in a toddler bed if he's comfortable and happy sleeping in his crib. What is good for your friends doesn't mean its good for you. Our daughters are 21 months and still in their cribs. If they are comfortable, we plan on keeping them there. If your son starts climbing out of his crib and it becomes a safety issue, then I would defintely switch or when he becomes potty trained and need access to the potty. When that time comes I would gate off the areas in the house to limit his access so he won't wander too much while I'm asleep.

You know your child best. Good luck.

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A.N.

answers from Utica on

You do what's right for you and your family. People seem to think if something worked for them it must work for you too. My daughter is two, and she's still sleeping in a crib, but when my son was two he was sleeping in the bed with me. If it works for you, go with it!
And it does happen that kiddos get up quietly and get into trouble whilst you sleep, but they'll do that once they figure out how to get out of the crib too:)

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K.O.

answers from Buffalo on

I had my first born son, in a crib until he was 3 years old. There is not a set age that kids need to be transitioned to a bigger bed or toddler bed. If the child doesn't climb out of the crib, then why rush them into a bigger bed and give yourself the newly added headaches of bedtime and getting out of bed? Most people move their children out of the crib early because their kids are climbing out of they have a new baby on the way..if that is not your problem, then I say keep the little one right where he/she is until they ask or they are getting too big for the crib... Good Luck and I hope this helps..

ps certain people in my family said the same things to me...and it really isn't anyones business and its not harming your child in anyway...

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L.R.

answers from Albany on

There is nothing wrong with a baby staying in a bed until he is older. All four of my children did not make the transition to a regular bed until they were between 2 and 3 years old--and then it was because we had another baby coming that needed the crib, or it wasobvious that she needed a bed. Baby cribs are plenty big enough for a toddler--and safer, until you are sure you can trust him/her. When you are sure he is listening, understanding, and will be obedient to what you tell him is appropriate waking/sleeping behavior, and are reasonably sure he will act appropriately when he awakens--ie. come to your room, play quietly in his room or bed in the morning, no wandering in the house when no one is up, etc,you will know he is ready. Is he trying to climb out of the crib on his own yet? Some babies show their need for independence and force you to train him for the big bed. Our youngest use to stand up in her crib and call for her daddy to come get her when she woke up--she was ready to be weaned to a bed. Eventually we got a twin bed with a frame and put plywood and only a mattress (no box springs) on top of it initially,so it was lower, closer to the floor, and also used a childproof metal bed rail on one side, that tucks under the mattress between the plywood and the mattress, on the side of the bed facing out. Also have a thick rug or carpet next to the bed, so they did not have far to fall if they did fall out, and the landing was soft! These were just precautions and I can only remember any one of them falling out-- maybe once or twice with one of our children. (We kept the other side of the bed up against the wall.) These things just gave them (and me) some initial security in getting use to the new bed. When he or she woke up, they would have to deliberately crawl out near the foot of the bed.They had a sense that there still were boundaries for their sleeping. Do what you are comfortable with for your child and don't rush the transition or be peer-pressured by other moms. Safety and maturity are important factors that only you can evaluate for your child.
L.

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K.Y.

answers from New York on

There is no reason to rush your son out of his crib. As long as he is happy and not trying to climb out (which can pose a danger), then I would leave him in there as long as possible. We kept our daughter in her crib until she was 2 1/2, and the only reason we took her out was because we needed to put our newborn in there. Good Luck!

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C.M.

answers from New York on

Hi A.. If there's nothing compelling you to move your son to a big boy bed right no - i.e. new baby who needs the crib - then there's no reason to push him into a big boy bed until he starts asking for it. My daughter is 2, and when she started climbing out of her crib we immediately rushed and got her a big girl bed. We have both her crib and big girl bed in her room, and for a few night she slept in the big girl bed. But she started waking up at night, and getting her to sleep, which had been a relatively easy process, became horrible. So we moved her back into her crib, which has made for much happier sleeping for all of us. She just wasn't ready to move out of her crib yet. So I wouldn't push your son if you don't need to. As for the freedom at night a big kid bed would allow - we closed the gate at the top of the stairs, and our daughter always made a beeline for our room when she woke up. She never managed to get into a ton of trouble, although I know kids who have.

I hope this helps, and good luck.

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J.S.

answers from New York on

Staying in a crib as long as it is safe is a great idea,
There is no hurry to be a "big boy", life happens fast enough.
Listen and learn from your child what he needs. You will know exactly when it is appropriate to transition into a bed and everything else. Stop comparing and listening to others, enjoy your baby and your life. Then you do you are always "on time". Blessings and Joy!

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A.B.

answers from Syracuse on

usually when they begin to climb out and get into things it is time
our first child one day we said wow its amazing she hasnt climbed out of her crib yet
she must have had radar hearing because thats what she did the next day. then she was in a big girl bed. my 2nd child never once even tried to climb out. but she was delayed a bit with everything since she was 4 weeks early. she would stand in the crib but thats about it. no trouble there.
my 3rd one it was a matter of room in the house to opt to put her in a toddler bed. she was scared at first(shes been the only one scared of her bed a bit) but she loves her bed now. and shes been in it only about 6 mths

A.

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K.G.

answers from New York on

My son is now 4 years old and I have a newborn baby girl. My son started climbing out of his crib around 19 months and therefore I moved him into a bed by the time he was 2 years old. Additionally, he is a big boy so he started really getting too big for the crib. I have friends who have kept their children in their cribs until they were three or older because they were not too big for the crib and they never climbed out. My personal opinion is if the child is happy, comfortable and safe in his crib - keep him in it as long as possible! The bed brings on all it own challenges and he is still young. Maybe if you decide to have more children you will need to use the crib and that will make your decision for you. I know many people who have taken that route. Good Luck and I wouldn't worry so much about what other people say - if it is working for you and your family right now and everyone is happy - why rock the boat?

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J.R.

answers from Buffalo on

HI

If he is happy with the crib. By all means do not disrupt a happy sleepy time. Let him stay in the crib till he is three or until he is tooooo long. don't give in to peer pressure. enjoy the nice routine you have.

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