Question About Switching Out of a Crib.

My son never liked the toddler bed and we had a hard time keeping him in it and found him wandering all over the house in the night. We ended up going out and buying him a full bed and put the safety rails on it and he loves it. It's his big boy bed and he has slept in it every since. We have not had any problems since the switch. Hope this helps.

I had night terrors when I was young and my mom's room was my favorite place to sleep. My mom got smart and took me shopping for blankets, pillows and stuffed animals to put in my bed. If I wanted my stuff I had to sleep in my bed. Doesn't work for every child, but it did work for my older son years ago.

Rig the crib so it looks broken Like the bottom fell out at one end, and show it to her and explain that it's "no good anymore" then have your husband remove it. She might be upset for couple of nights but she'll settle in to her new bed.

Hi Sherry! I have two boys that out grew there crib and started climbing out of them at 1 1/2 years old. They are now 5 and 3. The thing that worked the best for us was a big exciting deal about the new bed. Maybe your daughter would like to pick out her own sheets for her new big girl princess bed. You know your daughter the best, what would get her excited for this. And as for as sheep walking goes, I read you can put a baby gate in the door way (if you need to keep the door open) and another one on top of it so they don't just climb over it. Or if it is shut at night, put a safty nob on the inside handle. Good luck and this too shall pass. Enjoy your babys!

Remember, the younger your child is in making a switch, the child USUALLY adapts more quickly because their memory is so short. Also, by age three, potty training is a big part of life, so barriers like locked doors are better done sooner rather than later.

When I was a baby, my parents had to lock the door or I would wander the house in the middle of the night. I had been known to leave the house completely on my own power, which scared them to death, so they locked me in.

Frankly, at this age, if there's an emergency, you're going to have to get your kids out - fire safety dictates that bedroom doors should be shut at night anyway, to slow the spread of fire.

We just moved our little girl who will be 2 on the 2nd to a toddler bed. We have found her in the hall way, the guest room, on her floor on our floor and even she has climbed on our bed. We put a baby gate up in her door way. The last couple days i have been able to relax a little knowing she will at least still be in her room and not getting in to some thing. I don't know if this will help you but it has worked so far for me.

Funny that you bring up this question. I just moves my 15 month old in a toddler bed. The reason we did it because she didn't crawl out, she fell out of her crib by leaning and screaming because of a double ear infection. Fell face first and got several bruises but is okay. That was it for my husband and i. Our crib is the standard crib.anyways it is and still is a real chore to get my daughter used to the bed. We play it up so mch she loves it and i do not wait until she falls asleep(never did) i let her cry for about 5-10 minutes and she goes to sleep on her own. I always had done that. One thing we did was at night put a gate in her bedroom doorway because it is much too dangerous for them to be raoming around the house. Also o prevent her from making a habit to get into mommy and daddy's bed. That a big no no. So we get up and i change her if need be and hold her a few minutes and lay her dowm. That doesn't mean she's not tugging on my pj's to be picked up. She does that but i tell you i have to lay her down(not w\ a fight or anything)but until she relizes that i'm not giving up. Mothers may think this sounds a little mean but i assure you , my daughter is not affected she's just learning what she can and cannot do at bedtime. Its been 5 days now and she is gettling so much better, it really takes time . "this too shall pass. By the way a toddler will start losing their naps by the age of three. Mine lost it at 11 months but makes it up thhrough the night. She no longer wanted to go down as soon as she started walking.i'll be glad to help u through this trying time if u decidedto do the bed again. Good luck

My daughter has slept in a toddler bed since she was 15 months old (She is 25 months old now). I put a swinging baby gait in her doorway and I close it at night so that if she gets up during the night, she has to stay in her room. At first I felt bad about this, but it is for her safety.

You could try talking to your 3 y/o and tell her that she needs to start sleeping in her big girl bed because the baby is going to need a place to sleep. My daughter still has night where she does not want to sleep in her bed, and it is a struggle.

Do whatever works best for you and your family. Good luck!

Hi Sherry,

This may sound cruel - it did to me the first time I heard it - but lock her in her room.

Both of our boys (3 years apart) were around 1 1/2 when they started climbing out of their cribs, and we had to move them into a bed. Friends of ours (who had gone through the same thing) suggested locking the door.

We tried it and it worked. We actually switched the lock on the door to lock from the outside.

First, we all but emptied the rooms - no sharp corners, no lamps, no breakable items in reach, nothing to climb on - nothing but a bed within the baby's reach and a monitor listening to/watching him. Just a nice safe room - kind of like a really big crib.

They both cried and threw fits the first few times they were put to bed and figured out they couldn't just follow us out the door, but within a few weeks, they got the concept - and we rarely had to lock the door after that.

Our youngest is 2 and can be quite mischevious, so when we he argues about going to bed, and at nap time we lock his door, knowing that he'll try to sneak out.

My biggest fear in doing this was that they would need to get out of the room in some sort of an emergency situation - like a fire (as random is that is) or a dangerous storm - and couldn't. So, even though my husband reminded me that they were in that same "trapped" situation being in their cribs, I always locked the door and busied myself folding laundry or cleaning in a nearby room, and when they fell asleep (usually within minutes) I'd unlock the door and leave it open a crack.

It helped them to understand bedtime, keep them safe and keep us sane instead of going mad trying to reason with them to stay in bed and chasing them back into their rooms and into their beds every night.

Good luck!

--R.

I can't think of any reason to move her, if she's content. She doesn't need a lower bed or one without sides. It just doesn't matter, frankly, until she's too long or too heavy for the structure to support. Cribs are generally made strong enough for a small adult to sleep in...

She may prefer a bed that is higher -- a twin that is on a box spring and a frame, rather than the little close to the floor bed, as that is more familiar to her (in terms of view).

She may be falling out of the little bed, and not know what to do in her half-asleep state. Really, leaving her there is no biggie. She'll grow out of it well before she's 13... and her 'friends' figure out how to mock her in a truly vicious way...

Sherry
I moved my son who is now two into a full size bed around 15 months without a hitch. The first thing I would suggest is to move the crib out of her room completely. That way she knows there is no option , but to sleep in her toddler bed. Second I would put a baby gate up in her door way that way you have a piece of mind that she is in her room. If she doesn't end up sleeping in her bed and you find her sleeping on the floor, you can pick her up and put her in it that way when she wakes up she realizes she's in her bed. As for naps I would do the same thing. Let her know it's nap time, what she chooses to do with the time is up to her, eventually she will fall asleep or give up her nap all together. Hope this is of any help. Good luck!
K.

My daughter also loved her crib. When we moved her to a big girl bed, I pushed the crib in front of her new bed so it felt like she was still in the crib. I did this for only about a week, and by then she was used to her bed.

Hi Sherry,

I just wanted to let you know that my son is 3 yrs old also and is still in a crib. I haven't made the transition yet because he seems content in his crib. He's a very active boy so I think he feels secure in it and doesn't attempt to climb out. If you are in no rush, keep your daughter in the crib as long as you can ;)

M.

if you need the crib for the new baby coming then I guess that you have to move the oldest child.. but if you have a bassinet or other place for the new baby to sleep - why move the child..

My daughter loves her crib. she is 26 months and has never tried to climb out.

The standard size crib is called a "6 year crib" becuase it is 52 inches long.. and will accomadate a 6 year old..

Hi Sherry
I am 33, been married 11 1/2 years and have four kids. One is my step son who is 17 and my three girls 11,10, and 9. I just want to say not to worry so much about your 3 yo going out to the couch. My girls still do that and I find it is much better then them climbing into my bed. I am all for cuddling but when they get into the habit of coming to bed everynight (I have had friends that got into this problem), it takes away the one place that is just for you and your husband. Don't get discouraged if you have to do alot of getting up and putting her back. Just tell her firmly the first time that it is bed time and then just put her back everytime she gets out but do not talk to her because she will find one excuse after another to get your attention and stay out of bed.

I strongly suggest that you take down the crib. Three yr olds are big on growing up. Stress that she is now big enough for a regular bed and that the crib is for younger children and then get rid of it. Its very hard for some little ones to let go of something that's comfortable. You may have to put her back in bed a few times but if the crib is not an option it will eventually sink in.

You will definately want to switch her soon. We transitioned our daughter, now 4, when she was about 20 months b/c we had another on the way. We put her into a newly decorated room that was all girly just for her and put her crib mattress on the floor. She loved it! She would run in her room and jump on the mattress. She couldn't wait to get in it. We did have to put a gate across her door to keep her from wondering the halls at night. She wasn't potty trained yet, so we weren't keeping her from the bathroom. We have a two-story house so we also put a gate across the top of the stairs, just in case she got out. The transition was really smooth and we've not had any major problems. If your daughter is almost 3, it's time to get her out. If she's in the crib, where does the 14mth old sleep?

Why do you want her out of the crib so badly? If it works for her...My 3 yr old loves his crib. Aren't there enough challenges to deal with? I am all about making life easy and if she is happy (and not ready) why fight it?

Are you trying to transition her out of the crib because of the new baby coming, or is it just more because she is 3 yrs old? My 3 yr old daughter still sleeps in hers. I have not moved her out of it because she has never attempted to climb out. I figure, if it ain't broke don't fix it. I think it is more a comfort/security thing. My crib is a transition type so I am able to remove the front rail. Does yours do this at all? I would suggest if it does, maybe remove the rail and allow her to sleep in the crib this way for a bit. Keep the toddler bed up in her room, and allow her to be comfortable with it { play with her toys on it, etc etc.. put her dolls to bed in it..] Also keep the same bedding from the crib to put on the toddler bed. I think the familiarity of the same sheets/blankets would be comforting.