To Potty Train or to Transition to a Toddler Bed

I would say toddler bed first then potty training. Potty training took us much, much longer. Plus it would help if she had the freedom to get up and go at night.

Hi L.,

I am going through the same thing right now with my 21-mo-old daughter. I would say trust your instincts. If you try transitioning to the toddler bed and face a lot of frustration and resistance, maybe it's not time. Have you tried putting the toddler bed right next to your bed and see if it helps? As for potty training, just as long as you don't push her to go on the potty, I'm sure she'll go when she is ready and has lots of opportunities. My daughter will sit on her little potty if I stay with her and read several books. Also, if you make your daughter a book with pictures showing other toddlers sleeping in their own beds and books showing other kids going to the potty, it helps. Just make up a story to go with it and read it to her daily. Let me know how it goes for you.

In my opinion you can't potty train your daughter until she is ready. You can help her along by talking about going potty, having her potty chair out in the room of your house you are most often in, reading books, having her sit on in before and after bath, etc...unless she is showing a huge sign of readiness I would transition to the bed first, it will be most helpfull to you.

I agree with the other....bed first. I only know from own children and they all trasitioned to big beds before potty training, mostly becuase we had they so close together that I needed the crib before they potty trained! Good luck. C.

I found with my 3 year old that she had to be 'ready' to potty train. We transitioned her into a full size bed (she fell out of the toddler bed too much) and it worked fine.
My advice though is that we left the crib up in her room and she stared at the bed and then she was 'ready'. It looked intimidating (I guess) at first so watching it from her crib for awhile helped.
I found sheets with butterflies, hearts, etc. Things that were inviting to her which helped too.

I would say go for the potty training. My son who is 26 months does quite well with a toddler bed.

If it were me I would go to a toddler bed first. It takes a while for them to adjust to sleeping in a "big kids" bed. I'm still going through it with my son. He still wants someone by his side til he falls asleep and he's been out of a crib for almost two months.

I had been trying to potty train my daughter for months with no success. When she a little over 2 we moved to a new house and set up both her crib and her 'big bed' so she could choose where to sleep. She chose the big bed and a couple of nights later I was laying in bed and heard her get up and go potty all by herself. Sleeping in the big bed apparently made her feel grown up and able to do grown up things like go potty.

I would say definately the toddler bed first so she can get up and go potty if she needs to. I would space the two things apart some so not to make it too frustrating for her. Good luck!

A friend suggested that we put the toddler bed in our almost-two-year-old daughter's room with the crib and allow her to choose which one to sleep in. She chose the "big girl bed" the first night and has slept in it ever since. We actually used a twin mattress/box springs that is sitting directly on the floor and used a bed rail for the first several months to keep her from rolling out. We left the crib in the room for a week or so, then moved it into the room where baby sister would be sleeping once she was born. The potty training came several months later and was much more stressful.

I'm currently potty training my son, and all the books that I have read say that you should wait to potty train if you are doing any kind of transitions in their life. New sibling, new house, etc. I would guess that this means a new bed as well. I say move to the bigger bed and let your daughter get used to it first then introduce potty training when she is leading a somewhat normal life again. Besides from what everyone tells me, girls learn to potty train faster than boys. I know it's taking forever for my son lol.
J. W.

I did both at the same time for my 2nd child. I put the toddler bed up in his room to play on for a few months then started putting him in it at nap time then eventually we could do an occassional night. Eventually he was staying the whole night. I used the same sequence for my youngest.

The potty training takes a lot longer for my boys cause my DH forgets to work with them and left/leaves them in diapers to play outside. #2 took over a year to fully train. #3 is on his 2nd month.

your best bet is to do the toddler bed first. Make it a big deal. (this is your big girl bed, you are so big, wow!) if you can, get a themed one. put the crib in another room and keep it out of site especially at bedtime. The reason I say toddler bed first is that when the new baby comes there will probably be a regression. and a regression in sleeping is easier to deal with than a regression in potty training.

I would start with the bed. If you do not have one yet, let her go with you to pick it out at the store and his bedding too. Let her help you put it together and have a say in arranging it in her room. Just make a big deal about it all around about how she is finally such a big girl. Maybe start with naps in the new bed and if she does fine then go for the night. If this does not go over well let me know and I will give you some more tips as I had a child who would never stay in his bed. If this goes over smoothly go ahead and jump full force into the potty training. If you need tips on that I would be happy to give you some also!!
Send me a message I will be glad to help you with additional tips for either!!
S.