What Age Did You Switch Your Child to the "Big Kid" Bed??

I'd say keep him in his crib since you already have one for the new baby. That way he doesn't have to adjust to a new baby and a new bed...less stress for you too! We transition my son just a few months after he turned 2, but only because I was expecting his sister at the time. If it weren't for that he'd probably still be in his crib. He never showed any signs of climbing out and LOVED his crib. When he visits his Nana he sleeps in a crib and he's 3.

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I can't remember exactly when my older ones were out of their crib, but my opinion is if it's working for you, why change it? There is no exact time line for every kid, and especially with a new little one coming, that is a big change in itself, so why take him away from what is already comfortable for him? Maybe he'll decide on his own that he's ready after he sees the baby in a crib too and he may want to be seen as a "big boy" .... just go with the flow. Good luck!

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Hi N....I was in your boat and I kept my toddler in his crib until he was 3 (he felt safe and secure in it) our motto is "No fuss, no move" or (if it isn't broke don't fix it). Both my sons had their own crib for a little while (about a year). I used the big boy bed as an incentive for good behavior as we transitioned. Fortunately for me he stays in it until I come and get him in the mornings or after naps...he's learned to stay quiet at least until his baby brother wakes up (even if he doesn't really take his nap). Also just as a side note...I've known of other moms who've kept their young ones in cribs longer than I have and I don't believe they or their children suffered any ill effects because of it. You do what is right for you and your little ones during this transition, as big changes are coming about for your 2 year old (with baby on the way) you may want to keep some things unchanged for a while. May God bless you and your family.

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Hello N.,

Our sign that our kids were ready for a bed is when they could get their foot (heel part) over the railing...definite sign =) very scientific, huh? We got our son in his bed when he was just over 2. my daughter in the other hand was about 1 1/2 when she tried to make a run for it. varies by child. if your son is happy there and won't get hurt trying to climb out, then wait =) Congrats on your soon arrival! ~C.~

My child was almost four! I was scared to death! However, I did take baby steps, like dropping the mattress, and not putting up the side. Oh yes, that is why I was afraid, and she did! Every night she would come to sleep with me! I was so exhausted from work, after awhile I simply did not have the energy to bring her back to bed in the middle of the night! That was a whole other issue!

My son is 16 months old. I guess all kids are different. We moved to a new home 11 days ago. Not wanting to do too many new things at once (but knowing we wanted to try the toddler bed asap), we spent the week of "transition" in the new house before moving in: cleaning it, childproofing, killing weeds and fertilizing the lawn. Joe was there with us during the day while we did this and was allowed to "help" (swiffering is his specialty) or play in a sandbox while we worked on the yard. By the time we moved in, he was a little used to the house and we set his room up first and got a little racecar toddler bed from Craigslist, but had his crib in there "just in case". I was nervous but got some good advice from a couple moms from here. We made a big deal out of it, how cool it was, and then our first night in the new home, I did make sure he was good and tired (shorter afternoon nap, took him to the playground to get worn out),I gave him a bath and lotioned him up, turned on his bedtime music (low volume),put him in his new bed and gave him his "blanky" and frog, kissed him, and walked out. We left the door open but had the safety gate up in his doorway (I think locking a child in the room would be weird), and left the light in the living room (down the hall, but where he could see it) on and we chatted quietly over a game of cards so he could know we were still there. He cried about 2 minutes and then stopped. After about 30 minutes we peeked in there, and he was sound asleep, and we closed the door so we wouldn't have to be so quiet. I was very surprised that he didn't start getting out of bed until yesterday, but that was only in the daytime. He would sit up and yell "mom!" or "aah!" and when I opened his door and turned on his light and said "good morning!" he would climb out of bed and dance a little jig with me because he knew he was a big boy. He still won't get up in the middle of the night because it's too dark. I tuck him in with the exact same routine every night, and there's no issues. We go ahead and close the door at bedtime now because he's used to the new house, but we always leave the safety gate up just in case. At naptime in the day (yesterday and today) it takes me a few times to put him to bed----I tuck him in the same way I've always done, but it's daylight and he gets up and opens his door (instead of doorknobs it's those latches where he can just pull it down and it opens, but the safety gate is there so it's ok)and I just get up and give him kisses and say "we have to go night-night" and put him back in. Today it took 2 tries. He'll be 17 months old on March 20.

With both boys, we went from the crib to a twin bed. We placed it against the wall and put a bed rail on the outside. I did it around both boy's second birthdays.

I switched to toddler bed at 18 months with both of mine and there was never a problem of them wanting to get out. Since your little one is already a good sleeper, he will probably do great. This may seem a little young for alot of people, but it worked so well with my son---who is now 11---that I did it with my daughter--almost 4. The only thing to watch out for is too much change all at once--like the new baby and bed transition. I am sorta going through that myself bc we are moving in 4 weeks to another town (only about 25 min from where we are now) and I am having another girl in 5 weeks. Congrats on the new little one and Good Luck! :)

I was afraid of that too, and my son was an angel who just played in the crib until we got him. However, I didn't like the idea of him being 2 and still in the crib (especially when he had been sleeping in a cot at school for well over a year). We changed to a toddler bed at about 25 months. He was so excited, but he did want to get out. It just took a few times of getting on to him for getting out that night before he realized he had to stay in. I think some kids take a little longer, but he'll get the idea that he is supposed to stay in. And if he just wants to lay on the floor to dispite you, then I say let him. He'll soon find it's more comfortable to be on the bed. Mine did that a couple of times during nap time, but we only had that issue three times max, and he is good about staying in his bed now. The floor just isn't comfortable, but they need to learn it for themselves.

My son was 2 years old when we put him in a todler bed. Yes he climbed out of bed several times at first because it was a novelty. I suggest you do the transition on the weekend, maybe start Thursday night since you probably can do w/out sleep 1 night. I stayed outside the door until he fell asleep for good. In addition to that my husband turned the door knob around so that it could be locked from the outside, so he couldn't get out in the middle of the night. Another mom gave me that idea and I still use it a year later even though he doesn't wake up in the middle of the night. He knocks on the door and yells for us when he is awake.

However since you have another crib for your baby, and your son is not climbing out - why bother. He'll let you know when he wants a big kid bed. You'll have your hands full w/out adding another task.

Good luck.

We moved our oldest to a big boy bed (we skipped the toddler bed altogether - such a WASTE of money) when he was 21 months old. We bought the extra long bed rails from One Step Ahead - they are the longest on the market - and we talked to him about not getting out of bed and I think he got out of bed 2 times the first week, but never got out bed again. To this day, he waits until we get him before he gets out of bed - He is 4! My son actually sleeps much better and longer in his big boy bed than he did in his crib - by 3 they WAY out grow the length of the crib unless they are VERY small for their age!

To much change at once, might make him act out.

I left my girls in their crib till they tried to climb out of it, then I took the front off their crib <converable crib>. They did get up acouple of time to try and climb into bed with me. I ended up putting a gate in their door way, cause I myself thought it werid to switch the door handle. Plus if something happened, I didn't want a door to be in my way.

The gate worked perfact, I told them to go to bed, and then ignored them. They fell asleep at the gate on the floor about a dozen time, and didn't like sleeping on the floor. So back to the bed they went. When they kept trying to sleep with each other in their toddle beds, I had to get a bigger bed. :) Hope this helps some.

My daughter was almost 2 when i switched her and it was easy transition, course i put those bed rails on the side of her bed so she wouldn't fall or attempt to climb out. I hope this helps.