What Age for Toddler Bed?

IMHO, never. They're a complete waste of money that most kids outgrow in a year or less and never support adult weight (meaning you can't sit and read, play, check a fever, soothe a nightmare, etc.).

Since you already have one? She may already be too big for it, and if not, whenever. I wouldn't try to fix something not broken (hey, my son slept in his crib till well into 3s -although was in bunks, twins, queens while traveling..., and the cognitive development was GREAT... No 1,000,001 night of leading him back to bed. Just 2 times total (not 2-20 in a single night for weeks or longer).

5 moms found this helpful

My son stayed in his crib till he was 3 1/2.
He could climb in and out anytime he wanted to.
Then we moved him to a twin bed.
We had long rails up on both sides for him - he never fell out.
And he REALLY liked it that I could snuggle in with him for story time.

4 moms found this helpful

Mine both started in a toddler bed at about 10 mos and 1yr old..once they began walking and would be capable of climbing out, they were in a real bed.

4 moms found this helpful

We moved both of our kids move at 1. Between 12-14 months. That's also Potty training time.

3 moms found this helpful

My son will be 3 in September and tonight is his first night in a big boy bed! I didn't want to move him until he was totally ready (which really means until I was ready!) and I was happy to have him in it until 3 or so, but we recently found out he was climbing out of it. He must have been doing it a while because he was really good at it! LOL! ;)

Anyway, we made the move today! I think if she's happy in her crib leave her in it. If you have the space leave the toddler bed in there too and maybe after she turns 3 you can tell her you're getting rid of the crib and she uses the bed. I'd just go with the flow for now!

3 moms found this helpful

I moved my older son from his crib to a regular bed with a rail a couple of weeks before his 3rd birthday, just in time for his new baby brother to get the crib. I think my younger son moved to a big bed at about 2 1/2 because he wanted to be a big boy like his brother. If she is happy in her crib I don't see a reason move her in a hurry, unless she starts to try to climb out on her own. She might not want to be in a crib when she starts bringing playdates to the house, because she might get teased. They grow up a lot between 2 1/2 and 3.

3 moms found this helpful

When she's too big for the crib. Let her sleep in the crib for as long as she wants. Why change something that is working?

3 moms found this helpful

I think the best rule is to transfer them out of the crib once they are capable of climbing out....
Most of us have to endure the middle of the night visitor tho, it's a phase that lasts for awhile but eventually stops.

3 moms found this helpful

I think you'll know. Our daughter was a little over 3 before she wanted to start sleeping in it and we never had any problems. We just waited until she was ready.

3 moms found this helpful

Keep her in the crib for as long as you can. Kids love the coziness of it and she will get a much better sleep. I bought a toddler bed for my oldest and he never liked it. With my youngest he went straight from crib to a twin with rails and that was a much better thing. THe rails gave him the safe feeling of the crib and he never tried to get out.

3 moms found this helpful

I really think it depends on the child. My first son was in his crib until age 3, when he turned 3 we turned his crib into a toddler bed and bought him some car themed bedding for it...he was excited about it and transitioned easily. The reason we waited was simply because sleeping in a crib was working just fine for him, he could easily climb out when he wanted to but he stayed in it for the most part.

My second son was constantly climbing in and out of his crib, and well I didn't ever worry about my first son falling out and getting hurt, I did worry about my second. He would climb out in the middle of the night and I'd hear a thud, that was when I knew it was time for a toddler bed which was right around his second birthday. He often still comes out of his room several times a night, we just keep bringing him back and telling him to go to bed and he eventually does. With my first son, he just goes right to sleep. They're all different!

3 moms found this helpful

I put my kids in a toddler bed as soon as they could climb out of the crib. Then it was more of a safety issue. I babyproofed the room, especially attaching the dresser to a beam in the wall, and then gated the door. My kids loved the independence of getting out of bed and being able to play with their toys right away.

2 moms found this helpful

can you convert her crib? That is what we did at about 1.5 then she was in a big girl bed by the time she was 2.5. She loves her bed, maybe she just needs a gradual change. gl

2 moms found this helpful

If I could do it over again, I wouldn't bother with the toddler bed. It is short lived & a waste of money, in my opinion. I would've gone straight to a "big girl" bed instead & saved my money.

2 moms found this helpful

There is no magical age for a child to move to a toddler bed.

Some children love their cribs. It *is* sometimes a security thing, and why not? Kids love consistency. I'd let her stay in there until her body doesn't-- that is, until she grows out of it if she wants. You can make the toddler bed 'fun'....spend time snuggling on it, reading books, let her know it's available when she's ready.

The nights she wakes up, she's probably upset because being in the bed is 'unfamiliar'. That said, as she gets older, she's also going to develop better skills for handling the newness of the bed. I would say, unless there is a very good reason (such as needing the crib for an upcoming baby), do as Anna did-- let your little girl lead you. It will be fine!

2 moms found this helpful

My daughter was the exact same way. She had a crib and a toddler bed in her room. She liked to sit and read in her toddler bed but only liked her crib. I asked her when she would like to sleep in her "big girl bed" and she said when she was 3 years old. Well, wouldn't you know at 3 years old she got right into her toddler bed and is just great. It's just find that your little one likes her crib! she will make the transition when she is ready.

2 moms found this helpful

My rule is when they start climbing out of the crib they go to a bed.
Although with my daughter, I was close to moving so I just dropped the side of the crib, placed a step stool there and she could climb in and out of the crib without getting hurt. When she was a month away from three we moved and made the switch then.

2 moms found this helpful

Why do we want to always rush our kids to grow up? I think you could move her when she is not happy with the crib, when you have other need for the crib such as another baby, when she climbs out of the crib, etc. I moved our first one at 15 months into a twin bed because I needed to move him. His brother was needing the crib and so he was moved but I always felt bad about doing it so soon as he liked his bed and didn't fall out, etc. You can teach a child that age to sleep in a toddler bed, which we never had as they don't last long and a twin bed can be used and sat on and we put a board on the bed frame with no box spring so they child could get in and out easier and if they did fall out not so far to fall. Of course when they are around 2 1/2 or so when ready to potty train I would think it good to be out of the crib for bedtime trips to the potty. It's just up to you and the child as to when to move them.

2 moms found this helpful

we put my daughter in a twin bed when she was 16 months old, and my son when he was just 2 years old. I'd say the earlier the better. If you are going to put her in the toddler bed, then do it. You can't go back and forth. Take the crib out of the room and have her sleep in the bed. It will be hard at first, but after a few months she will get used to it and it will be ok. Good luck

1 mom found this helpful

Ditto Riley J.

My son was in his crib even at 3 years old.
Why?
1) He LOVED LOVED LOVED his crib.
2) He slept SO well in it
3) He did not use it like a jungle gym
4) He fell out once, then never climbed it again
5) He LOVED his crib and still fit it even if he is a tall kid.

Why did he then go into a TWIN bed?
1) One day he simply said "Mommy, I want to be in a bed now." And then we did. A Twin bed. Toddler beds make NO sense to me. At all. But going back- so one day my son SAID he wanted to be in a bed. So he did. And he slept so well in it too.
Why?
Because HE was ready.

1 mom found this helpful

Toddlers are children ages 12 months up to 24 months. Your child is too old for a toddler bed. Skip it and move her to a twin or larger. Whatever bed she'll have until she grows up.

The toddler beds are made for toddlers, not pre-school age children. She is old enough to be in a regular bed, the mattress is not sturdy enough to support her very well, the toddler bed is made the same size as a baby bed so that those kids will feel the same size and have the same feel on their mattress.

But this child is just too old and probably way too big to even consider the toddler bed.

1 mom found this helpful

This week, my 21 mos old was acting out one day, and managed to climb out of the crib by accident. Initially I freaked out, but later learnt to play it cool and shrug it off. She's not tried again so far. It has gotten us wondering about the same question.
I did some research online. Some well-known baby/parenting sites advise anywhere between 18 to 36 months. Moving toddlers from crib to toddler bed/twin bed is a process by itself. Apparently, it will need some sleep-retraining. My DD's crib converts to a toddler bed (we'd attach a safety railing to the open side, of course). She's still quite small and fits comfortably inside, so we're planning to give her some more time till she starts to try and climb out of the crib more deliberately. We've decided that would be our signal. If at that time the converted toddler bed version feels too small, we're planning to get her a twin bed right from then on.
In your case, maybe your daughter will let you know? While playing, she may gradually take to napping on it during the day time? Then maybe you can start trying during night-times too.

1 mom found this helpful

mine were both 18 months old.
It's going to be a stuggle because she's used to sleeping in the crib.
I would take the crib down so she has no other options. She's big enough to sleep in the toddler bed. but you might need to put up a gate to keep her in her room. You just keep putting her back in bed and she will get the point.

1 mom found this helpful

I would slowly transition into the toddler bed. if she tries to climb out of the crib, she may hurt herself. It will take a while before she starts to feel comfortable with the new bed, but just keep reassuring her and she will probably wander in your room at night, that happens. My son was 2 when he went to his toddler bed, he is almost three and still wakes up and comes to sleep with us. We dont care, as long as we get sleep, that is all that matters. They will eventually grow out of it. Good luck!

1 mom found this helpful

My kids Mever did the toddler bed thing. They both hated it.

1 mom found this helpful

The answer to your post is never. Unless you get it for free, toddler beds are a waste of money. If your daughter is happy in her crib, then leave her there. My son was 3 when we went to a full size bed. It would have been sooner if we didn't move a couple months before he turned 3 and I didn't want to bombard him with too much change. We took him to the mattress store and let him "pick one out". It made it exciting for him.

As far as "training", I don't believe in any kind of "Child training" except for potty training. I told my son that if he wakes up and needs to to stay in bed and I will come. And that is what happened. If you have a child that consistently leave the bed it is because she is not tired or your expectations are too high.

1 mom found this helpful

Not really an age as much as ready. When they're climbing in and out, or potty training or trained, those are definite times they're ready.

In our house we chat changes up beforehand, potty training, sleeping in a bed, etc. I told my guy he would start sleeping in his bed on a certain date, a couple of weeks before, and showed him his new bedding, set up the bed, and put his stuffed animals in it to "try it out." He started wanting to take naps in it and started sleeping it in at night, his choice, before my set date ; ) We dismantled the crib and got it out of the house the next day because he "now slept in a big bed!"

I've noticed that the younger a child is, the easier they adapt to going from a crib to a bed, I've been blown away by 14 through 17 month olds that just do it, I guess because they aren't at the rebellious independent stage yet and just do what they're told.

And I don't think it will be a struggle if you don't make it one, it just is what it is, we sleep in our own beds. A baby gate across her door will keep her in her room until she accepts that's where she stays at night, I saw it as a safety measure, it kept my guy in his room where I knew he was safe.

1 mom found this helpful

as my granny said if it aint broke dont fix it! lol
ive had the same thought as my girl is 17 months and loves her crib as well. shes never tried to get out of it as ive seen and is very comfortable so there she will stay untill shes ready. why disturb her if shes cozy is my thought,untill shes unsafe in the crib let her sleep (:

I would wait til she asks, about 3 when she needs to get out to pee.

WE decided when my daughter was two and I was watching her climb over the rails to get out that it was time for a toddler bed. Made a big deal and let her pick out the one she wanted and her sheets

Hi, M.:

You will always be training your child to do the right thing.
You will know when she starts climbing out of the crib, that
will be the time to pack up the crib. Before you do, give her a choice,
stay in your crib or you will have to start sleeping in your bed. and say what you mean and mean what you say.
Good luck.
D.