From Crib to Converted Daybed To...?

My little on has had a toddler bed since she was one and a half. (She's 4 now.) Once her climbing started scaring me that she'd fall from the height of her crib. She is a monkey.

We went with a toddler bed because it is much closer to the ground. She loves her bed. Her bed is wooden and cost us $50 brand new.

In a couple of years we'll switch her to a twin or full size bed. I like that idea that she'll have the bigger bed as another milestone to celebrate.

J., I would personally agree with your wife's friend, but that is because I don't think it makes sense to put money out on a toddler bed that is only going to be good for a few years at most. If money isn't an issue with you and you want to have her use the toddler bed first, then by all means go for it. The only thing I would suggest is that you and your wife take a little time to carefully observe your daughter's adjustment to sleeping on her own, and try to be as sure as possible that what you choose is going to help her in that adjustment.

By the way, welcome to the site. I also felt a little bit "out of place" when I signed up. Even though I am a Mom, my children are grown and I'm at the stage of helping raise the grandchildren. My husband and I have a home childcare started largely so we could be the caregivers for the grands while their parents work.

Don't waste your money buying a toddler bed. You already have one with the crib converstion. She will grow out of it in a year or so. It will be a big milestone step for her to be in the converted crib without the sides, especially if she really hasn't been using the crib and has been sleeping in your bed. Generally, those convertable cribs go in stages. You can turn it into a toddler bed by taking one side off, then once she outgrows it, you convert it to a twin bed. That's what I would do.

J.,
We went staight from our son's crib to a full size bed. Best decision that we ever made!! First, we called it his "Big Boy Bed." (He is now 4 and still shows his "big boy bed" to friends that come over.)
We pushed it into the corner of the room so it is secured on two sides. We bought a bed rail that slips under the mattress to prevent him from falling out.
One of the best things is that every night, my husband or I lay next to him and read.
I always recommend to skip the toddler bed and go staight to a bed that they will have for at least 10 years since they grow so fast.
Hope this helps!
T.

I would go straight to a twin. Why have the extra expense of a toddler bed when they grow out of them so quickly? PLUS we made it great fun for my kids to pick out their sheets and comforter in the characters they wanted.

Good luck!

K. C.

I also went straight from crib to full with both kids, and they adjusted without issue.

You can get a cheap plastic toddler bed with a metal frame that your standard crib mattress will fit. The beds have themes, so you could find one your daughter will like (princess, Dora, etc.). She will be psyched and not care that it cost 69 bucks. They have partial guard rails to keep them from falling out. (We tried a twin bed off the bat and my son kept falling out and didn't want to go in it anymore). Then, when she out-grows it you can switch to a twin/full or what you want and only be out less than 69 dollars. Here's a link to the Cars bed we got my son. http://www.kmart.com/shc/s/p_10151_10104_###-###-####BB86...
They have girl themed beds as well. The other nice thing is that the toddler mattresses are waterproof for night-time potty training. Even with a water-proof mattress cover, that's still a nice feature.
Good luck with what you choose. It's an exciting milestone.
N.

I would go with a toddler bed easy and low to get into. Inexpensive and fun for the child. Not so high that you worry about falls etc. No bouncing on the bed and breaking an arm. Very portable and resale should be easy. Go for it! JC

I've always thought toddler beds are a big fat rip off.
Get her a Twin bed so she can get all the character bedding she likes ( Dora, Cinderella, Hannah Montana etc) they are hard to find in Full size and more $$$.

Hi,

We moved our daughter from sleeping with us to a day bed when she was just under 2 years old. We bought a day bed that had a trundle underneath and she used that as a step to get in and out of bed and it made us feel safer. We also put up the bed guard on the side so there is only a little opening on the bottom where she can get in and out of bed. To make ourselves feel more comfortable with the transition we also use a baby monitor with a TV screen so we can always see if she is in a comfortable position, etc. It has worked out great! My daughter loves her big girl bed and it's big enough that I can lay there with her to cuddle and read books at night or lay with her when she gets scared.

Good luck in your search. We got our bed at Pottery Barn.

Don't waste your money on a toddler bed. Go right to the regular twin bed.

I have always just gone straight to a regular sized bed from the crib. I have a side rail that I use...my older two used it for a short time. We just switched our 2 1/2 year old as well (she is our 3rd). To me it was just easier and one less thing I had to buy and then try to find a home for a short time later. All my kids transitioned very easily to a regular bed...much easier then I thought it would be. Some people put the mattress on the floor first and let the kids get use to that before putting it on the frame.

It really is a personal choice and do what you feel is best for your child. Personally I wanted to put the money into a nice regular sized bed that they would use for many years. But some people really like using the toddler beds.

If you really want to do the toddler bed, go to Once-Upon-a-Child. There are several around the sacramento area and you should be able to get one at a really good price. That way you can do the toddler bed and then move on to the "real" bed when she is ready. I think that you should do whatever you and your child are comfortable with. I did both with my two kids and I can tell you, I prefer toddler beds because kids do have issues with rolling off of them at first and toddler beds are much easier for the child to climb back onto. Plus you can use the crib mattress in a toddler bed saving some $$.

T.

i have three daughters and a neice that i have done this with the toddler bed is a great way to move them up there is a reason they make them.. one you are able to use their crib matress which is a comfort to them same feel and smell, also they are smaller and not so overwhelming also they are closer to the ground so not so far when they fall out of bed and trust me they do fall out at first lol.. but i have never had a hard time getting them out of the toddler bed it was always and easy transition so unless your thinking of saving money by buying just one bed i think you and your child will both enjoy the toddler bed

We had a conversion crib for our daughter. We chose the conversion crib to save money in the end. When we could no longer to the day bed (she was 2), we went straight to the full-ize bed. Part of it had to do with the fact that she moves a LOT when she sleeps (she didn't last long in the day bed). All we had to do was buy the rails & new bedding since we already had the mattresses for the full-size bed. But all that lasts so much longer than the toddler bed will...probably until she is closer to being a teenager.
In the end what matters most is how YOU & YOUR WIFE feel about it & what you feel is best for Mia.