From Crib to Twin Bed?

Updated on June 10, 2010
C.L. asks from Moreno Valley, CA
9 answers

We have 19 months twins (boy/girl). My 17 yo son has his own room, my 21 yo has her room but has moved with her dad since her college is so much closer, but still has all her things in her room as if she still lives there because at her dads apt there's no room (he's looking for a house). Our boy twin has his crib in our bedroom and we used to also have our girl twins (where she sleeps) in our bedroom also. You can just imagine just how crouded our room looked! Since my daughter moved out, we put my baby girl in there and they sleep better because they don't wake each other up. My 17 yo son has bunk beds that I had bought him for 'sleep overs'. Now my husband wanted to put our baby boy in with him! I said absolutely not! My son's room is so small there IS no room. But that wasn't the reason. You cannot put a baby and a teenager in one room. My son needs his space for studying, doing homework, etc. So our son remains in our room. We're waiting for my 21 yo daughter to move all her things to her dads as soon he finds a house (he found one, he just placed a bid on it, I'm crossing my fingers!), so that I can re-paint the room for the twins to be in. My 17 yo son will move in with his dad next yr when he graduates from school as well. Whatever college he choses will be much closer as well. We want to purchase twin beds for our twins and were wondering if they are ready for them?

What can I do next?

  • Add yourAnswer own comment
  • Ask your own question Add Question
  • Join the Mamapedia community Mamapedia
  • as inappropriate
  • this with your friends

So What Happened?

Hi Meaghan H! My twin son moves so much in his crib loves to sleep all stretched out and when he does this his hands and feet almost go out of rails, and being a big boy he's constantly getting a foot thru the rails and at times I go in to check on him and like last night, his foot and ankle were sticking out so if he would to wake up, he would cry! So I have to carefully put his foot back in his crib. His twin sister is smaller and she is kinda getting almost too big for the playpen she's been sleeping in. If we do get them twin beds, we're definitely putting guard rails and the beds would be on each corner of the room. I would leave them in their cribs but my husband is the one who wants them out of them already. I know he gets it from his mom!

Featured Answers

Smallavatar-fefd015f3e6a23a79637b7ec8e9ddaa6

D.P.

answers from Pittsburgh on

Are they climbing out of their cribs? If not, I'd keep them in the cribs til they are 3. Put bumpers so their feet/arms can't stick through as much.

2 moms found this helpful

More Answers

Smallavatar-fefd015f3e6a23a79637b7ec8e9ddaa6

M.C.

answers from Washington DC on

I switched my son when he was 19m old and it was a disaster. I waited and switched my daughter when she was just over 3y. She has done wonderful. As long as your twins will sleep in their cribs, and don't climb out, I'd leave them in there as long as possible. Besides, that will give you more time for your older college kids to move their stuff. If you buy the twin beds now, where will you put them?

2 moms found this helpful

M.H.

answers from Raleigh on

I would never put a baby that is happy in a crib in a "real" bed. It is so much safer and easier having them in a crib. Until your little ones climb out, keep them in! :)

2 moms found this helpful
Smallavatar-fefd015f3e6a23a79637b7ec8e9ddaa6

S.A.

answers from Tampa on

Yes. Go to Ikea. We bought our toddler daughter her bed there. It's the twin bed that's really low to the ground. It's called the MALM bed. It's adjustable as to how high you want the mattress off the ground. We've never had a problem with her falling out of it. We did put pillows on the floor, just in case.

1 mom found this helpful
Smallavatar-fefd015f3e6a23a79637b7ec8e9ddaa6

M.K.

answers from San Diego on

Hi there.
Just thought I'd offer my experience in case it helps. Both of my girls transitioned from their crib to a twin bed before they turned 2. The older one because I wanted her to be done with the crib well before I needed it for #2 and the younger one just decided that she wanted to start sleeping in her bed (I already had it in her room with her crib since I had bought a set that can bunk when the older one made the switch).
They both thought that the big girl bed was great and were enthusiastic about it. But, what I found was there was a honeymoon period where they don't realize that they are allowed/able to get out of bed without someone coming to get them. Then that ends and you have to work on getting them to stay in bed after you put them down. But, consistently and uneventfully returning them to bed seemed to work, with some patience.
Also, regarding rails-- I never found a need and thought that it would get in the way of me crawling in to read/cuddle with them in their bed. I just set up the bed on the lowest setting and kept pillows on the floor next to it for awhile. One good idea that I've heard, but never tried, is to roll up a blanket (not a baby blanket) and stuff it under the fitted sheet longways to create a sort of bumper that will help keep them from rolling out.

1 mom found this helpful

T.J.

answers from Fort Walton Beach on

Wow, that seems pretty stressful. We didn't do toddler beds for our kids and I moved our son in his bed at 20 months old. I was just writing to another post that we bought big beds for them incase we needed to sleep with them. Sounds like he is fine and that you are able to squeeze in twin beds somewhere in the house, LOL!

Just get one of those rails for the side of the bed. He will be just fine :)

Good luck!

1 mom found this helpful
Smallavatar-fefd015f3e6a23a79637b7ec8e9ddaa6

R.B.

answers from San Diego on

Hi! :) I consulted w/ a sleep expert for my babies and she told me that it's best to keep your babies in their crib until age 2 1/2 - 3. My babies LOVED their cribs and it was me that transitioned them (we did with my son b/c at 2y20m we started potty training him - he certainly would have stayed in his crib longer). Not sure if your twins are the ones getting 'stuck' but put bumpers in if they are. Also, she recommended going to a TWIN size bed - not the toddler. Good luck! :)

1 mom found this helpful
Smallavatar-fefd015f3e6a23a79637b7ec8e9ddaa6

B.D.

answers from Miami on

Another option would be toddler beds - most cribs convert to a toddler bed these days. They use the same size mattress as a crib. I put my girls into a toddler bed around 24 months, when they started trying to climb out of their crib.

1 mom found this helpful
Smallavatar-fefd015f3e6a23a79637b7ec8e9ddaa6

J.L.

answers from San Diego on

Hi Sunflower, I took my kids from the crib to their crib mattress on the floor, then moved them to their twin beds at 2. You know the behavior and character of you twins, if they are ready for twin beds. J.

1 mom found this helpful
For Updates and Special Promotions
Follow Us

Related Questions