Toddler Toddler Bed

I would keep her in her crib for as long as possible. I kept my daughter in her crib until she was almost 3. She was never a climber and was very happy in there. Then she went into a toddler bed for a short time and then onto a regular single bed with no problems. My daughter had lots of toys to play with so was quite happy in there - so I would leave her for as long as possible.

I think you can leave her in the crib a few more months. My kids were a few months past 2 when they started sleeping in a twin bed. I wouldn't waste money on a toddler bed because they grow out of it soon. Just put rails on either side of the twin bed and they have that until they are teenagers! My kids didn't have many issues with getting out of bed all the time and avoiding bedtime, but I know some kids do. Just hope for the best, and if she has issues with staying in bed, write us back here!

Keep the crib as long as you can, especially if she stays in it and plays. Why mess with a good thing? My son was about 3 and my daughter was about 2 1/2 when I switched them. My third child is still in her crib, and will be until about the same age.

J.,
Your friends are right. If she's not climbing out and seems perfectly happy in the crib, then leave her there. You still have the stage where you put down the side of the crib so she can climb in/out on her own. Also forget the toddler bed. They are a waste of money. Get her a single with a detachable guard rail. Don't rush putting her into her own bed. She will tell you when she's ready.
Good luck

I really don't see the rush to move them out of the crib. My kids all stayed in until I had to take them out for the new baby to arrive. My first two kids transitioned to twin size beds from the crib at about 2years 8 months. My current 2 year old will be 3 in July and I will then transfer her to her big bed. If they're not climbing out of the crib leaving potential for injury, I see no other reason to transition them before 2 1/2 or 3. Just my thoughts. Good luck.

I moved my daughter to a toddler bed when she started crawling out of the crib which was about 17 months. Like your friends have suggested, I would keep your daughter in the crib until she is either too long for it (my daughter quickly outgrew her toddler bed so she's now in a twin bed) or starts crawling out and it becomes a safety issue.

Hi J.,

There is a always a question of "should I?" or "when should I?". My daughter is 13 and I'm still going through it! I took her out of the crib at 26 months only because I was having surgery and couldn't lift her for several weeks. She has always been a rule follower so there was never an issue of her getting out of bed in the middle of the night. My son is a different story, though. We took him out at about 2 1/2 only because a friend was pregnant after she adopted a baby and I promised her my crib. We were terrified that he would get out all night, but strangely enough, he followed (and still does for the most part) the rules and can't get out unless its to go potty (he'll be four in Sept) or he is sick or bad dream and even then, he comes straight to us. I do suggest going straight to a regular bed and not a toddler bed. They outgrow those so fast. Just make sure you have some kind of rail so she doesn't fall out when the time comes. Good luck!

Hey J.!
You have probably already heard this enough but, it all depends on the kid! It sounds like your daughter is doing great in her crib. However, as she gets older, the concern becomes her increasing ability to crawl out (and therefore fall) as the fancy takes her. Our daughter has always been a fantastic sleeper too. She loved her crib and if it weren't for the fact that we were going to reuse her crib for her brother, we would have left her in her crib a while longer. As it turns out, her healthy sleep habbits actually paved the way for a smoother transition to her "big girl bed". We made the transition at 18 months and instead of getting her a toddler bed, I bought her a day bed from Ikea. It has a twin matress, sits low to the ground and the bars are close together. I also put a bed rail up on the open side so she actually only had a few feet at the top and bottom where she could crawl in and out by herself. Essentially, I made her big girl bed feel as comfy and crib-like as I could. The beauty of a day bed is that she is closed in on three sides and with the bed rail, she wasen't going anywhere. I also took her shopping to pick out her big girl sheets and blankets and put in a few of her favorite stuffed animals. Of course, after all this, I was afraid that she would be waking up in the middle of the night. She surprised me though. The first couple of nights she woke up once or twice and cried just because she was in a new environment, however, she soothed down very easy and by the end of the week there was no looking back! As it turns out, she also has very good bed protocol. I don't know where she gets it but she won't get out of bed by herself in the morning or after a nap. She will talk or call out to us and waits for us to "get her up". I am not sure how other children are but we thanked our lucky stars for that little bit of good luck and ran with it. So, I hope this gives you some ideas and options. All the best to you and your daughter...I am sure you will both make the transition beautifully, whenever you decide! :)

Hi J., I have a son who will be 27 months at the end of the month, my husband and I put him in a bed about 2 months ago. I was really worried cause I didn't know how he would do and I was afraid he would get up in the middle of the night and stay up and play. To our surprise he did very well. He stayed in his bed and went to sleep. We are having trouble now cause we went out to Kansas on vacation and my son slept in the bed with me so he doesn't want to stay in his bed like he did before but I'm sure over time he will stay in bed again. My husband and I actually bought a full size bed cause my son's crib turned into a head board for a full size bed. The bed is pretty low to the ground and my son has no trouble getting in or out of the bed. We do have a bed rail up and you can tell that he likes his bed more than his crib. You can tell it's more comfortable cause he sleeps better than he did before. My son did not crawl out of his crib either but he did run back and forth in it and I thought he was going to get hurt. I like having the full size bed for him cause if my son is having trouble sleeping or if he is sick, my husband or I can go in and lay down with him. I did have to put a door knob cover on the inside of his door so he won't keep opening the door at night and I'm scared that in the morning he will open it and run around the house. He just goes to the door in the morning now and knocks on it and calls for me. I'm sure your daughter will do great! Just go with what you are comfortable with!I hope this helps and good luck and God Bless!

We moved our twin boys to big (twin) beds when they were a little over 3. I know that seems so old, but I had crib tents and they were a godsend! I was also having another baby, and needed one of the cribs, so I bet I would have kept them in there longer! LOL. I used crib tents for almost 2 years, they were the best investments ever!!!!! They are expensive, and I needed 2. But well worth it. Keep her in the crib, as long as she will stay!

Listen to your friends! :) Just keep that crib as long as she's happy in it. I have a friend whos twins stayed in theirs until they were almost three.... didn't damage them a bit, and she was able to keep naps and bedtime consistent until they were mature enough to stay in bed themselves.

J.,

DON"T DO IT! We had to move our 18 month old to a toddler bed because she was able to climb out but it has been a very long road since then. She loves here bed, but it definitely creates a whole separate set of issues. Her time will come- until then, enjoy the present and live in the moment!

Good luck!
K.

Bottom line? we did it right before she turned 2 and yes she gets out of bed and comes in our room at night and in the morning...thats just what they do, no matter the age. She is now 2-1/2 and doesnt come in as much in the middle of the night and this morning we were still sleeping when she came in and she went back to her room closed the door and got back into bed. I think they go thru a transition period where they realize they can come and go, but like anything new the novelty soon wears off. Good Luck! It is also kinda cool to wake up to your little one right in your face whispering "mommy". Not always a bad way to start the day.

hello J.,
well,my daughter is 18 and a half months old now,and she sometimes sleeps in her toddler bed...but we have out bed on the ground with only a box spring under,and she has been used to getting on and off when she likes.we have her bed next to ours,with the bottom open end facing the head of our bed.so when she falls asleep at night,i put her into her bed,and she will stay there for most of the night until she wants to nurse.she starting to roll over into her bed before she falls asleep now and only wants to hold my hand...sometimes.if you're nervous,i would suggest putting a crib mattress in the floor,then she wont fall,and put a baby gate up by the door so she can get up and play with things when she wakes up.just make sure you have some books and toys,or if she watches any baby Einsteins,or baby signing time (my daughter loves the baby sign language ones) have it in so all you have to do is turn it on and then go back to sleep.if shes happy in her crib i wouldn't rush too much,but if she'll be 2 soon,she may really like the extra independence of being able to get up and move about when she wakes up.
i hope this helps.
sincerely,A.

KEEP THE CRIB!!! Our first daughter got a toddler bed at 2 yrs 3 months because WE were excited. She did great after a few weeks. Duaghter number 2 starts crawling out at 2.6 years, got a bed and it is still a nightmare! She stays up late, has to be confined to her room by babygate - her 8:30 ish asleep is more like 9:30ish - today she is 3 and I wish she still had a crib. My advice, they are all different, but don't rush it, in case she is like my sweet baby Morghen - a night girl! (oh yea, she loved her crib too, would stay and play at nap, morning....)

I started my son at almost 3. I just didn't see the hurry and this way he understood well enough to make it very special and fun (crucial for getting them to stay there!)

Hi J., For us we let each of the kids grow out of the crib before we moved them into a toddler bed. Actually, with the first, he stayed in there until he was 4 and we needed the crib for # 2. We did buy him a toddler bed and he outgrew it really fast. We were able to use it for # 2, but sold it after that. When we moved into a new home, my daughter (#3) was about 2 1/2 and we just didn't want to put the crib up again so we let her sleep on the futon bed we had and she loved it. Actually stayed sleeping and playing on it longer than the crib. We bought her a regular bed about 6 months later only because it took me that long to find the one I wanted. We used the under the mattress side guards to keep her from falling out. Our last one (#4) is still in the crib at 26 months and I'll probably let her stay there another year. Keeping them in the crib was never a question of whether they would climb out as all of them mastered that shortly after turning one. Just my luck. I'd say let them stay in the crib so long as you feel they won't get hurt if they climb out. You'll know.

Hi J.,

My youngest was in a crib till he was 3! And, he was sad when we transitioned him to a twin bed. If your baby is happy that is the important thing. Like all other things, your child will let you know when she is ready to move on.

P.

Hello, fellow Marine wife! Many moms, including my own, advised me to keep them in the crib until 3. My issue with moving to the toddler bed was all about potty training. I have heard a lot of moms switch for safety as soon as they start climbing out of their cribs. I didn't do that, though. My oldest was almost 2 1/2 when he finally started to climb out and I told him he was supposed to stay in bed (it took some training and discipline, but he wasn't ready for that kind of freedom at that age). But once we potty trained him, I wanted him to be able to get in and out of bed on his own for going to the bathroom. I still require him to stay in bed otherwise, until I get him up.
Like your baby, he would happily stay and play in his crib (now bed) after waking in the morning and after naptime. He's nearly 3 1/2 now and he still needs that time to himself. If I go get him too soon after waking up (he seems to need at least 15 min but will happily play much longer), he scowls and he will be grumpy until he goes to bed again.
If you also want to train your daughter to stay in bed, even when it is a toddler bed, you will need to wait until she is able to have that kind of self control. My "baby" is just about to turn 2, so I've got it in the back of my mind knowing that potty training and the toddler bed are coming soon, but I know that he is not nearly ready. He doesn't have the self control yet to stay in a bed that he could easily get out of (he hasn't even tried climbing out of the crib yet and doesn't seem interested at all). I plan to keep him in his crib until 3 or until he is potty trained, whichever is sooner.
This is just my way, I'm sure you will find one that is a good fit for you. One thing to look forward to when she does get to the toddler bed, you can give hugs and snuggle while she's laying there in bed (we love that!)

I have a 21/2 year old who is still in her crib-she too lays there and plays and never tried to get out,she never even stands in her crib unless it is when I come in to get her out-so I feel if she is happy that way why change it. Maybe waiting longer till she is older may not be such a difference-who knows.I say keep her there.Good luck!L.

My daughter loved her crib so much, she would climb INTO the crib to play or when she was tired!! I kept her there until almost 3 (I had to switch because I was having #2 and needed the crib). I agree with your friend... as long as safety is not a concern, MILK IT!!!

HI J.! I love this site, because it reminds me that i am not the only one going through these issues. :) I have a son who is 2 1/2 and I was debating weather to put him in his own bed, too. BUT he is just the same as your daughter, he likes his crib. So, after reading "Healthy sleep habits happy child", by Marc weissbluth, I am going to wait until he is three, per his advice. Why wreck a good thing, and sleep is so precious for them and us!! Best of luck. :)

J.,
I moved my Daughter into a big girl bed at a little over 3, and that only because we needed the crib for our new little one. It worked out great because at this age she was excited about having a princess bed and was happy to sleep in it. So milk the crib until you can't!

Hi J.,
There's never a perfect time to switch from the crib to a bed but I feel the most important thing is to not push it. I have two boys, 4 years old and 20 months. My oldest loved his crib, never tried to climb out, and played in there when he woke up too. We set up his big boy bed when he was about 28 months and I was about 7 months pregnant with our second child. We wanted to make the transition as easy as possible. We would ask him if we wanted to take a nap in his big boy bed and most of the time he said no. Finally, one day he said yes and took a long nap in it. Then, a few weeks later when I was in the hospital having our second child, he decided he wanted to sleep in his big bed at night and that was it. Another surprise was that he didn't try to get out of his bed when he woke up! I'm not sure if he didn't realize he could get out on his own or what, but that was surprising and lasted for a few months until we started to tell him to just come into our room when he woke up. I don't see anything wrong with a child that is 22 months still sleeping in a crib. My youngest is 20 months and I have no plans of putting him in a big bed until I feel he's ready or we're all ready or if he gets too big or if we have another child. :)
If you have the room, I suggest getting a double bed, for when your child is sick and you can lay down with her. We did that and now we won't have to buy him another bed for a long time. Just a thought. Good luck to you. What works for one child doesn't always work for another, even in the same family!!

My daughter loved her crib, and she stayed in there until her 3rd birthday. Keep it! : )

My son will be three in the beginning of july and he's still in the crib, and I don't plan to move him until he asks or starts climbing out. Luckily for us, he is not a climber, not even interested in trying. Why mess with a good thing? My kid's at an age where naps are sporatic, but he goes into his crib everyday at the same time. Sometimes he'll nap, other times he'll just hang out in there and talk or sing to himself for a good 1.5 hours. It depends on the personality, so yes, milk it for as long as you can!

I moved my kids by 16-17mos, first one because we had baby number two coming and I wanted her to have some transition time. Second one because the first went so smoothly. There was room enough in there bedrooms that I set up a twin bed in addition to the crib I let them get used to it for a few nights, then started them in the twin bed for naps, and finally nights too. THEN I moved the crib out. Neither of them ever climbed out of the crib, and they never had problems getting up out of the big bed. I really believe they didn't know they were "aloud" too. They always called for me when they woke up. At that I age I didn't keep toys in their room, so maybe there wasn't anything enticing to get up for. You might also start the transition by putting a pillow in the crib (if you haven't already) so you daughter can figure out which way is "up". My daughter never had problems falling out of bed, but my son did, so he had a rail for a few months. He is almost four now and still occasionally falls out of bed. He's a crazy sleeper :)

Don't take this personally....but you would be nuts to even consider giving up the crib in your situation! Everyone I know who gave up the crib that early or even a little later, now looses much sleep!
My daughter is 3 and LOVES her crib still! My neighbor is 3.5 and same there, we get the most sleep out of anyone in the neighborhood. They both tried to climb out once and we told them in a stern voice, "Do not do that or you will get a big owie!" That was the end of it. We went to a hotel last week and the crib was so tiny, she climbed out of it several times over and over, I was worried for when we got home but she has just gone to sleep as always, and like yours plays there when she wakes for ever. DON'T do it! :-)

Hi J.,

My daughter was past the three year mark and still happily sleeping in her crib when we decided to turn her convertible crib into a toddler bed. In fact, until she was four, when we'd stay at hotels our daughter would request to sleep in a crib. Since you've asked...she also has done just fine in her toddler bed and sleeps/naps wonderfully there until it's time for us all to get up. Personally, I just don't see the need to rush it if a child is content in their crib and not trying to climb out.

All the best to you and your family!

S.

Hi J.:
Your daughter is happy and content where she is right now. Everything is wonderful....So why would you push moving her to a toddler bed? Its going to be an adjustment wether she has a guard rail or not. I guess If your prepared for the posibility of her climbing out,then go for it. I personally would wait till she out grew her crib..Best of luck to you.

Well, your friends are kind of right. But no matter how long you wait it's going to be a little bit of work to transition her to a toddler bed. It just depends on what your aim is. And, when I switched my daughter (she's the same age) about a month and a half ago I did it BECAUSE she does so well in her crib. I thought that, since she doesn't hate her bed and want to escape it now would be a good time to teach her to sleep in a big girl bed. And it's not that bad. We bought a rail and a little set of steps (only necessary because her toddler bed was also her crib and it's a little higher than a toddler bed) which we set next to the only opening in the rail, so basically she is almost as contained as she was in the crib, but she can get in and out by herself (safely!). She got out of bed, of course, for about the first week. The key to handling this is to be very firm and consistent- don't talk to them or pick them up or interact in any way, just lead them right back to bed. Even with her liking her bed a few nights it seemed like she was NEVER going to bed, but it only lasted a week, and now we have no problems at all. And I love how now, in the morning, she comes and gets ME out of bed instead of the other way around.

One obstacle I didn't forsee- for the first week she also got up way too early- I finally decided that if she got up before 7 that she had to go back to bed. After three days of making her go back to bed (she wasn't happy!) she started sleeping until her normal time again. Another perk- we went on vacation last week and didn't have to worry about lugging/borrowing a crib because she could sleep anywhere!

That said, there's no hurry. My daughter is very mature for her age, and we are going to have another baby soon, so I wanted her used to a big girl bed. But if you have no reason to hurry, don't! But either way, don't freak out!

Hey J.,
I say..if she's doing well in her crib, not jumping out or doing any other scary "stunts" then leave her in it! :) We didn't move our 1st born until he was closer to 3..he just looked so LONG in the crib, but he slept like a champ in it! Then when he went into the twin size bed..it was a very easy transition. Enjoy it while it lasts.. all the best! S.

Hi J., first of all, kuddos to your husband, for standing up for our freedom. you don't state how old your daughter is. It doesn't sound like the crib is a problem at this time.What i did with all 3 of mine, was from the crib, I put the crib mattres on the floor,layed the matress n the floor before going into a twin bed, I didn't use toddler beds because they are expensive and they grow out of them so quickly. I'm sorry
you did state her age bellow, by 22 months my kids were sleeping on their cib mattress on in a twin bed, mine were potty trained so they had to have access to the bathroom. I don't think there is any right or wrong answer, as to weather she stays in the crib or not, it's an individual choice, mine were to big for the crib at that age, and love their big boy and girl beds. Mom for 24 years J.

Our daughter started crawling out of the crib around 28 months or so, so we got her a "big girl bed" - I just went straight to the queen-sized bed (since I have a 12-year-old sister-in-law who stays with us periodically, it made the most sense.) We were also expecting our second child when she was 2-1/2, so we had already been planning for the move out of the crib.

In anticipation, we read "Fancy Nancy" and talked about how fancy her room was, and then we made Caitlyn's room very fancy, too! It was a really easy transition for her.

I think the bottom line is - definitely milk the crib for as long as you can! She can get up whenever she wants now! :o)

Hi, J.. I started my almost 4-year-old daughter in her toddler bed when she was 3 yrs. old. She loves it now! I think it's a little bit too early for yours to be in one, though. I prepped my kid by telling her she is becoming a big girl now so she will stay in a "big girl's bed." I got her a Little Mermaid toddler bed, which is her favorite character. Oh...actually, Iwhen I got her out of her crib, I put her mattress first on the floor, right beside our bed to just help her get used to not being in her crib. Of course, she ended up sleeping on our bed with us, but, slowly, after continuously talking to her, she gave in. Good luck! Communicate with your child - it will turn out for the best - for you and her!

what is your reason to take her out of her crib? I say keep her in the crib as long as she fits, likes it, and doesn't try to climb out. You have at least 6 more months of peace, although, your daughter will probably stay in a bed quite nicely whenever you do make the transition.

Hi J. - As you know, toddler beds have a safety guard on the side. And if not, they are sold separately. My daughter would lay there after she woke up and that was okay. Sometimes she still does that. So my advice is: get the bed because Maya just might love it! Then you can catch up on sleep you have lost or even just lay there and get up when you want to.