When do you move from a crib to a toddler bed?

Question

My daughter is turning 2 on Halloween and still loves her crib. We haven't even moved it down from the high level yet. She hasn't tried to get out of it, though easily could if she wanted to. She's a great sleeper and I don't want to disrupt that, but I also don't want her to stay in a crib forever. Advice?

Answer 1

My son will turn 3 in January and he is still in a crib. On his birthday we will move him to a regular bed.
I don't think there is a correct answer here. Each child is different. The important thing is that she is a great sleeper and the transition should not affect her sleep at all.

Answer 2

I read a book once that recommended leaving them in their crib until they were 3 if they weren't trying to get out of it. I'd move your daughter's crib to the lowest level, just in case she wakes up some night and decides to be adventurous. We moved our oldest daughter from her crib to a toddler bed when she was 16 months or somewhere in that neighborhood. I am pregnant right now and I think I will keep this baby in the crib longer, at least until 18 months. Really there is no correct age to make the change. As long as your daughter is happy, you can stick with what works. Is it possible to remove the side rail from the crib to make it into a toddler bed? She might be okay with that and it would ease the transition out of the crib.

Answer 3

She'll get to a point when you say she's just getting too big. It doesn't look right (usually around 2 or 3). Toddler beds have the same size mattress as a crib, but will incorporate a safety rail. Make it a fun "big girl" thing -- no problem. At the age she moves, you should be comfortable with the idea that she may get out of bed and move around her room or the house without your knowledge.

Answer 4

My daughter just turned two at the end of September, she is still in a crib. I do have it at the lowest level though. She is happy in it, so I have no plans to move her yet. Like others have said, I wouldn't waste money on a toddler bed. I would wait a while and move her straight into a regular bed. That's what I'm planning to do, though maybe not for a year or so.
Even if you wait another year, in the grand scheme of things that isn't that long. It may seem like forever, but it isn't.

Answer 5

she will soon be too heavy to sleep in the crib- put up the toddler bed but don't take down the crib, have her "test drive" the toddler bed during naps first and play it up real big that this is a bed for BIG girls only, and cribs are for babies. Maybe she will make the transition on her own- Good luck

Answer 6

When my son was about one and a half, I moved the crib down to the lowest level, removed one railing and purchased the bed guard and he thinks it is the greatest thing. For Christmas this year, I am getting him a toddler bed to sleep in and he'll be 2 and a half. You could try talking with your daughter and showing her toddler beds and see if she would feel comfortable in one. Otherwise, let her make the decision. When she is ready, she'll let you know.

Answer 7

I agree, lower the crib ASAP. We started the transition to the big boy bed due to a second child on the way. We needed to switch his bedroom as well as his bed. We gradually introduced him to his big boy bed with nap time and then made the switch within one month. He was bumping into the sides of the crib in his rolling around before the switch so he really liked have the larger space. It might have also helped that he had naps in different beds at the sitter's and grandparents houses.

Answer 8

Well, I'd like to say that you shouldn't take any ones advice as gospel, including mine! It depends on the child, the age doesn't necessarily have anything to do with it. We moved our daughter out of her crib on her second birthday, kind of a birthday reward, just because I thought it was time, although she wasn't trying to climb out. On the other hand, our son was trying to climb out at about 10 months, so on his first birthday we moved him to a bed. If your daughter is doing well, sleeping well, there's no reason to rush her out of the crib, unless it's your gut feeling that it's the right time for her. By the way, if she's potty training or about to be potty trained, or anything else BIG is happening in her life, you may want to wait, as to not stress her out.

Answer 9

Personally I think that toddler beds are a waste of money. I put my two boys straight from crib to regular full size beds. I would not bother with a toddler bed unless she has a convertible crib. Otherwise just do a gradual transition. You can even by rails/bumpers to put on her new bed for extra security. 2 is not two old to be in a crib. It depends on her weight.

Answer 10

Lower the mattress in the meantime before she falls out on her head .They all try climbing sooner or later .At age two she's ready for a bed if she's potty trained . A crib mattress isn't so great once they reach a certain size ;then they are ready for a regular bed . Get one with a guard-rail if you are worried about accidents .

Answer 11

I have two boys, now 4 and six. My oldest moved to a standard twin bed at 2 yrs and 4 months, because his brother needed the crib. He had no transition issues whatsoever. In fact, he loved the idea of sleeping in a "big boy" bed. My youngest recently moved to a twin bed at the age of 4. We waited longer because we were able to remove one side of the crib to make it a daybed. he had some bed wetting issues that stopped immediately after he moved to a "big boy" bed (hmmmm???).

Based on my experience, they are ready at about 2 years old. I think the longer you wait, the longer they will consider themselves a "baby".

Good luck!