When is a good time to go to a big boy/girl bed?

Question

I have 19mth old twins. We were out of town this weekend and my daughter started climbing out of the pack n play. I'm afraid she's going to do this in her crib and her brother will follow and get hurt. For saftey alone I should do the big girl/boy bed but I think it's too soon. Any advice? Thanks

Answer 1

Well.... go to child sized bed. It uses the same materess that was in the crib... but it is usually shorter and nearer to the ground should they fall out or climb out. Less chance for injury. Also, since they might be getting out of bed durnign the night to go to the potty it is easier for them to get out and back in if they need to go. Make a twin sized bed an incentive for potty training. Only big girls or big boys get big kid beds.

Answer 2

My daughter went from the crib at about 14-16 mos to a big girl bed (was the top bunk bed with the rails on it taken down as a regular twin bed and my son who was a year and a half older got the bottom bed with no rails) and my son left the crib to a toddler bed and from the toddler bed to the bunk beds taken down. If you are concerned about protecting them from being injured by falling a toddler bed should work fine for each of them until they are about 3-4 and then you could look to get them a big kids bed. They have cheap toddler beds at Wal-Mart and some at Ikea if you can find them but you have to put them together.

Answer 3

Going to a bigger bed is hard, cause they can just get up instead of going to sleep, but it sounds like they may do that anyway and the crib actually creates a hazard. We put our son in a toddler bed right after his first birthday. We were moving overseas and didn't know what storage we would have and thought bringing the crib for a few months was wasteful of our space. (We're tight on money) He fell out a few times, but they're low to the ground and no harm done, just scary for them. Needed to go in and reassure him that he was OK and mommy was there. He did great in it all in all and at 2 yrs old is actual in a Queen bed (story behind that, did not intend it, but it happened and he LOVES his big bed) Now we can lay with him and read him stories.I would think maybe twins would enjoy having a a bigger bed they can share. They make big beds that are really low to the ground. Both kids can sleep and room for mommy on tough nights! You can lay with them without teaching them to sleep in your bed every night. Whatever you decide I think it will be just fine. Best of Luck!

Answer 4

If they are big enough to climb out of the crib then it's time to go for a bed, put the rails on the sides -which most come with- keep the baby monitor on in their rooms so you know when they have decided it's time to get up and they are not wondering around the house.

Answer 5

my son was climbing out at 1 1/2 years but we didn't go to a bed until 2 1/2 years. He climbed out so well that we didn't worry about him getting hurt. My daughter is almost 3 and still in a crib and has never tried to climb out but I think this spring she will move to a bed since she likes jumping on her brothers.

Answer 6

In all the parenting books/ websites it says that when a baby climbs out of a crib, it's time for a toddler bed. However, you also need to see HOW they are getting out of the crib. If by some chance you have pillows in there that they are using to help them out, maybe try taking them out if you really don't want to have them out of the bed yet. You also have to think which is safer: sleeping in a toddler bed they can easily get out of or sleeping in a crib that is much hard to get out of, but they can also hurt themselves MORE falling out of. You should weigh your options and DEFINITELY make sure the room is baby proofed completely because while you are sleeping, they can and probably will get into everything. You can also invest in the mesh bed rails for a toddler bed to help them from falling out in the night, although toddler beds are usually much closer to the ground than regular beds.

One other thing that may seem a bit weird. I know LOTS of people who felt more comfortable trying to "teach" their child to not roll off their toddler beds by placing a mattress on the floor and letting them sleep there for a while. If they fall off, it doesn't hurt b/c it's about 6 inches off the ground, but it does "shock" them when they fall in their sleep...even those small inches. That will help them to "feel" the edge of the bed in safety. After a few weeks, you can move them to a toddler bed.

Answer 7

19 months is old enough. When I found out I was pregnant with #2, our dr. said 18 months was fine to move our daughter into a big girl bed (didn't even bother with a toddler bed). We just put up rails. But even without the rails we could have just put pillows around the bed in case she fell out. Usually, according to our dr., after a few nights you don't even have to worry about them falling out. It took her a couple of nights to get used to the bed. The first successful "sleep" occurred during nap time. You do want to make extra sure that their rooms are baby proof since they'll be able to get out of bed by themselves and may be in their room unsupervised. Also, be sure to use baby gates etc. Nothing scarier than a toddler toddling around the house by themselves in the middle of the night.

Answer 8

I would look for a toddler bed that has railings or a short wall with a small opening towards the foot of the bed. If you get the "L" shaped trundle bed, the top bed opens over the other for safety.

If you are looking to this with the thought of another baby (LOL) being on the way, it is best to get the older siblings used to the new beds before the arrival of the new baby. That way the new baby is not "stealing" their bed.

Answer 9

You should go to a toddler bed. My son was about that age when he climbed out of his crib and bumped his head pretty bad. You can even you use the same mattress.

Answer 10

If they can climb out of the crib, you pretty much have to move them to bigger beds. The only thing you can try is one of those crib tents. It's made of net and ties to the top of the crib, it's supposed to help keep them in. Good luck!