Is a one year old too young for a bed or should she stay in a crib..please read details.?

Question

I borrowed a crib from my sister and she is now pregnant (yippie!) so obviously I need to give her back the stuff she lent me. The only worry I have is about the crib. My daughter will be one year old when she delivers-she is 5 months now. Is she too young to go in a toddler bed? It seems a waste of money to get a crib if she will only sleep in it for a few months but I want my daughter safe.

So, should I...
1. get a new crib now and change her over?

2. keep her in her crib until my sister has her babe and then change her to a new crib?

3. keep her in her crib until my sister has her babe and then put her in a bed?

4.other?

Answer 1

They make toddler beds in which a crib mattress fits in. These beds have side rails that help keep them from falling out...most of the time. By the time your daughter is about a year, she should be experimenting with how to climb out of the bed...all three of mine did. Putting her in a "big girl" bed before she masters this feat will help prevent head injuries and/or other injuries.
You might have to set up the bed in her room about a month or so before she has to get rid of the "baby bed". If you get one with a theme or character that she likes/loves it will really help.
You might want to have her start napping in her "big girl" bed at first and slowly start introducing the bed for bed time. It will be an adjustment for her....and for you, but it will be easier when she is younger than when she is much older!

Here is a link for some really cute toddler beds....and they are not that expensive either! http://www.walmart.com/catalog/catalog.gsp?cat=164204&adid=1500000000000003060350

Answer 2

I think one year old is too young for a toddler bed because they still move around so much when they are sleeping. My son is 15 months and whenever I go look in on him he is in a different position and all over the bed--I know if he wasn't in a crib, he'd end up on the floor a couple of times each night.

I'd suggest you take the next few months and scan the classified ads for someone selling a decent for a decent price. That way it won't cost you so much to get a new crib and you can wait for a good deal since you still have few months before you have to let your sister have her crib back.

Around two years of age I think your daughter will be ready for a toddler bed. Someone else on here may know better then me on that though.

So, I guess to make that long explanation short--I'd pick choce #4--keep her in a crib but try to find a good cheap used one.

Good luck!

Answer 3

I would recommend a new crib for your daughter and I would just make the switch now. My daughters were all in a crib until 2, I didn't want to worry about them getting out of bed and wandering around the house and getting hurt. (They all have a tendency to not go right to sleep and wake up very early for a bit before going back to sleep!) I would suggest getting your own crib, there are plenty of options so that you would not have to purchase a brand new one. Try some local consignment shops or check out the website www.craigslist.org to see if it's in your city. There is a section for baby/kids stuff and there are always cribs for sale.

My husband and I were also never fans of the toddler bed, we went straight to big beds for our girls. It seemed like one less thing we had to purchase so we let the girls sleep in the crib until 2 (2 1/2) and then transferred them over to the big girl bed with a safety rail.

Answer 4

My daughter hated her crib so when we moved we put her in a toddler bed. She does fine and she loves it. Just get a toddler bed that has the small sides to make sure she doesn't fall out. Oh BTW... my daughter was 1 at the end of June and we moved in the middle of October. I think she will be fine.

Answer 5

It does depend some on the child. Some may be ready for a bed at 1, others not until later. I know it sucks being unsure, but I'd say wait until closer to your sister's due date and make a decision then. Most likely though you'll need a new crib.

Answer 6

Well, I may not answer you, but, this how mine went down. I made a nice Crib for my son. We would lay him in it through the day when he crash. Most times he sleep between us or on a blanket in the floor where he not get stepped on. The crib turned toy box. I was always concerned about SIDS and wanted to keep a close eye on him. Actually one night, as he lay between us, I think he may have stopped breathing. I just moved him around and he started back, that was the only time it happened. Up to about 18 months this was about how it went. Then we started putting him on a mattress in the floor, if, he rolled off it not a far fall. By, two it was regular bed and a room of his own.

Answer 7

Consider getting a crib that converts to a toddler bed, and since you have 5 months, check the second hand stores and try to get a good deal.

Answer 8

It will really depend on your child. My son got so sick of being caged in his crib when he was only 10 months old, and I got sick of getting up with him every 1 1/2 hours or so to calm him down enough to go back to sleep. Our solution was to just put his mattress on the floor. He is now 13 months old and loves it. He can play with his toys and go to sleep when he is ready. You would just need to put a gate on the door and make sure your daughter can't hurt herself on anything. In case our son does decide to roll around a lot at night we have a body pillow on the side of the mattress.

Answer 9

She's way too young for a toddler bed now and even 1 year is too young in my opinion - give back the crib when you get yourself a new one now.

Answer 10

I would just buy one of those cribs where you can change it to a toddler bed that way you aren't out of any money. She has a bed now and a toddler bed later.