How old is too old for a child to be in a crib?

Question

My son will be 3 in April, he still sleeps in his crib. He tried climbing out once when he was 2 and hasn't done it since. I don't want to baby him, but feel he is safe in his crib and since he doesn't try to climb out maybe it would be best to keep him in there a bit longer.

Answer 1

As long as he's comfortable I'd LET HIM STAY there. Especially if he stays there.

I've had three children who slept nicely in a crib have trouble sleeping without the comfort of the walls. Admittedly they are wild sleepers and would and do fall out of bed and cry.

I just put the gate down so they could get in and out on thier own as they get to coming out on thier own. I think by 4 the child will be way big for a crib, but at 3 still fits nicely.

PS I've got a near 2 year old who has been put back in teh crib and is quite happy. He can stay there until someone else needs the crib in my opinion. The previous child kicked out at 2.5 to accomodate this one,and would crawl back in for naps for some time after the transfer.

Answer 2

As long as he is not climbing out of the crib, then I would not worry too much about it.

Every child is different, and if he is happy in the crib, and you are happy with it, then keep things as is.

My daughter moved from the crib to a toddler bed when she was 1 1/2 years old. But, she hated the crib, even as a newborn. For her, she liked the toddler bed much better.

Answer 3

you really only need to switch him to a toddler bed when he climbs out of the crib... a good idea is instead of buying a seperate toddler bed which would be a huge shock to him since he is so comfortable with his crib, buy one of those cribs that convert to toddler beds then big boy beds. the convert is easy and it keeps the bed the same other than that front part- you just take it off and put 2 railings to prevent them from falling out. it will keep him comfortable feeling with the crib still surrounding him, but you don't have to worry about them falling out when climbing out of the crib when he gets around to that. But for the meantime, he is perfectly fine in his crib.

Answer 4

i think you should put him him toddler bed(this why we have toddler bed) If start to climb out he will climb out of there on one of this day.. anything over 3 is too old for your kid..
Your child need to get use not having crib...

You can buy the things on side so he doesn't fall off the bed.. ( you seem like you saving a lot of money to not buy bed for him).. He going to grow out of it..
Usally by the age of 2 you should not be using crib...
and you need to make him understand that he big boy now and he can sleep in own bed not crib...

Answer 5

4

Answer 6

If your son is happy and you can sleep well at night knowing he is safe there is no harm. I had no choice when my daughter turned two she started to climb ut of her crib, so for safety reasons I bought a toddler bed and she seems to be really proud of her big girl bed. The transition was fairly smooth although she does wake up sometimes and jump in bed with me but that isn't too often. I dont think there is a specific age it is more of a safety issue for parents when transitioning from crib to bed.

Answer 7

It is really up to you and your child. Doctors recommend that when your child starts consistently getting out of their crib on their own, that it is time to get a toddler bed. This is because of the risk of injury from falling from the top of the crib. Most children move out of their crib between the ages of 2 and 3 years old to a toddler bed. Toddler beds are just right for a child who has spent the first years in a crib, who likes the security of a small, child-sized mattress and still needs the edges provided by bumpers or rails. There are some great little toddler beds that are sold at Toys R Us that are low to the ground, have half rails on the sides and take the crib size mattress. To make yourself feel safer about having him able to get out whenever he wants, you can purchase a door alarm from First Response (about $15 for 4 sets) to put on the frame of his doorway at night to alert you if he gets out of his room. Both of my children received toddler beds for their 2 year birthdays, and both have been fine sleeping in their own "big girl" beds. As I said, it is mostly a personal choice as to when your child moves to a "big kid" bed, but a transition to a toddler bed isn't quite as bad.

Answer 8

Truthfully, i wish my twins were still in cribs!! But, they were climbing out all the time and i was afraid they would fall or get hurt. If your son isnt climbing out, i don't think it hurts any to be in there for a bit. Thats up to you. I don't know what to old would really be. Good luck!

Answer 9

It depends on the child a great deal. Our son turned two in October and we've been debating. He doesn't generally sleep through the night and goes through spurts where he absolutely refuses to get in his crib (otherwise he's agreeable).

We were concerned that a regular bed would be a disaster! A few nights ago he fell asleep on our guest bed. We put pillows on the floor for extra security and let him sleep there. He cried for me once, but didn't get up (shocking!) and sleeps like a little log all through the night! He loves it and last night he kicked me out saying, "night night Mommy - BYE BYE!" - as in "get out" :-)

A toddler bed is a cheap transition, but at three I think he's ready for a big-boy bed! Try it out on a guest bed and see what happens.

Answer 10

It's never a good idea to hold a kid back and try to baby them. There is no need for a crib at this age - cribs are just to protect babies so they don't fall out of bed. Get your son a regular twin bed - don't waste money on a toddler bed he'll quickly outgrow - and get one of those bed rails to make sure he doesn't fall out of bed until he's used to it. You may also feel more comfortable putting a baby gate in the hall outside his door if there are stairs there, for example - just so you know he's safe.

My son moved to a twin bed at 2 1/2, and we're getting our daughter one for her 2nd birthday this spring.