how do i know when my 18 month old will be ready for a toddler bed?

Question

hes ALWAYS slept in his crib and now we're having our other baby soon and we'll need the crib in the next year. he'll probably be around 2 years old is this good and how do you work the transtition?

Answer 1

he is old enough for a toddler bed

Answer 2

Your toddler will be "ready" for a bed when you tell him he's ready. You have a new baby coming and you need the crib! When you're ready to transition into the toddler bed, just do it. I'd do it a month or two before your new babe's set to arrive. I wouldn't do any "phasing"...go cold turkey. "Phasing" allows the toddler to still hang onto the comfortability of the crib (example..."phasing" from bottle to sippy cup).

I was 8 months pregnant when our 15 month old son had skull surgery. He was crawling out of his crib ever since the week-long hospital stay and we were worried he'd pop his stitches. So, he went right from his crib into his awaiting queen-sized bed (no rails or anything). You don't get much more "high-stress" than having skull surgery, then getting a new kid sister three weeks later and the kid adjusted just fine.

His sister is now 19 months old and I'm about ready to put her in a big bed soon.

I'm not saying withhold praise or kudos for sleeping in a big boy bed...DO THAT! But, I have a problem with every EXPECTED developmental milestone becoming a huge emotionally-charged crisis that is accompanied by a huge party and/or expensive merchandise.

Best of luck!

Answer 3

I'm not a parent, but I have many years of nanny experience. The one thing that I can suggest is to set up the toddler bed near the crib. He will become interested very quickly...as far as sleeping in it right away that will take a while, so the sooner he is introduced to it the better. Spend some time in the new bed..maybe reading stories with him in the bed. As far as if he is 'ready' you should judge if he is able to crawl up into and down from the bed with ease. If not a small step stool is just the right height. One of the children I nannied started a toddler bed at this age..and while it took him a few weeks to adjust to sleeping and staying in a 'big boy' bed, I think he realized that the bed was much more comfortable than the floor (where he would usually end up). Good Luck!

Answer 4

as soon as little one can climb up in a cot it should be time for a toddlerbed. we bought 2 of the tomy folding bed rails these really helped, as it made ours feel like the were still enclosed in the saftey of a cot, not to mention the fact they stopped them falling out of bed too.
Moving to a big boy bed can be stressful we found that these things eased the transition a bit.
let her be involved in picking out the new bed and if possible, let her pick out some new bedding with her favorite characters on it and then put these on her new bed.

put the new bed in her room for a while to help her get used to it.

start letting her take her daytime naps in the toddler bed.

take as many things from her crib and continue to use them in her bed, she will feel more comfortable and relaxed.

if you can put the new bed into the position in the room that her crib was inthis will make it feel more familiar.

Another helpful tip for giving up something like a crib or bottle, etc. is making a big deal about how the 'baby' needs the 'baby bed' now, and as a 'big girl', she is supposed to give them to the baby and move to her 'big girl' bed. This can backfire though if it makes her resent having to give the things away.

Moving to a toddler bed is a big milestone for most children and it can be stressful for them. Be sure to give her extra attention during this transition and try and stick to your bedtime routine so that you don't create any new sleep problems.

If she is really resistant to sleeping in her new bed and getting rid of her crib, then as long as she isn't climbing out of it, you can wait a while and try again. Keep talking about it and only let her nap in the bed.

If you have to get her moved to a toddler bed, either because you did need the crib for a new baby putting it away may make it less of a reminder. at least until it is needed.

hope this helps.

Answer 5

Don't know if this will help, but it worked for me. Set the "big boy bed" up in his room, but leave the crib in there too if you can. Before bed at night, lay with him in the big bed and read stories, then put him in the crib to sleep. After a few nights of this, my son said "I want to sleep in the big bed", I tucked him in and haven't looked back. Took the crib out about a week later. It was totally his decision, he was a little older, about 24 months.
Hope it helps!

Answer 6

We had the same situation and the same timing.

Daycare actually moved our daughter from a crib to a bed. (She goes to a home daycare, and one day the provider put her in her daughter's bed instead of in a crib.) She thought that was AWESOME, so the provider just kept doing it. And as soon as we learned that's what was up, we moved her to a bed, too.

We made her a special, big girl (twin) bed. (We put rails on it, so she wouldn't roll out!) We just asked her one night if she wanted to sleep there. She said yes, and she never looked back.

Our younger daughter, though is 18 months and a total wanderer/climber. I know we can't keep her in her crib for much longer, but I'm dreading moving her to a bed! :)

Baby gate, baby gate, baby gate!

Answer 7

We just switched it. Matter of fact, just this last weekend.

Our daughter is 17 months. We did it because she had begun playing "monkey girl" and trying to climb out of the crib.

She did rather well. She remains in bed, but does enjoy the fact that if she wakes up in the middle of the night and wants mommy and daddy, she can wander into our room and wake us up, as opposed to sitting in her bed and hoping that we wake up and come to get her. There was no fight at bed time about her remaining in her bed. But we made it a very special thing, and redid her bedroom and bought toddler bedding that she chose. I know that she is only 17 months, but the big production seemed to help - she now spends a lot of time playing in her room, where she used to spend all her time dragging her toys all over the house. . .

Good luck!

Answer 8

Do it well before the new baby comes. I don't think the transition will be hard if you get one of those little toddler beds with the sides and that are low to the floor. They don't cost much and probably aren't worth much, but I think they are fine for the transition. Take him shopping with you and pick one out together--like Cars or one of the current kid's character beds. Make a big deal out of it. Good luck and congrats on the new addition.

Answer 9

Like a previous answerer said, do it quite a bit before the new baby so your son doesn't feel like the baby took his bed. I would just go to a twin bed. In my opinion, the toddler beds are a waste of money. They outgrow them quickly. Make sure to get bed rails so he doesn't fall out. Make a big deal out the fact that it is his "big boy bed".

Answer 10

my son actually skipped the toddler bed altogether and went straight to a twin bed when he was about that age. i started him off with just the mattress on the floor with some fun elmo sheets and blankets and he was super excited about it. i explained about a big boy bed and he was nervous at first but that was why i put him on the floor, so if he fell, he wouldn't go very far. once he was comfortable with the new bed, i went ahead and assembled the whole bed and he was very excited!! they have little railings at target or babies r us or wherever that will help keep him in the bed until he's comfortable. it'll be easier than you think. just don't rush him and everything will be fine.

Answer 11

when he starts to pull himself over the top of the crib time for a toddler bed.you dont want him falling, hard lesson learned here.our son is ok but he bumped his head pretty good.