Switching to toddler bed?

Question

At what age did you switch your toddler from a crib to a toddler bed and how did you go about doing it? My son is 22 months and to me, he doesnt seem ready to be out of the crib. Everyone keeps telling us that when our baby comes in July, we should have our son in a toddler bed but Im not sure what signs to look for to show he is ready. Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Answer 1

The crib is the safest place for your child. However, he is close. I'd either transition him now and make the crib disappear completely until July or buy him a brand new crib that converts to a toddler bed and then a full size bed for when he's older--that way you only need to buy one. Then, give the baby his old crib and they can both have cribs and your son will be able to transition when he's ready. Signs that he is ready is that he doesn't cry when you put him to bed, stays in the crib and doesn't climb out. If he's a climber, put him in the toddler bed. The crib is much safer for him than if he were roaming around his room at night. Either way, make sure to transition now--with either a toddler bed or a new crib so that you can put the old one away for a few months until baby comes. He'll be jealous of the new baby and if he sees the baby with "his" crib, he's going to be upset. The less time your son has with the crib before the baby is born, the better off he'll be. Good luck!

Answer 2

When you feel son is ready> with your baby coming in july< i wouldn"t rush your son into a new bed because it could cause resentment to the new baby> if he isn:t climbing out i wouldn:t worry about him being in a crib> take him to the store and see if he is interested in any of the toddler beds (or save money and just go to twin with rail)> also look into a converible crib for child two> that way when your son is ready for a toddler bed you can just convet the one crib into a bed (this is what i ended up doing for my oldest when the second came)> also if you want to give your son more time in the crib but don:t want to buy a second one use a playpen< the one"s with bassenet feautres are helpful so you don"t have to bend as far down

Answer 3

You need to use your own intuition. If you feel your son is not ready then you should give him more time. When I first made the transition from baby bed to toddler my son was 2 1/2 years old. By that time he could climb out of his crib with the rail as high as it could go. But I found that once you make that transition that there are some drawbacks. Like a toddler is low to the floor in case your littleone falls, but in the winter time the bed could be really cold.

Answer 4

I never put my 3 year old in a toddler bed. He was 18 months old when he went into a twin sized bed, rolled out of it twice and learned not to get that close to the edge. As for my 2 year old. She went into a toddler bed for about 2 months when she was 18 months old {and the only reason I put her in a toddler bed was so she would have motivation to start walking}. And then I put her in a twin size bed. But if you want to keep your son in the crib you can its your decision. But the older they get the more a crib becomes just like a bottle or a pacifier.

Answer 5

My son was out of his crib by 1 1/2 years. He had bed rails for about a year. He loved his bed but the only problem was it was easy for him to get in and out of bed whenever he wanted. I'm sure you'll know when it's time but having a baby soon, you should free up the crib to get ready for the newcomer!!

Answer 6

I wouldn't rush it, if he's happy in a crib. Consider buying or borrowing a 2nd crib for your new baby. I kept my kids in cribs until they were at least 3. They loved them, so why move them if they're happy?

Also - I wouldn't invest in a toddler bed - its a waste of money. They're about the same size as a crib mattress, so they outgrow them quickly. Its better to just move them to a regular bed when they're ready.

Answer 7

He's ready for a toddler bed. My 3 were in toddler beds by age 2. It's low enough to the ground that they won't be hurt should they roll off, but chances are, he'll be fine. There really aren't signs for this one. It's more a trial and error kinda thing. I'm sure he'd love it, and if you include him in picking it out, and picking out sheets and blankets, it will make it seem more like HIS. Sounds like you might be more nervous than he is. I promise he'll do fine.

Answer 8

lol, my daughter was climbing out of her crib before we put her in a regular bed. She was about 3. She stayed in the crib so long because we couldn't afford to buy a regular bed set until then. Didn't hurt her a bit. Don't let anyone set a timetable for you. You know best.

Answer 9

I switched my son from a crib to a regular bed when he was two. We went shopping for a bed together and he helped to choose his bed. I also made sure to buy bedsheets with pictures he liked, like Finding Nemo.

Answer 10

We switched our son to a twin bed. We just put the boxspring and mattress directly on the floor and bought bed rails. It worked really well because he was still low to the ground (liek a toddler bed) but he has a large bed he can use indefinately!