27 Month Old Too Young for a Toddler Bed?

My son (just shy of 18th months old) has been sleeping on a mattress on the floor since he was about 10 months old. We love it

If she can climb out, she can be in a big bed. Lots of kids are in big bed earlier than this. I personally skipped the toddler bed and got a twin with the rails you put on the side to keep from falling out. The rails make them feel contained a little. A twin bed means less money spent on different beds, and I just put the mattresses on the floor til he gets a little bigger. I will get a bed frame when he can climb up easier. Til then I'll just keep them on the floor. I didn't want to move mine either, but when they are ready, they're ready. She will look tiny in it, but that doesn't mean she can't sleep in it.

If you can't use a crib tent to keep her in, what about leaving the side down so she can easily get out without the danger of falling?
If you do ditch the crib, I'd skip the toddler bed. I never knew that the rails you can buy cannot be used safely on toddler beds. I'd just get a twin and rails. You might consider gating her door to prevent night time wandering....

Have you thought about getting a crib tent? I have 27 month old b/g twins and I'm going to keep them in their cribs as long as I can. My son started trying to climb out around 18 months. It was at that time, and with the advice of a plethora of twin moms, that I decided to put crib tents in both my little ones' cribs. No matter how well your house might be child-proofed, it's never 100%; and you do not know what your little one might get in to. I prefer to err on the side of safety and know that my little one is not wandering around the house at night whilst I'm sleeping. That's just my two cents.

My daughter is 19 months old, and she's sleep great in her toddler bed. She's been sleeping in it for a couple of months now. She loves it.

I moved my son out of the crib at 27 months. For many reasons. One because he was already climbing out at 19 months. I found out I was pregnant on his second bday. So we needed the crib in 9 months and I wanted to get the crib out of site for a wihle before the baby arrived. I still kick myself (my husbands) for not moving our son to a bed sooner. One day I went to check on him during a nap and he threw a pillow over and as I walked in the room, I watched him in mid air fall right on to the top of his head first. I thought he broke his neck. Affter I cried for 2 hours wondering if my son was seriously injured himself, my husband finally put his ned bed up. It was just so hard because he was only home 2 days a week as he was traveling 5 days every week for work Ugh! I still have nightmares watching my son fall out. He was fine. Phew! We got him a boyish like wood daybed with a trundle. The first few weeks we pulled the trundle out in the event he rolled out. He never did. My now 20 month old hasn't showed signs yet of climbing out but Im more then ready to put him in a bed the second he does after watching my first child. You can also get a crib tent. They have them through amazon. We tried that with my second child but because of the design of his cribthey don't work at all. He has a sleigh crib with uneven front and back to it and the railings are way too thick around for the staps to be be attach. as and FYI. Hope that helps you make your decision. Our crib converts to a double bed only and we didn't convert it because I need it for my second son when he was born. However, it will be converted the second i see his leg starting to go over. bitting my nails. OH something I did when i moved my first son to a bed was put a baby gate at the foot of his door when he was sleeping so he couldnt' walk around the house at night.. However he was too smart and learned to unlock it on his own. Good luck.

SAHM, 41yrs old with two funny little boys that take my breathe away. 4yrs and 20 mos Was walking at 7 months. I move at the speed of light.

only you know your child. You know when the time is right. We switched our son to a toddler bed the second day he climbed out. I figured it was much safer.

Not too young. My daughter went into her toddler bed at 20 months.

You're right, safety comes first. Once she is climbing out in the dark, you need to make the switch. My 28 month old just moved into the bottom bunk of a bunk bed due to new baby needing the crib, so it can be done safely. You'll still have climb out nights,probably alot at first as she realizes she's not contained, but at least she won't fall and break an arm.

The first day I saw my daughter start to climb out of her crib, we moved her to a toddler bed (she was at 19 months 20 lbs). She loves it. It is not safe to let a toddler continue to climb out of a crib. Why do you think its too early to move her to a toddler bed? Obviously the crib is not containing her and its dangerous.

My son was 13 mths when he was put in a toddler bed. He was biting on the crib rail and i read of other moms who already put them in a toddler bed. It has worked very well and he was happy to be able to get in and out of his big boy bed! We made sure everything was very well baby-proofed in his room and we put up a gate when he sleeps so he can't leave his room on his own because he has been opening doors to outside since 14 mths old! Hope this helps!!

I would switch her to the big girl bed. You may have to do a lot more trips returning her to bed, but especially since she is small, I would get her out of the crib before she gets hurt. Our son moved out of his crib when he turned 2.

you answered your own question - she's climbing out anyway, which is dangerous. go for the toddler bed. twin bed if you prefer, we went with a toddler bed we found on craigslist for super cheap, and used the same mattress from the crib. all the same bedding as the crib too so it was cheaper for us in the short run. we were able to put off spending so much on a whole new setup, for the time being! and his fancy "firetruck bed" is mostly enclosed except for one smallish opening on either side to climb in and out of, so it still has that cozy feeling like a crib. i think it made the transition easier for him.

My girls went from the crib to a toddler bed at around 18 months because they each figured out how to climb out of the crib around that age. Especially if she is small, you would get a lot of use out of a toddler bed, I think. My older daughter (who is super tall for her age) was in the toddler bed from 18 months until about 3 years old. My younger daughter slept in it from 18 months until 4.5 years old (she is tiny for her age). All told, we used that toddler bed longer than we used the crib! I liked it because they didn't have to struggle to climb up into it, like they would have with a twin bed, and I didn't have to buy any new bedding for it. Also, at around 2 years old, they started to want to make their bed (just like I make my "big bed" every day) - and they could easily do that with a toddler bed. No matter what, with potty training they can't really be in a crib anymore - if you're not potty training yet, I'm sure you will be soon, so that is something else to consider.

Each kid is going to be different. It sounds to me like she is showing signs of being ready. And like the other mommies are saying, you dont have to go straight from crib to big bed. Try a mattress, a small toddler bed, or if your crib is convertible try the half rail. All sound safer than her scaling the crib sides. It make take a few attempts to figure out what will work.

My daughter had to move out of the crib at 18 months because of baby on the way. She LOVED her big girl bed! We went straight to twin. We made the biggest deal out of it; inviting family over to see it, getting her pretty sheets, etc. She also never used a side rail, she just sorta got it right away. My son at nearly 2 starting to stand in his crib and just down right scream to get out at odd hours of the night. In sheer desperation one night we took his crib mattress tossed it on the floor and ta-da, he started to sleep through the night. Occassionally he would toddle into our room at night, but it was a sort of sleep walk-just to check on you mom and dad kind of thing, and we would show him back to bed with no fight. He slept on the mattress until just over 2 years when we celebrated by taking him shopping for a big bed.

I hope these examples help to show you that age, bed size, and timing can vary but most likely, just as in many other stages in their little lives, kids'll tell you when they are ready. Best of luck mommy.

Not too young. I put my daughter in one at 14 months and never looked back...She did great!

Good luck!

When they start climbing out of the baby bed, it's time for the toddler bed. My youngest was 19 months when we put her in a toddler bed...and my daughter is and was tiny...and was below 20 pounds....so don't worry...and make the bed something fun for her...

You are right, it is very dangerous for her climb out of her crib. It is time to put her in a big girl bed.
And if you aren't ready for a twin, a toddler bed is great because it is still small enough to let her feel cozy in it AND you can use her crib mattress which will probably make her feel like it's still her space. Let her see you move the mattress to her new big girl bed. Also you can use the same sheets as your crib (so no buying new sheets) and just put a pretty blanket on it, or have grandma or an aunt make one for her so it's really special.
A toddler bed will run you anywhere from $80 to $200 and if you consider not having to buy a mattress and new sheets, it's really not bad. Not to mention it takes up way less space in the bedroom.
It sounds like you already have one from your older daughter so the decision you have to make may be to get another toddler bed (you could always look on craigslist for one) or move your older daughter up to a twin.
Good luck.

I was trying to keep my son in his crib until 3 but then he started climbing out around the same age as your daughter. We tried putting the side down so he wouldn't fall out but he would just climb out over the end of the crib instead so when I caught him doing that we moved him to a toddler bed. You can get a toddler bed for like $50 so it's really not a big expense since he's now 4 and still using it. He had a small room & I liked the idea that it was closer to the ground and easier for him to get in and out of. My guy is little but he adjusted well and still loves his Lightning McQueen bed.

I put my boys in toddler bed when they were 24mo because they were climbing out and I was afraid they would hurt themselves. I made sure their room was extra-extra childproof and the baby gate was up each night. Personally, I'd rather have them in a toddler bed than have them fall out of a crib.

If they are climbing out they are past the time to switch them. Just because she's small doesn't mean she not developmentally ready. Her room should be a safe haven for her on any day so if she does get out of the bed she should be safe. If she wants out she is going to get out. Try doing something to keep her in her room, like a gate, we used a peice of wood, MDF?, it was smooth and he couldn't get a foothold to climb over. I put one side behind the chest and the other side in the groove between the open door and the door frame. I could slide it over behind the chest easily but he couldn't. I also used my baby monitor so I could hear if he was up.

I remember the day I finally realized that J had gotten past that stage where I could pop him in the crib or playpen and I could clean house or take a break from running from one end of the house to the other cleaning up messes . I was so sad, but just for a moment. It's a natural progression.

I ususally move my kids to a toddler bed around 18 months. I started out at nap time then moved on to nights when they were sleeping okay.

Not too young at all, but I would highly reccomend skipping the toddler bed and getting a twin. A toddler bed is mostly a marketing gimmick, as a new mattress lasts for 10 years, but you'll only get 2-3 years out of a toddler bed and have to buy a twin/full anyway. Not to mention new sheets/etc.

You just start out with a twin or full by putting the mattress on the floor, then adding the box spring, then adding the frame. Going the extra safe route and buying a railing is also about 10-100x cheaper than a toddler bed.

I have my kids in toddler beds @ 2 yrs of age never been an issue.

I would ask her what she thinks, and let her choose.

I put mine in the toddler bed when they were two. And I agree with on eof the other moms, if you don't already have a toddler bed, just get a twin mattress and put it on the floor. Toddler beds are a waste of money because she will be out of it sooner than you think. However if you want to keep her in her crib safely you should buy a crib tent.

MOVE her to a toddler bed!!! Wouldn't you rather have to work on getting her to stay in her toddler bed than take her to the hospital with a broken arm or leg from falling out of the crib?

We moved my daughter to a toddler bed at 19 months because she was crawling out of her crib as well. She has done great in the toddler bed. Just make it the rule from the beginning that she is a big girl now and has to stay in her bed (or room) when it's bedtime. My daughter did great with bedtime (I rocked or sat in her room) until about two months ago. I got tired of trying to crawl out of the room/not make a sound, etc. I used to shut the door so it was pitch black in her room but I decided to leave the door open.

I explained to her that I would sit in her room for a few minutes then go out into the living room and that I would leave the door open. She cried when I left alot. The first night she came out of her room a couple of times - each time I would walk her back to her room and tell her it was bedtime. Finally she just stood in her doorway - I told her that was okay as long as she stayed in her room. She cried a bit more then ended up laying in her doorway and falling asleep! I covered her up with a blanket and gave her a pillow and let her sleep there until we went to bed then moved her back to her bed.

The second night, she cried and came out of her room once. I put her back into bed and told her I'd be in the living room. She whimpered but that was it.

The third night, no crying or getting out of her bed or room. It's been like that ever since. We still have cuddle time and read books and I sing to her and sit in her room for a few minutes after turning off the light. I think a few key things are important - she likes the door open because she can see that we are still awake or maybe she's afraid of the dark now? For whatever reason, she thinks she has to stay in her bed. When she wakes up in the middle of the night or morning she'll cry out for us instead of getting up. She also has her baby brother sharing a room so I've heard having another person sleeping in the same room can help the kids sleep better.

If she cries or wants to get up, give her a choice "Door open or closed?" but don't address her crying. If she does get up, put her back into bed. This may take 1 time or 50 times. Eventually she'll tire of it and realize that she's in a big girl bed and has to stay there once put there.

You may be surprised and find out that she goes to bed and sleeps better in a toddler bed because she realizes she's more independent and doesn't have to sleep in a crib any longer.

I'd do it now before the weather changes and it's lighter later, therefore, maybe making it harder because she'll want to 'play' more!

That's not too young at all! We moved our son into a toddler bed at 18 months and he slept SO much better there. I think just not feeling caged in made the temptation to climb out disappear. It sounds like she's ready to me.

We moved our daughter out of her crib at 26 months (last month) onto a twin mattress on the floor. That has worked out great!

Use a toddler bed if you have one or if your crib transitions to one, but don't buy a new one. Even if the twin or full bed seems really big, you can put rolled towels under the sheets and make her a little nest. You will also be able to lie down with her at night to read books and to just snuggle (my favorite part!).

Make sure the room is safe and put up a gate or close the door at the beginning if you want to contain your monkey!

Expect the first couple of nights and naps to be a little harder, but she'll get used to it. (We did our transition over a weekend that we had nothing going on so if we all didn't sleep it didn't matter as much.)

When they can climb out its time for the crib to go.
My oldest son got a fire truck toddler bed (from Auntie) and that's what he used....middle son just used fire truck when it was his turn....youngest daughter just turned 2 a couple weeks ago and has been in a regular twin bed since 18 months, when she learned to climb out.

I think the toddler beds are a waste of money also....but just so darn cute!

I know your daughter looks small but you don't want her hurting herself while she climbs out....she can't stay a baby forever...no matter how hard we wish!

My son has been out of his crib since 18 months or so. We have a conversion crib so it wasn't hard. My rule of thumb has always been, if they are climbing out of the crib, it's time to move them to a bed - a toddler bed, or mattress on the floor. The key is which is more safe? Allowing them to keep climbing or take that possibility away? We put up a gate in front of the door to keep our children in their rooms as they got used to the bed idea. They didn't go to sleep right away, but we still went through the ritual & if they got up & played, oh well. They got used to it. My son is 22 months & still doesn't really sleep in the bed, but I rest easier knowing I eliminated one danger from his room.

i dont think its to young at all to be completely honest i put my oldest daughter in one when she was 24 months old she would not sleep in a crib for no one we tried everything so i gave up and got a toddle bed and she would sleep in it with no problem because it was her big girl bed...good luck

My first daughter climbed out at exactly 2 years and that night we moved her to a twin bed (with a rail). My second daughter climbed out at about 27 months and again, that night we moved her to a twin bed (with a rail). When they climb out they can seriously hurt themselves...it wasn't worth it to me.

our son moved into a twin bed at 18months. i dont think that 27 mnths is too young. i would just be very consistent when it comes to her getting out of bed. we had a time period where our son was getting out of bed and using an excuse NOT to get back in. consistency is the key here when disciplining and making them stay in there bed. it takes 3 days to start a new habit and sometimes up to 7 days to break it so hang on! it can get hairy! but you will be glad you did it. it will wear you out when they take hours to go to bed and get out constantly.

We moved our son to the toddler bed at about 18 months because we knew the new baby was coming. (They're 21 months apart.) It worked out great!...after the novelty wore off and he wasn't getting in and out of bed a million times just because he could. :) But really it was just fine. And our daughter moved out at about the same age too--no problem. The crib was nice and contained, but there is a nice thing about them being able to get into bed by themselves too.

will agree with the other moms, not too young at all.. My daughter was about 20 months old when she got her own bed.. We also did the normal twin bed instead of a toddler bed, we found it to be a waste of money. as long as you find a bed that is low enough to the ground or even just starting out with a mattress on the ground or a guard on a normal twin it would be fine.

I personally would move her - you wouldn't want her to wake up in the middle of the night tired and half a sleep, trying to climb out of her crib and fall and hurt herself....I always moved my kids when they started climbing out of the crib. We got them their "Big Girl" or "Big Boy" bed. We just moved them right to a twin size bed and got the rails for the sides so that they couldn't roll out of bed. I just didn't see the point in investing in a toddler bed for a couple of years just to then invest for a twin size bed. I don't suppose that your crib turn into one of those day beds, and then a full size bed?? That is what I have this time around.....my daughter is only 11 months old right now, but it is going by so fast that it seems like I will be in your shoes tomorrow! Good Luck with whatever you decide!!