Easiest Way to Transition into a Toddler Bed

I have to agree with some other responses....why rush it? They get better sleep in a crib and also the longer you wait to put them into a bed the easier they will be to gte to stay in it.

Keep her in the crib till she is climbing out.

hi, my daughter will be 2 next month and we're going to most likely be putting her into a toddler bed too. she's constantly jumping into EVERY bed she comes across, and pulling the covers up like she's going to sleep....the only thing i can say is just put her in the bed. that's what we're going to do. it's just ME that has to get used to it. i really want to keep her in her crib, but all signs point to her being ready for a toddler bed :o( well, good luck. it shouldn't be too hard.

My daughter-in-law just did this last year. She bought a little youth bed and put my granddaughter in the bed during her nap time to start. She left the crib in the room and only used it for my grandson after his sister was used to sleeping in her new bed which took only a few days and then she was there day and night. Good luck!

If they have a favorite teddybear or blanket that normally helps alot. make naptime in the toddler bed as a "special" bed just for them! or if all else fails let them fall asleep on the floor next to it for nap then put them in the "big" bed.
Hopefully this helps! J.

I did a little of both things the other responder said.

I told my daughter I was going to do it and she helped me pick it out and the sheets to go with it.

I set it up one weekend when she was at her father's house and when she came home she slept in it, just like that...no issues.

Hi M.! Everyone has had good suggestions. I just want to say that you shouldn't transition her becasue YOU want to (which is what you wrote - it's possible you left out some details which will void my response). Unless the crib has become unsafe because she's climbing out (or attempting to) then I suggest you keep her in the crib as long as possible. We JUST transitioned my 3 year old to a toddler bed. She never climbed out but has been fully potty trained for over 6 months and I felt bad putting her in a pullup every night when I knew she'd stay dry but felt bad NOT putting her in one since she couldn't get up and go to the potty on her own. She's old enough to know that she can get out but still doesn't unless it's to go potty. Even then, she comes to me first so I know she's up so I can confirm that she gets back into bed safely.

Anyway, I've read several posts about moms transitioning to a toddler bed at 2 and younger and I just don't see what the rush is. God forbid she got up without your knowledge and got into the knife drawer or stumbled down the stairs. Keep her safe in the crib as long as possile. That's my advice. Good luck!

I am interested in this advice because I will need to transition my daughter around this summer because I will need to use her crib for a new baby. However right now she is 2 1/2 and still sleeping in her crib and we both love it. She doesn't try to climb out of the crib on her own and I have a large stool that she can use to climb into the bed, so I don't have to lift her while pregnant. Sometimes she resists bedtime/naptime - not usually by crying these days - but by standing up and singing and talking and I am so glad that she is safely confined in the crib because eventually she does fall asleep, but I know she'd be running around her room if she had a bed that she could get out of. I just don't see a reason to change what is working for us now. My advice would be - change from a crib to a bed because you have a good reason (need the crib, child is a climber, child is not sleeping comfortably there anymore) and not just because they reach a certain age.

Hi M..

I just got my 2 yo son into his 'big boy' bed. (It is a toddler style bed that fits a crib mattress) I was worried that he wouldn't do well since he has had sleep issues since birth. Waking multiple times during the night, needing a drink or water of etc... But I started by telling him about it, how it meant that he wasn't a baby anymore. My husband and I went with him to pick out sheets and things for the bed. We really made it a special event to look forward to, even to the point that I appologize when I call him my baby now. I think it reaffirms that he is growing up and that is a good thing. We got our daughter (5 yo)to tell him how special it was too. She told him how she used to sleep in that bed and that, when he gets older, he can have a grown up bed like she has.
I guess my advice to you would be to just make it a very positive thing that your daughter can look forward to as a milestone in her path to becoming a 'big girl'.
Also, it works with potty training!
Good luck with your big girl and your new job,
K.

M.,

I agree with Amy. When I first read your response, I thought, "What's the rush?". And then I remembered. . .I was in your shoes at one time! I remember wondering if we should move our daughter to a toddler bed at two, and also, when other people did it. I didn't know many people with little kids, so now it's great to have mamasource to aske questions like this!
If you have every watched Supernanny on tv (and maybe you haven't), half of the battles parents have with their kids are getting them to stay in their toddler beds. We chose to transition our oldest daughter, who is now almost 5, when she was too big (long) for the crib. (Obviously, we decided to wait until then). That was when she was a little over 3 years old. We bought the cute Dora bed with all the bedding and she loved it. Then when she was four, we bought the "big girl" bed, with enough time to get her settled in the new room/furniture before her little sister was born. She was old enough at three to know (we obviously drilled it into her head) not to get out of bed unless she had to use the bathroom or if she was sick/scared.
Good luck with whatever works for you. Sometimes transitions are tough for kids, and with you going back to work, you may want to keep the crib until you have a new routine down so as not to upset your daughter with two new things going on in her life.
Hugs,
C.

Well this transition was interesting to say the least.
I have a two year old boy. He is now 27 months. He decided one day to swing himself out of bed and that was it. I had to take the side of the crib. I have a convertable one. Our first issue was that he would not stay in bed. I was careful not to tell him to go to sleep just that it was time to stay in bed. Even when he was in his crib he did not go to sleep right away so how could I expect it now.
I also started a routine where he is allowed to choose a book and I read it to him and then he gets to bring it to bed. No toys just a book. I went a step further. Our two year old can unlock and open the front door so we took off his door and installed a screen door with a lock on the outside. (hook and eye) This way I can hear him if he gets out of bed and he is safe and secure at night. We could not use a gate b/c he escapes!
The door is only used at nap/bedtime and we made it known that it was not a toy. It took about a week of sleepless nights to transition but it worked out great.
Now he expects a book at night. This is two fold b/c now he loves book so much.
So my advice is pick a routine and stick to it.

I had to move my 18 month old to a big bed (twin bed) because we were having another baby, plus she kept climbing out of her crib. What we did was got it all set up and played in the room a few times a week, letting her know that it was going to be her new room and bed. Then we started taking her naps in there. We stayed with her until she fell asleep. Once she was used to taking a nap, which was only a few days, we put her in there for night time. It has been almost 3 months now, she sleeps really well. There was only a few times she fell out (twin matress on a frame, so it's close to the floor).

I would have a few suggestions. The first would be to get your daughter involved in the process. Have her help set up the bed, put the sheets on, etc before she starts sleeping in it. Then I would explain to her that after a few days she will sleep in the bed at night. Explain that the night routine will not change but where she sleeps will. I would start day napping her in the bed. This way, if she's curious about her new found freedom, she can explore while you can supervise (because you are awake). This may also give you some insight as to how willing to use the bed she will be.
Sometimes as parents we just do it and it works out great. Other times, it's back to the drawing board! Hope that helps.