Help Ready to Transition Crib to Bed!!!!???

My daughter is 2 and a half, we bought the bed and after two days of it laying up against the wall we just took the crib down and set up the bed. She never looked back. She was not climbing out of the crib and she still does not climb out of bed until, the morning.

She's certainly old enough - you just need to make it exciting for her. If you don't have a big bed yet, make a bid deal about taking her to pick one out. Also take her to buy some sheets for it with cats or princesses or whatever she likes these days. Make sure she knows that it's because she's a big girl and that babies don't get this.

Also, consider getting her a little reading light by her bed and a study pillow, and let her take some books into bed (but not toys - they're far too interesting). She can stay up and look at books with her little light on as late as she wants (usually this ends up being approx 10 minutes, in my experience), as long as she doesn't get out of bed.

I'd probably put a gate on the door of the bedroom, though, so that if she gets up she won't be all over the house.

If you don't want to move your older child yet, that is understandable. I wouldn't push her into a toddler bed or a twin if you don't think she is ready.
Since your younger child is growing out of his bassinette, is there some other area that he could sleep in other than the brorrowed crib? Do you have a pack n play with a bassinette attachment? Those are usually more roomy and he could stay in it for a little longer. That way he could still be in your room for those nighttime feeding too.
Honestly, I would not attempt to move both children at the same time. That could leave you with many sleepless nights and a lot of frustration. If you move one child at a time when you are ready to do so, it will also help you get used to the adjustment too.

Why try to fix something that's not broken? If she's happy in a crib and not climbing out and you don't have to buy a new one then don't mess with it at all. My daughter has been in a bed since she was one, hated the crib with all her heart. It just wasn't for her. I hope my almost born son uses it so it wasn't a complete waste of money......Plus if he's still getting up at night and you can put the crib in your room or a pack and play then why not? I assume he's in your room still since he's in a bassinet?

What about using a pack n play for the baby? Or go to a used store and buy a used crib. We have 3 kids. Our 1st stayed in the crib til about 3 and a few months. Our 2nd is still in crib, just turned 2 Dec 2. Well worth the money for the 2nd crib!!!!!!

Try to transition your daughter for a week or so. You can just put a mattress on the floor if you want and see what happens. If it doesn't work out, put her back in the crib and borrow your neighbors. Tell hubby every kid is different and you really don't win by forcing change on them before they are ready.

My daughter who is now 6 1/2 never did climb out of her crib. She was also content to be in it (most of the time!) and would play before and after nap and bedtime. I now have a 2 1/2 year old and a 14 month old both in cribs. My 2 1/2 year old is a boy and will be three in April. He's close to being ready but it will be a challenge. By the way, he can climb in and out of his crib already. We put a tent on it the other day.

I would suggest borrowing that crib from the neighbor. If your daughter is content, keep it that way. She may see the baby in the same bed as hers and decide she's ready for a big bed. But, if sleeping is going well as it is, I'd leave it alone.
Good luck.

The biggest problem you will have if you transition them at the same time is your daughter potentially being really upset that someone else is sleeping in HER crib. I would keep her in the crib as long as possible, but even if you do transition both of them at the same time, I would borrow the other crib from your neighbor!

Hi! My son is 2 (turned 2 in October). He loves his crib and sleeps really well with napping and through the night, I am in no hurry to have him move on (though I know you have circumstances where the issue is more pressing, we had that as well with my daughter who was in a bed at 2). If there is a way to convey to your husband to have her stay where she is happy I would try and have your daughter stay where she is in her crib. Plus, if you move her before she may be ready she may resent the baby for taking her crib even though she has a new bed which may add all sorts of difficulty! I sort of dread when my son does move on to a bed as sleeping is so pleasurable for all of us!! Good luck!
T.

I have three children all close in age. My first was only 14.5 months when my second was born. My 2nd son was 22inches long when he was born and he just kept growing, quickly. We couldn't keep him in the bassinet. My oldest started sleeping in a little tykes car toddler bed.(got it real cheap) He was only 18 months and he did great. When my 2nd son was almost 16 months my daughter was born. She hated the bassinet. By the time she was one month everytime I put her in it she would wake back up.(she pushed herself up and would bump her head) At 17 months I had to move my son to a bed too. His godfather gave him a bed just like his brother's.(They sleep in the same room) Again things went great. Niether of my children ever climbed out of their cribs so they didn't get out of their beds either. Even though there was no one to push my daughter out of the crib I started her in a bed around 22 months. I think transitioning them when they were younger was easier.
I can't imagine having a preschooler in a crib. I think of a crib as being for a baby not a preschooler. It may end up being harder the longer you wait. You will probably be suprised how much she likes the new bed. Let her pick out bedding for it and everything. If she makes it her own I am sure she will love it.

Hi Jennifer--
this sounds far too familiar. My girls are 21 months apart. We made the transition a little sooner....My oldest was in her convertible crib, and we bought a 2nd convertible crib for the baby. We didn't want to have to buy another mattress---we were using the Moonlit Slumber one *They are costly*, so we decided to transition my 2 year old. :)
We had the baby sleep in the pack and play for a few months....after about 10 weeks we made the transition. I really didn't make it into a HUGE deal. I showed her the new big girl bed and how exciting it was, but didn't say much more. That night, she went into her big girl bed, slept through the night and that was it! It really was easier than I thought. Just make sure to get a little guardrail so she doesn't fall out. :)
Surprisingly, my daughter even called us in the morning to take her out of her "big girl" bed. :) Now she climbs out herself, but for a long while I don't think she knew she could get out herself!!!!!
Good luck!

Our oldest is almost 4 and STILL sleeps in her crib! (although we are going to have to get her a bed b/c she really is outgrowing it). Anyway, if she is not climbing out, I see absolutely no reason to transition her now. She likes it there, she can't climb out so why open the door to new problems. I love the "if it ain't broke, don't fix it" response - so true! If you can borrow a second crib, just do that. She might be just fine in a bed, but why chance it. Good luck! (p.s. my husband was the same way about getting our daughter in a bed but I won that one!)

Our son will be 3 in June and we moved him to a toddler bed a couple of months ago. He showed no interest in climbing out, he would also sit in his crib and play and call for us when ready. But, we just thought it was time. We have a 4.5 month old son and he has his own crib so it wasn't for the sake of needing the crib. The 2.5 y/o has done great with it. He calls it his "big boy bed" and he still stays in bed until we come and get him (creature of habit, I guess).

Good luck.

T.

My daugher was about 18 months (I can't remember anymore) when my other daughter was born. My girls are 17 months apart. We boughter her a big girl bed at that time, she came into our room in the middle of the night, and didn't stay there but it was ok, I guess.

We got her excited and told her we were going to buy her a big bed and she got to try out all the beds and we got her Elmo sheets, she picked them out.

Getting them involved much as possible is best, that way it keeps their interest. Another thing, when we bought the bed, we only bought the top mattress and not the box spring. We put the mattress right on the floor, she never fell off either. It was perfect. Now she will be 3 in April and still sleeps most of the night in her bed and the mattress still is on the floor. When she is ready we will buy the rest of it and box spring, and headboard etc.

Good Luck to you...Just get her excited about shopping for it and buying her favorite character sheets!

Well, here's my two cents:) I have a 3 1/2 year old who didn't move to a regular bed until he was 3. He never really climbed out of the crib, so I didn't see any need to move him right away. We didn't have another child waiting to use the crib, so there was no urgency. When we moved him to a regular twin bed, we had the worst time in trying to get him to stay in bed. He was fine once he fell asleep, but until then, he'd be out of his bed at least 10 times, trying to see what we were doing, etc. We finally got an extra tall gate to put on the room, and that worked until my stupid brother was babysitting one night, couldn't figure out how to open it, so climbed over it, and my son figured out how to climb over it, too. So, we started a sticker "program" where we'd give him three stickers on a little chart when he went to bed; if he got out of bed, we took away a sticker. If he got 10 stickers in a row (which was really like 20, because he can't count!), he'd get to pick out a reward from a jar (like a trip to the park w/Mommy, etc.). This worked really well, I have no idea why!, but it did...and then we just recently phased it out and he's been fine.

SO, I'd say go ahead and put your daughter in a regular bed now instead of going to the hassle of moving another crib in for such a short amt of time. I'd transition your daughter first, and then deal w/your son. I'd try doing nothing extra at first, but if she discovers the freedom of climbing out, I'd implement some kind of system of rewards so she's motivated to stay in bed. I do still have the gate on my son's room, too--I figure if nothing else, it will slow him down in trying to escape, if he ever decides to. I told him it keeps the monsters out (he's going through a "scared of monsters" phase right now), and that's been enough to keep him from wanting it off the doorway. Good luck!!!:)

Hi Jennifer-

We recently went thru this with our now 20 month old daughter. We are having another baby in May, so wanted to give her plenty of time to get used to her toddler bed so it doesn't seem like we're pushing her from crib to bed (she will just be 2 when the new baby is born). She hadn't tried to get out of her crib either and was still fine in it. We started with naps and after a couple of times in her toddler bed, she preferred it to her crib. She took to it so quickly and easily I was amazed.

The only problem we've had is that she can get up during the night and walk around. There are several ways to help this though and the first thing we did was just keep the monitor close so if we heard her get up, we went in immediately and put her back in bed and waited a few minutes until she was asleep. I've been told that you can also gate them into their room with a baby gate so they can't go to far. We haven't had to do this yet but it's an option. She's come into our room a few times but it's usually between 4-5am. We also keep bathroom doors shut and gate by stairway.

Good luck!
D.

We're in the same boat. My 2.5 year old loves her crib and I have an almost 5 month old. We just went ahead and got a 2nd crib (real cheap from a good friend and it's in excellent condition) for the baby. No need to fix what isn't 'broken'. :-)

We moved our son to the twin bed just after his 2nd birthday (he climbed out of crib) and it took weeks to adjust. Bedtime went from pleasant and a non-issue to a major battle. Plus he just stopped napping altogether. My daughter won't nap half the time but at least she's happy to stay in her crib playing with stuffed animals for an hour or two! We're leaving her in the crib for as long as she wants!!