How Long in a Crib?

my son was out at about sixteen months. The crib we had was recalled so i just took it down. he had a toddler bed in his room for a while before since i was trying to get him use to it.

My son was in there until he was 3 and my daughter will be 3 in November and we just moved her into a toddler bed about one month ago (only because she started crawling out constantly).

My baby girl who is 3 1/2 was in her crib until last month. So pretty much for 3 1/2 I would have loved to keep her in there longer, but hubby said that she needed a bed because she was getting to big for the crib. And he got her all hyped up about a big girl princess bed. So here we are now with a big girl princess bed. LOL! I think as long as they are not climbing out why take them out?

I kept my son in his crib for as long as possible (also made the BEST timeout spot). He finally got too big for his crib at about age 3.5 / 4. Since it was his "safe" place (aka where he calmed down for timeouts)... he was really sad to see it go. But the added benefit of keeping him in it for so long was ALSO cognitive development. AKA we could have reasoned discussions about staying in his big boy bed and not getting out in the middle of the night. We had about a week of boundary pushing a month or two after we bought his bed, but that was it.

3.5 / 4 is ALSO the time most people who buy toddler beds have to upgrade. Toddler beds and crib mattresses are typically the same size after all. Some petit kids can stay in toddler beds longer, but most outgrow them super fast. (My personal feeling is that toddler beds are a marketing gimmick. A twin or full on the floor works just as well, and you don't have to replace them for 10 years. Also, grownups can actually cuddle/read stories/comfort after nightmares/etc on a twin/full... but toddler beds don't support our weight).

My son and daughter were both 2 when we moved them to a toddler bed. They and we were ready at that stage. We also never had any trouble with either of them trying to crawl out or escape! They won't be in a crib forever, so I wasn't quite as worried about moving them as some other moms. I didn't see the harm in letting them stay in till age 2. They turned out to be well-rounded kids =) I think this is a totally personal choice and you should do what works best for you!

My son was climbing out on his own around 15 months old (it may have been sooner?). So we took it down and put the mattress directly on the floor.

My daughter stayed in it longer, but she was in a toddler bed before 2 years old.

Son was a handful, and we had no choice really. With our daughter, she was a piece of cake, and was ready for a bed, since her big brother was in one too, and she was already potty training/almost trained, and needed the freedom to get up and go to the bathroom.

I actually think (haven't researched it or anything) that the cribs that are made these days (my kids are 9 & 12 yrs, so their crib was manufactured almost 13 years ago) are made a little "deeper" than what they used to be. Just from looking at the ones you see set up on display in Target and at friends' houses. If our son had not been able to climb out, we would've probably kept him in until he was potty trained also, which he did around 28 months.
A lot depends on your family and your individual kids... it's a personal thing. The same time frame doesn't work for everyone.

My oldest moved out of her crib just before turning 2, because my second daughter needed the crib. She, my second daughter, moved out at 18 months because my third needed it.
My youngest daughter is 18 months now and doesn't try to climb out and is actually unable to (she's pretty short), so I plan to leave her there for a while. All 3 of my girls share a room, so yes keeping my youngest contained so she doesn't get up and play with her sisters was great for me. :) I am actually expecting our 4th child, due in June. I am hoping my current youngest is in the crib until she's two, next April.

Our oldest was in a crib until he was three. He wasn't night-trained (or day-trained, for that matter), so that wasn't an issue. He slept well in his so we didn't see any reason to move him earlier.

Our youngest started trying to climb out at around a year and a half or two, so we moved her to a bed and she did fine.

I think it depends entirely on the child. With cribs being made now without the drop sides, I'd probably learn more toward having the child out earlier rather than later, though. Can't imagine lifting a three-year-old over fully extended crib bars.

2y7m and still counting!!!

It varies a lot depending on the child's temperament and climbing skills IMO. Both my twins were perfectly content to stay in their cribs until they were almost 4YO ( I think it was partly because they knew it was their own "personal space" that they didn't have to share with each other - they might have stayed even longer if we hadn't promised one crib to a relative who was expecting!

My son was two and a half when we took the crib out of his room. He was not crawling out of it, but he did sleep all balled up at one end of the crib and would, on occasion, get a limb stuck in the slats. The only reason that we switched to the big boy bed was due to a vacation stay at a condo at that time. A twin mattress on the floor was our only option. He knew at that point that he was ready for a big boy bed. He's four now and we still have guard rails on the big bed, but it was a very smooth transition for him.

My son came out at 27 months. The reason being that his crib was recalled, he started using the baby's crib (she hasn't been born yet, and was then in our room). My husband was so sick of taking down, moving and setting up cribs that when my son's ordered crib finally came in, he build it with the toddler bed front so that he wouldn't have to do it again. We let my son know that it is a big boy bed, but that he has to stay in it until we come get him, or he will go back to a crib.

One was 3 1/2 our choice not hers-never attempted to get out or even stood up-transition was great-my son who will be 4 in feb still in a crib never stands up or attempts to get out-so maybe when he is 4 he will get his crib converted. :) L.

My oldest son stayed in his crib until 2 yrs. My middle son stayed until 2y 3m. Both times I needed the crib for the next baby. If your son isn't crawling out, then you can keep him in as long as he wants. I guess it also depends on his size--keep him in as long as he's comfortable.

All of our girls were well over 3, closer to 4, and NONE of them even attempted to crawl out.

we switched my daughter to a toddler bed around 3.5. She had started climbing out. In her crib, she could go to sleep on her own. In her bed, she wants someone there until she falls asleep. Definitely feels less secure. You'll be changing the sleep environment, so keep that in mind. I think I was in my crib until I was 5. I would reach thorough the slats, pull the drop side bar and climb out.

I converted my son's crib to a toddler bed at age 2. That transition went well, but when we moved him from the toddler bed to a regular bed at age 4 or 5, he had a really hard time adjusting.

My daughter loved, loved, loved her crib. It was her sanctuary, safe place, never hated to go to bed. I left her in her crib until age 3.5, I never even converted to the toddler bed because it freaked her out. The transition to the bed was hard for her, I had to sleep in there a few times, and she frequently came into our bed at night.

I don't think there is a right or wrong time to do this. Some children get more attached to beds than others do, so what is right for one family will be a disaster for others.

I heard (about 8 months too late for me!) to keep them in til age 3, IF they're not crawling out. Wish I had done that.

It seems it depends on the kid! My son was 2 1/2, by our choice because we started night-time potty training. He never tried to climb out.

.

My were 13 months and 16 months... both were climbing out.

My opinion is that when they climb it is time to move them so they don't get hurt... if he isn't a climber than why not wait a little longer? I loved that my daughter was contained (made naps a lot easier too!)

Mine were both 16 months, and the transition was so easy. Sure they fell asleep on the floor the first couple of nights, but all in all it was great. I saw no reason to keep them "contained", and it also made it easier on my son when he potty trained at 18 months to be able to get to the potty on his own.

It all depends on the child.

My first one never slept in a crib at all ever. We co-slept with him until he was two and then he moved to a toddler bed.

My second one slept in a crib until two and then we moved the boys to the same room in order to make the other room a playroom and they had an IKEA bunk bed. Younger one on the bottom with a railing. It was very low to the ground.

My third is one and still in the crib. I plan to keep her that way until she tries to climb out probably around two. It will be interesting to see what happens because I put her to bed so differently from how I put the boys to bed. They were rocked or nursed to sleep. My middle one was born with good 'going to bed' habits. By two, he climbed into bed and went to bed.

My third does not like to be rocked or nursed to sleep. She will stay up until she is put in her crib. Sometimes she cries and other times she goes straight to bed. If she goes straight to bed without fussing in the future more, she will spend less time in a crib. If she continues to cry it out at times, I will keep her in the crib for a longer period of time.

mine is 2.5 and still hasn't figured out how to climb out - so I will leave her until she does - funnily enough, she can climb anything, but not her crib!

My two were out at 18months.
The first moved out of her crib then b/c we moved and wouldn't be getting our furniture until about a month later. She was too big for the pack and play long before the move.
My second was moved because he climbed out.

My son stayed in his crib until 4 months before his 4th birthday. He loved his crib and we didn't find any reason to change him over to a bed.
The one main reason we did it is that he just became too tall.
I would go with the flow of your child. If they are climbing out then maybe it is time. If it's not a big deal then wait.

My son was already 3+ years old and still in his crib. He LOVED his crib and slept so well in it. Then one day HE said he doesn't want to be in his crib anymore. We then put a mattress on the floor, and he now sleeps on that... very well.

Sure, when he was younger, he climbed out of his crib a few times. I told him don't do that, he will get hurt. Then one day he fell out... and hit his head. He NEVER did that again and never climbed out again.