Ideas for Getting 2Yr Old to Sleep in Toodler Bed

I don't have any advice to get him to sleep in real bed but i can tell you that my college age daughter still talks about the fact that she was so mad when i got rid of her crib and i will also say that she never went down as easily after i did. I say borrow another crib until he begs you to get rid of it.

My son was pretty excited to sleep in his big boy bed, but what made it even better was getting a toddler bedding set that was Blue's Clues. If your little guy has a favorite character buying the bedding set may do the trick. The internet is a great place to find good sets. Walmart.com has a really good selection and there is no shipping if you have it sent to the store for pick-up. Also try starting him out in the toddler bed every day for his nap and bed time. It may take a little while, but he will start to like it more soon.

We had the same trouble when we first switched our son to a toddler bed. The first two weeks were actually wonderful, he just went right down and we thought whew that was great! Nope...then he figured out how to get out of the bed and would get out minimum 10 times a night, we just kept putting him right back in saying how lucky he was to have his own big boy bed. The solution finally came when we kept his door open, we had always closed it before, but we said in order for the door to be open he had to stay in his bed. Just an idea if you have been closing the door. It was a process that's for sure! Every once in a while now he will get out when we first put him down (saying he needs water or bathroom, etc.) He just turned 3, so good luck!

If he doesn't want to sleep there, he's not ready. Plain and simple. Do you plan on putting the new baby in the crib right away? New baby may want to be near you in the first few weeks, and your pack and play or a bassinet might be better, so you may not need it right away anyway.

That said, what worked for us was getting DS a bed that he loves - a car bed. It's not a toddler bed. It's a twin size (the sides of the car come up, though, so he won't roll out until we put a box spring with it) and we can lie down with him when he needs it.

When he's ready he'll let you know. My son stayed in the crib until he was 2years old. Then we got the toddler bed that hold the crib mattress. At 4 1/2 he stopped sleeping in the toddler bed and sleeps on full size. Children always tell us there likes and dislikes. Good Luck!!!

You may have to get another crib. You can find one online at Craigslist or Woodlandsonline.com. Our son, who is almost 3 still likes his crib. Our pediatrician said that she didn't get out of the crib until she was 3. Good Luck.

perhaps he is scared, put him back in the crib, but let him know his big boy bed is ready when he is. get him to play in his big boy bed during the day so he is comfortable with it. perhaps he can take his naps in his big boy bed.

lts of luck.

I would suggest taking him to Anna's linens or target to shop for his big boy bed sheets, make them fun, Thomas, Cars, anything he likes and explain that they are to be used for him exclusively on his big boy bed. Have him help you put them on the bed and act very excited, climb in with him, read a book or just snuggle and let him know that you can't crawl into the crib with him. FTry moving the crib to another part of the room and put the bed in it's place so his surroundings look exactly as they did while he was in his crib and maybe transfer whatever is most familiar and comforting about his crib to the bed, a stuffed animal a pillow, etc.
It sounds like alot to do but we tried it all iwth our son and transitioned him very easily and without alot of hassle.
The "tough love" approach might backfire on you and have him resent the change, the bed and he may regress to not sleeping through the night or worse dredding bedtime. If it's a nice friendly move he'll look forward to it more. My 2 yr old has a good relationship with his bed and room and never gives us any grief over nap time or bed time, we've kept his room a positive, comfortable and loving zone.
Good luck, anything new is challenging but rewarding once it's mastered and some take longer than others. Don't be too hard on him or yourself you're doing the best you can. I'm sure he'll be out of the crib by the time he hits Kindergarten:)
Best of luck!
Good luck!

I really like Janet's idea of a slow transition.
We transitioned #1 from co-sleeping in the bed to a side-carred toddler bed at around 8mos. She was crawling and kicking in her sleep (leaving me with bruises) - so it was time. As we transitioned her to her own room and bed we slowly moved the toddler bed away from our bed, then against the wall, then closer to the door, then just next to the door in her room (which was right next to ours), then slowly moving the bed to it's permanent place in her room....

Also, I would share with him that you'd like him to start thinking about sleeping in the toddler bed. Maybe ask him if there's a lovey that he'd like to take into bed with him, or if he has any ideas on something to make this change/transition easier. He's 2yrs old, so I bet he'll have some idea of what he'd want. No one likes change - not really. But at least we as adults know some of the reasons for the change, and have an idea as to when it will happen...kids need to be told.

HTH
K. H, mama to
Catherine, 4ys
Samuel, 1yr (currently transitioning to side-carred toddler bed)

Hi. My two year old wanted to go back in her crib too. So we just took the crib apart and took it out of her room. That way, I couldn't give in and let her in it, no matter how much she begged!

I made the transition before her brother was born too, so it wouldn't seem to her that brother "took" her bed. We didn't want her to associate "losing" her bed with gaining her brother!

Not to swipe my parenting advice from "Supernanny" but... she suggests sitting in the room on the floor with your head down and just putting the child back in the bed until they realize that you are serious about it. I tried it with my daughter and it really worked. She would get out of the bed and play after I left the room, but once she realized I was sitting in there (not looking at her or responding to her) she gave up and now she goes to bed really well and loves her bed. It's a very quiet way- no spanking or anger- to get them to sleep. The child may not be quiet (the ones on tv protest loudly, but my daughter didn't, she gave in easily) but the parent doesn't have to yell or anything.

You may also try a video monitor, so you can see if he gets out of bed and go in and put him back. We have one of these also.

Good luck and congrats on the second- two are much better than one!

Hi, my son was 1 1/2 when I was pregnant with my second one. I had the same situation with needing the crib. I set the toddler bed up in his room and did not push the idea of sleeping in it. During book time or just cuddling time or whatever, I would lay in the big boy bed with him. I would ask him about every other day if he was ready to sleep all night in the big boy bed. For months it was no. I was starting to become a nervous wreck, but one day he just said yes! Went to sleep and stayed there all night! Just give him time! Hope these ideas help!

I have to say that sleep issues are some of the roughest to deal with and our situation is not perfect at all but I will share with you our sucess with transitioning out of the crib.

I was a big fan of leaving my son in his crib for as long as possible because putting him to bed was easy but when he started learning how to climb out, I had to get him into a bed for his safety. I also had to consider that my son has Autism and at the time, he was into banging his head on the door if he wanted to get out of his room so just letting him cry it out wasn't a safe option for me.

I had a convertible crib that I had planned to use but he would not go to sleep in it... so after letting him sleep with me for a few nights, I opted for a queen sized mattress set on the floor (borrowed from the guest room). My husband set it up when we were away and took away the crib. When we returned, I showed my son his "new big boy room" and took him out to buy a quilt and pillows for it. I found some great bolsters to go along the side of the bed against the wall to make it cozier. He loved it! Once he was confident with the bed, we put the bed frame together with no problems.

We have since purchased a twin-sized daybed for him so there is more room to play in his room and there is still no question about where he will be sleeping.

I know you will figure out what will work best for you... you obviously love your son and will work with him to make sleeping in a bed comforting. Good Luck!

As a mom of 3 with one more on the way (they were all 2 when the next was born) They feel safe with the sides of the crib being so tall. Put those high guard rails on the side of the toddler bed and do "The Nanny" thing where you sit in the floor right next to his bed and soothe him to sleep for a few nights and then you move away a bit and soothe with your voice a few nights and move closer and closer to the door until eventually you are in the doorway. By the end of 2 weeks you should be able to sit in the doorway for a minute or two and then he will drift off. I was VERY skeptical but it worked with the first two and I expect it to work for the third before my new one arrives in may as well. Good Luck
K.

Take down the option (baby bed) while he is away. When he returns looking for it, make sure it is not visible (garage, closet or otherwise-try attic or basement!) Continue to encourage him that he has to sleep in his bed just like dad. Don't forget night light from his bedroom to the restroom as potty training should have begun (if it hasn't) around 18months. No more baby talk. It hinders their independence. No grabbing a blankie or toy out the door. If you want him to be independent, don't continue to "pacify" the age.

Try taking the side of his crib off and lowering the mattress all the way down and put something on the side so he won't roll off. This is how I got my 2 year old to sleep in a toddler bed. It helps having another on the way because when my nephew came over I told him let the baby sleep in the baby bed and you sleep in big boys bed and he agreed.

Hi S.~

Have ytou tried putting pillows and stuffed animals on either side of him to make it feel smaller and cozier? I have three and they all loved that. Is the crib still in the room? IF possible get rid of it fora few weeks. Removing it from sight is also huge.....if he sees it, he'll want it. Good luck!

Best,
R.

Try doing it in stages. When my kids reached around 18mo.-2yr., I started putting the railing on the crib all the way down to the floor so I could start training them to stay in bed even though it was easy to climb out. The next step could be to take the crib out of the room (maybe for a good cleaning?) and leave the mattress with all identical bedding in the same position on the floor. After a couple weeks of that, set up the toddler bed with the same mattress and bedding in it.