When Did You Convert to a Toddler Bed?

It sounds like you are doing what I was going to suggest.

My oldest was moved to a twin around 14mos. Too early, imo, because he went from sleeping all night in his own crib to waking at night and wondering around.

My middle son slept with us until he was about 2 and then we moved him to a twin bed.

My youngest is 20mos and sleeps with us (in his crib as a sidecar arrangement) and I'm thinking we'll transition him to a toddler bed around age 2.

both my kids were around 16, 17 months old when they switched to the toddler bed. We had minimal problems - more at naptime than in the middle of the night. We just kept going back in there, and putting them back to bed. At first its almost too easy, then they test you, then they go with it. We also have a pretty predictable night time routine which helps. Also, we don't have lights on, so they couldn't see to play anyway. Hope this helps!

My little girl was 2 1/2 when I moved her - just last month. Her crib converted with a little railing on the side. We made a big deal out of the "big girl" bed and how grown up she is now. We gave her a new pillow and quilt and she loves it. When she is not ready for sleep, she occasionally will come out of her room at night, but usually only 1 time. You take their hand, do not say a word or make eye contact, and put them back. They get the idea. On a few nights she has woken up scared for some reason and comes into our room, but again I put her back in. Don't make the mistake of letting them climb in your bed until it's morning and you're ready to wake up! Overall, I think it was the perfect time to change it - don't rush if he is not climbing out of the bed yet, 2 1/2 seems like a good time. Good luck!

A.,
My daughter turned 2 in March and I just converted her to a toddler bed about a month ago. I think I waited to just the right time because she stays in bed and when she gets up in the morning she opens her door and comes to my room to tell me that she's awake. You might try putting a baby monitor in his room to ease your fears of him being up in the middle of the night and you not knowing about it. If I were you I would wait a little while longer...it worked for me.
Good luck,
R.

I converted at 18 mos., but if he isn't climbing out yet then I would just leave him in the crib until he does. When he does start climbing, I would skip the toddler bed and go straight to the twin, it saves time and money, plus he will outgrow his toddler bed so quickly it's not even worth it. My son is 26 mos. and has just left his toddler and moved into a twin. He's doing great and stays in his bed, even for naps (most of the time). How we get my son to stay in is we have a scheduled routine that we stick to. Story on the couch and then hugs/kisses and then he knows that he has to stay in his bed. WE tell him to stay put. You have to be firm. If he keeps getting out, you just keep putting him back in until he stays. But do not stay in his room with him, not even once or you'll be doing it every night! Do not lay in his bed with him either, you'll be doing that every night too! Stay outside his door and if you hear him getting out, open the door quick before he has a chance to climb all the way out or before he gets to the door. Tell him, "GET IN BED!" It will make him feel like you know, even though you can't see and that you'll catch him even if you're not in view. Since I stay at home with my son all day, it is easier for my husband to actually put my son in his bed rather than me. My son tries to manipulate me into letting him stay up a little longer by jumping into my arms and wanting me to hold him......which he never, ever does, until it's time for bed!!! And, of course, I just love it 'cause I never get it! My husband knows this and tells me to stay out of the room while he puts him in his bed. He never gets out when my husband puts him to bed. We haven't had too many probl. Of course, we only have one child so that makes it a whole lot easier. Good luck! Hope this helps!

we stared our son as soon as he could walk or shortly there after, I'm not going to lie it's still tough every now and then we have to wake up an hour after we just put him to bed and tell him to get back into bed (he's three now)... It's one of those childhood things, but you can't keep in there for too much longer it's a safety hazard.

FUN times!!! My little girl never tried to climb out of her crib, so yours just might not! I did, however convert her to a big girl bed at 2. We started with one of the themed inflatable beds (to get her excited, and to prevent rolling) the first 2 weeks were a little hard, but I did the Super Nanny bed time bit. Read her a story, tucked her in and closed her door. Then waited. as soon as I could hear her up, I went in, didn't say anything and just put her back in bed. Took about 30 minutes to an hour a night for the first 2 weeks, and then no problems. When she was almost 3 we moved her to a big girl bed (a real one!) She has done great ever since!!

With my daughter I switched at 18mths.I was very blessed because she was excited about her bed. We just put it together infront of her and made it a big deal. And when it came time to sleep in there we just strated a routine where we would give her a bath, get her dressed, pray, sing, kisses and say goodnight. If she tried to get up we would just say lay down. And I know it freaks out my mom but we shut the door or else they just can get up whenever. We have been very successful with routine. Hope you figure something out for you!

About now would be a good time to start, try placing tot bed near a wall on one side and buy a saftey rail for the exposed side ( Safety first makes them ebay or walmart has them decently priced) Along with a baby gate to keep tot from wandering off from room at night....exspecially if you have STAIRS. However if you are not ready for a tot bed Toys R us sells these baby canapys that prevent kiddos from climbing out my OB told me about them. ( She has twins and was worried they would never sleep or sleep togeather instead of in thier own beds so kept them in cribs little longer with tot canopies)

I waited until my oldest was 2 1/2 because she has always fought bedtime (and still does!). When she finally figured out how to climb out of her crib, we figured it was time to go to a toddler bed, so we went all out. We bought princess sheets and really made a big deal of it to help her get used to the idea. It didn't work, though. She has insisted on sleeping on the floor for almost the last year. (insert eye roll here). I would say don't stress about when to do it, your child will adjust. I just have an extremely independent kiddo!

i have 3 kids and all of them i did the same thing. for their first birthday i got them a toddler bed. that night i took down their crib, put the mattress on the toddler bed, and put them to bed just like always. for the first night or two they would get up and come visit me in the living room. i would just put them back in bed and tell them "it's bedtime. you stay in your bed and go to sleep." i would close the door most of the way so no light could get in their room and go back to the living room. after about 15-20 minutes i would go peek at them to see if they were asleep and when they were i would open the door so i could hear them. i didn't have baby monitors. if you have a baby monitor just put it in the room and you can close to door all the way. after a couple of nights they would stay in their bed. even my middle son (who still can't sit still for 15 minutes) stayed in bed. good luck!!

Hi there A.... My son was an easy convert. We didn't do it because of his age... it was more because he just grew out of the crib. He never tried to climb out. When he was about 2 & a 1/2 we just thought he was getting too big to be carried into and out of the crib. We bought one of those little toddler beds w/the sides on it and he started taking naps in it. Then after a couple of weeks he didn't want to sleep in the crib anymore. He was a "Big Boy" and wanted to sleep in his big boy bed. We never really had trouble w/him getting out of bed. Just explained if he was going to sleep in the big boy bed he had to lay in it and go to sleep. What ever you decide I'm sure it'll be the right choice for your family.

I have a son who turned two in May. He is still in his crib and he loves his crib! I see no reason he should have to move to a bigger bed just because of his age. He does not try to climb out, and when he does it will be time. He stays with my mom during the days and she has taken the front off her crib and he does well that way too. He knows that he can't get up and wander around. He stays in his bed and calls for her and she has a monitor in his room so that she knows when he gets up. It is not going to hurt his develepment to sleep in his crib. I don't want my son to grow up any faster than he already is and his bedtime is my downtime so if he's happy in his crib, I'm happy to keep him there.

i put my older daughter in a toddler bed at 18 mo. b/c she climbed out of the crib. the only way we got her to stay in her room was to put a child lock on the inside handle of her door. she would cry for awhile until she realized she wasn't going to get out and then she would climb back in bed and go to sleep. at first she fell asleep by her door but eventually she figured it out. it took maybe a week. then after about a month or 2 we took the lock off and she was fine

I took each of my kids out of their baby beds on their first birthday. I think the transition was easier BECAUSE they didn't climb out of their beds yet, they knew that when mama or daddy put them in bed it was time to go to sleep. The first couple of months that they were in the toddler bed, I had one of the mesh guard rail things that keeps them from rolling out. It was nearly as long as the toddler bed which I think also kept them in the bed. After removing this, I did have to take my son back to his bed MANY times the first week but with enough persistance (this mama never gives in), the struggles didn't last long, he just learned to stay in bed after we tucked him in. I did the same thing if they ever came into my room in the middle of the night (I don't think a kid will get up and play in the dark, they will normally seek out mom or dad). I never let him join me in the bed, I took him back to his own "big boy" bed every time, again, this stage didn't last long. My daughter was always easy, she is 13 and still just does pretty much whatever I ask her to do. Anyway, sorry for the rambling, hope this helps.

Hello, i converted to a toddler bed when my daughter turned two. She JUST turned 2 on the 9th of this month.The crib that we bought converts itself, from the crib to toddler then full size. so we are fortunate.Its way of independance for her. Now she really wants to do things on her own. She'll lays in it for a short while then when the lights are off ( shes not afraid of the dark)she'd rather fall asleep with us. The only think for us is we have a 1 br apt. Then in the middle of the night we'll put her back in her bed. sometimes she'll wake up & come back and there are times she stays. Does your son have his own room?

Ok...wait as long as possible...because we got grace a "big girl bed" at age 2...ever since she has free reign to come to our bed in the middle of the night!

I switched my daughter to a toddler bed when she was 23 months. I did it gradually though. I had her help me assemble the bed and put it in her nursary next to her crib. She started sleeping in the toddler bed at nap time and then eventually moved into the bed full time after about a month. Now It is not all as smooth as it sounds. She lets herself out of bed and comes to me. 4 AM she stands next to my bed and yells "good morning mama." The great thing now is that she understands me when I say go back to bed. It's not morning. You have to go back to sleep." She doesn't always comply without complaint but she understands my instructions.

The best part is now I can lay down with her to read books. She also likes to put her stuffed animals to sleep when I put her down for naps and at bed time. It's a fun signal for her that it's time for her to go to sleep too.

Good luck. Let me know if you have more specific questions.
T.

I never converted to a toddler bed. I just went straight to a twin bed or bunk beds. I converted when my children were around 12 months. My first children were 18 months apart and I didn't want the oldest thinking that the new baby took over her bed. As far as keeping them in the bed there's no way to do that. You just go in and put them back to bed until they get the idea or when they fall asleep on the floor move them back to the bed. Don't ever stay in their room with them until they fall asleep or you will be having to do that forever!! Remember you are the parent. I have twin 2 year olds right now and they at first got out of bed and we just went back in their room and put them back to bed. Now they are pretty good about stayiing in bed and going to sleep. We never stayed in the room with them we would kiss them good night and cover them up and leave the room. Then we would go back and check on them a little while later. It's not as bad as you think unless you let the child have control you just need to make sure that your child knows you are the parent and that it is bed time. Even if it means putting them to bed 20 times a night the first few days.