When Did You Move Your Child to a Bed (Toddler or Regular Size)?

Ally was about 2 and a half. She had been showing a great interest in sleeping in a toddler bed when she had seen them at toy stores and she quickly adapted. A few weeks ago she moved to a twin bed because she was complaining that the toddler bed was to small. She's 3.

A. I will tell you this I have two children and they are very different, my son was in a toddler bed at 13 months and a big single bed at 15 months with those rails... my daughter went striaght into a big bed at 15 months... They will tell you when they are ready.... I also put a gate up fpr my son so he can get out. Dont just move him yet though if he cant walk yet he might fall out and pump his head tying to stand up...

Good question. As a single mom, I have a 10-year old that still wants to sleep with me. Hmmmmmmmmm......

T.

We waited until our son was able to pull himself up on the railing of the crib set at the lowest point. It was around 16 months. We put a gate at the door and put his crib mattress on the floor (with a rail) up against a corner. He took a little less than a week to understand that he was to be in bed when it was dark. We made sure everything was baby proofed and left just enough toys and books for him to play with in the morning. I still get the worried looks when moms find out his sleeping arrangement, but I have found that Aiden dictates what he is ready for and we adjust accordingly. Good luck

We moved my oldest son (now 9) into a toddler bed when he was 3--he never climbed out of his crib, so we put it off until I was expecting another child and would be in need of the crib for the baby. It worked out well, since he was becoming a big brother and moving into a big boy bed at the same time. We used a toddler bed for him only because we were given one, I'm sure he would have been fine in a regular bed.

We moved my middle son (now almost 6) into a twin bed when he was one--he was a climber and was able to get out of his crib anyway. If he was going to get out of bed, I prefered it not to be by climbing over the crib railing and thudding to the floor! We chose a twin bed because he was (and still is) sharing a room with his big brother, so they had matching beds.

My youngest son is only 5 months old, so we shall see about what he needs when the time comes!

My point is, like every other aspect in raising children, you should probably listen to everyone's advise and then use your own judgement. You know your son better than anyone and are best equipped to know what he needs!

good luck and God bless!

.

I STILL have my 2-1/2 year old in her crib. I'm dreading the thought of a real bed, and I am not going to make the change until she either starts climbing out or just plain doesn't fit in there anymore! lol She COULD climb out now, she just doesn't know it! She loves her crib, we never have trouble at bedtime or naptime, she sleeps thru the night and I usually have to wake her from her nap. So my only advice, and it's actually just my opinion, is that when we do make the switch we're going straight to a regular bed...no toddler-size here. Our next one for her will be the one she has thru teen years. We may start with just a matress or matress and box springs on the floor or something but I don't want to waste time and money on switching twice. One tip that's worked for me: her bedroom is not a playroom. I have a basket of stuffed animals and some books in there (and her crib is full, of course), but her room is for sleeping. The colors are soft and there are no other toys that light, sing, walk, move, or do anything too stimulating or interesting. I mean, I'm not a tyrant or anything...lol...we dance in there after bathtime and play dress-up sometimes, but it's all very mellow. Now, her playroom....UGH! lol It's a bright colorful beeping, buzzing, DVD-playing center of activity (and mess!)
Hope this helps and maybe put a smile on your face for a minute! Have a GREAT day!
D

With my oldest son, he was climbing out of his crib around 18 months. They didn't make crib tents back then so he went into a twin bed that my grandmother gave me before he was two. He couldn't reach the door knob so if he got up he'd play in his room.

With my second, we moved him on his second birthday. Got him a toddler bed with his favorite character and made a big to-do. He never attempted to climb out and it didn't take much to teach him to stay in his bed.

The triplets got switched at about 26 months, because my husband is in the military and he was leaving for a couple months. One of the triplets was starting to plop his leg over the top bar and I knew before he got back they'd need to be switched so we did it before he left so he'd be a part of it. Being in the military Dad misses allot of firsts. Two of them did fine. The third, the regular trouble maker, caused problems so we had to move the third into our bed at night until he fell asleep and then carried him to his bed. That was a pain, but then we moved to a 4 bedroom so he got his own room and wouldn't disrupt anyone's sleep.

They recommend keeping children in cribs for as long as possible, but you know your child and your situation. I'd say around 2+. Get a crib tent if needed. They can be life savers!

The kind of bed you get depends on the room you have and the money to spend. Toddler beds can save space. You'd still have to buy a twin later. If you start with a twin, consider putting the mattress and box spring directly on the floor instead of on a frame so it's not so far if he rolls out, and makes it easier for him to climb in. If you prefer using a frame, consider getting a step stool of some kind so he can climb into bed on his own.

You've got plenty of time. Good luck!

K. B
mom to 5 including triplets

Hi A.! We switched to a toddler bed the first time my then 2 year old (she's 3 now) climbed out of her bed and said "I said I'm not ready to go night night yet!". LOL Fearing that she would do it again (and thankful she didn't get hurt the first time) we got a toddler bed. We'll be getting her a bigger bed soon but she loves her toddler bed! My son (who is 2) has not tried to climb out yet so we still have him in his crib and he loves it. I, personally, don't recommend making the transition this early. Unless, of course, he's trying to climb out and could hurt himself. He'll let you know when he's ready. You mentioned that he sleeps well in his crib. Based on that I wouldn't rush it.

Hi A.

Just figured I'd throw my 2 cents at you on this one. I moved my son when he was 2 1/2 to a toddler bed. He loved his bed, he also loved getting up all night long. He was still content in his crib at that time so hindisght being 20/20 I should have waited longer. If your guy is having no difficulty being in the crib leave him as long as you can. If he starts climbing out, then go to a bed. If he's 3 and potty training, go to a bed. Otherwise, save your sanity, know he is safe and sound in his crib! Like I said, just my 2 cents... :)

We kept my older daughter in the crib until she was almost 3. I took her out because we were expecting a baby. I say keep them in as long as possible. If they're happy in there, it's not a bad thing. I have an 11 month old that I'm going to keep in the crib as long as we can.

I would just go straight for the twin bed and be done with it instead of 2 transitions... it will take from 4 nights to 2 weeks probably to get him to understand and stay- but he will....

Hi A.,

I have 2 boys that are 6 and 4 now. I moved both of them from cribs to beds around the age of 2-21/2. They were not climbers, so I didn't have to worry about them falling out of the crib. My oldest is big so we got him a twin bed right away and kept gard rails on it till he was 5. My younger is very small so we opted for the toddler bed. It has worked out great. I think the issues of twin/toddler bed depends on many factors like the space you have, the child's security, and if you are ready to invest in a twin.
Good luck!

N.

Hi A.,

Experts typically recommend waiting as long as possible to move your child out of the crib - to age 3 if possible. At that age they are better able to understand when they should stay in bed and when it is OK to get out of bed. However, if your little one is trying to get out of the crib, then that is the time to move them. It is best to move them before they actually succeed in climbing out. My son started throwing his leg over the top rail of the crib when he was just under 2 years old. We wanted to move him before he fell and got hurt, so we moved him into a toddler bed just before his 2nd birthday. His crib converts into a toddler bed, so we had him participate in the process of converting it and we never had any problems with the transition. In the beginning he used to get up out of his bed to come get us, but now he stays in his bed and waits for us to come get him. He is now 2.5.

J.

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A.,
Like others have said, keep him in the crib as long as possible, as long as he still is safe!

We went right to a twin bed with both our kids, no toddler beds. We left the crib up in the room, having read and heard this can help, but it was a non-issue for both. My DD was about 2 1/2 and my DS about 2. Neither one ever looked at his/her crib again, so about a week later we took down the crib.

We used a bedrail as long as necessary, and we even bought a travel one (collapsable) that we took with us to hotels and when otherwise traveling.

Good luck!

Hi A.,
I was actually recently talking about this very topic with my daughter's pediatrician. Her pediatrician told me to try to keep her in a crib for as long as possible (as long as she is safe). She actually started climbing out of the crib a few months ago (she is almost 2 1/2 now) so I bought a crib tent so she can't get hurt. The crib tent was the best purchase I ever made! She is safe in her crib, no longer tries to get out, and I don't have to deal with the issues of her coming in to our bed at all hours of the night. I think the best time to change your child to a big boy bed is when he becomes potty trained or is in the process of night potty training so that he can get to the potty without a problem.
Good luck!
J.

A.,
I moved my son out of his crib sometime in his second year. My advice to you (I learned this too late) is to leave him in his crib as long as he is not climbing out. I read that advice AFTER I moved my son to a toddler bed and wish I had known it sooner. When you switch to a bed--it opens up a whole OTHER set of issues--they can just get out of bed & walk around the house at night, they may not stay in his bed at bedtime, etc. My son's room was near the top of our stairs, so I had to use a baby gate at his door because I was afraid he'd get up, get confused & fall down the steps. So, if I had to do it over again, I would leave my son in the crib until he can climb out. Lower the mattress and let him in there if he's not escaping! Also--you may want to skip the toddler bed and go right to a twin with bed rails. I didn't know this but you cannot use the rails with a toddler bed so unless it is the kind that has the little sides on it--he won't have sides! I had a toddler bed that we used but we probably should have just gone to the twin with rails.
Good luck!

I have always been told by experienced mothers that when your child can get out of the bed they should be put in a toddler bed, and that until they learn how to do that you keep them in! Why allow your child to have "free roam" if they are perfectly content staying "locked in?" (And it's easier on us!) My son is almost 21 months old and he still is in his crib (and he is VERY tall for his age) because he has shown no interest in getting out!

Hey A.,

I submitted this q about two months ago. My 21 yo climbed out and fell head first onto the hard wood floor. He's fine but it was really scary and I have never seen a bigger lump on anyone's head - adult or child. He slept with us that night and we moved him into his toddler bed the following night. The crib we bought from Ikea converted, otherwise we would have gone straight to the twin bed. Actually, I think he looks a little big for the toddler bed already. It was brutal for the first couple of nights. Even though it was his same mattress and bed, it sure looked different and to boot we changed his room too...yike. But after about 4 days we finally were able to stop pushing him into his room screaming and closing the door. :( After about the 4th day he actually started to like his space and jumped right into bed and pulled up the blankets. Stay strong sis, don't give into them (ha). I would have liked to prevented that fall and moved him sooner but I actually think I didnt' trust my instincts enough. I felt like he was ready, he was definitely strong enough to get out. That should have been a strong indicator. I'll know better for the next kid! Anyhoo, hope this helps...oh and the crib tent...looks strange to me and I'd rather not spend $75 on one more thing I'm gonna have to pack away and ulitmately sell at a yard sale or end up in a landfill just to prolong the moving to a bed for one more month or so. My two cents on that. :) Long story for a short answer which is trust your instincts and what the baby is showing you - some don't climb and love the crib, others just want out. Watch for the signs and trust yourself.

Take care,
J.

PS - don't forget to VOTE today all you PA ladies. Today is the DAY we get to be counted!

Let me just say how lucky you are to have a child who enjoys their crib. In my experience (6 yr old son, 8 yr old daughter), it is better to keep them in the crib as long as they are comfortable, safe and sleeping well. NEITHER of mine liked the crib, or sleeping for that matter! I have had friends keep their babies in cribs up until 2 or even 3. If your son starts to climb out of the crib, then that is a sign it is time to move on. (It took one fall out of the crib for me to run out and get the bed for my son)
As far as a toddler bed goes, that is a personal preference. I didn't use a toddler bed at all. With the nice bed rails available, to me it just seemed like a waste of money.

Good luck!
G. L.

Hi, my story is this. When your child is ready to be moved to a different bed, he will let you know and you will know. For example, when my son was about 11 months old, he went from sleeping every night to getting up about 2 or 3 times a night. He was able to get out of his crib to get a drink (he was not on the bottle then) and could not get back into the crib. Finally about two months go by of up and down, I asked him if he liked his bed. His response to me was "no mommy, i hate my bed." My husbands boss was giving some furniture away and one of the things was a single bed. We got it from him and from that point on, the only time he would get up was when he was sick. My idea on the toddler beds was, why waste the money on a bed that he would grow out of in a few years. I also have a daughter who is 4 years younger, she was a totally different story. No two kids are alike. It sounds like you are doing a wonderful job. Just follow your instincts and those of your children, and all will be fine.

My husband and I moved our older son when he was 2. Our younger son however got moved to one when he was 1. We got a regular twin bed, but one that had a very low position to the ground. That way he had less distance to fall. (He never did fall) Our younger son sleeps on a regular twin bed, height and all and has only fallen out once. I would not waste money on a toddler bed, they are to expensive to have to replace in a couple years when the child grows out of it.

We kept my oldest in a crib til she was around 2 .. and then moved her to a twin bed with side rails .. we really didn't have the money for a toddler bed (and honestly I didn't think it was necessary). The younger moved to a bed when she was almost 2 ... although she moved right in with her sister into a double bed. They never had any problems.

Leave him in the crib!!! Unless he is climbing out of the crib, there is no safety issue with him staying there. I have three kids and they all moved out of the crib at different ages, but the one who stayed in the crib until she was three, is by far the best sleeper now. Once your child is out of the crib, naps and going down for the night may become a much bigger production. The toddler beds are cute, but you have so much time. Let your baby be a baby for now.

Don't rush anything with your son. He will let you know when it is time to go to a "big boys bed". If you and your husband are comfortable with it as well as him, leave him there. He is only young once and your most important thought should be to keep him safe and happy.

I have three kids (8, almost 3 and 14 months). I moved my oldest to a bed when she was 20 months. I moved my middle child when he was 19 months and my youngest is still in the crib. I wouldn't recommend doing it at 12 months.

When I moved my first two to a bed, I chose a twin size bed. A toddler bed will only last a short time and I think it is a waist of money. I just had the bed pushed against the wall and placed a bed rail on the other side. And so that my kids could get in and out of bed by themselves, I place a little stair step next to the bed. This way worked just fine for me. I do not regret going straight to a twin bed.

we put our son in after he was 2 1/2.
i know it sounds crazy but i was excited for him because it was a cool race car bed... but hind sight i would have kept him in a crib longer for we discovered he has a hereditary sleep walking disorder..

i would lower your crib, and wait it out as long as you can, atleast until hes over 2 ; )

Hi A.. the rule of thumb that we used with out three girls was if they tried to climb out of the crib after lowering the matteress to the lowest point...then it's time for the toddler bed. Two of my three loved the toddler bed (we bought a white metal frame & bright red side rails). Being able to use the mattress, sheets and comforters/blankets that they were comfortable with and used every night in their crib made the transition much easier in my opinion. They were all around 2 or 2&1/2 when we made the move. My middle one only used the toddler bed for her afternoon nap...she prefered to sleep at night with her older sister in her "big girl" twin bed when she came out of the crib. We let that one go for about a year, then we bought bunk beds. There is a 2 yr gap between the two of them and they have always been really close, and shared a room until we moved into a bigger house when she was 8. One of the things you have to do when you move a child into a "big" bed is to make sure you child proof the bedroom very carefully and invest in a good, safe babygate. We used a babygate instead of closing the bedroom door at bedtime. That way we could hear them, and didn't have to worry about fingers getting caught in doors...we placed the baby gate so that the door wouldn't close completely. We also kept the number of toys very small in their rooms. Basicly we never encouraged our children to play or hang out in their rooms...and now that they are teens I'm really glad we did that. They use their room for sleep...and very rarely just "hang out" in them, just another way for us to keep up and involved in their lives...in a sneaky parent kinda way. They have always done homework at the dinning table, played in the family room or living room, and that habit has contiuned! Just another thing to think about I guess. Good luck and best wishes.

I have 3 kids. The first 2 I moved into a regular twin shortly after their 2nd birthday. They both transitioned very well, especially since I decorated their new room in a theme that they loved (both Spongebob). My 3rd I HAD to transition after his 2nd birthday because he could climb out of his crib AND open the bedroom door (the other 2 never did this). If your son seems content in his crib and isn't trying to pull a Houdini on you, then my suggestion is to leave him in as long as possible. This may make the transition in the future nice and smooth because he'll be more ready. Good luck.

A.,
As long as he isn't trying to get out of the crib and there isn't someone else who is going to need it, I would leave him in the crib as long as possible. We have 8 children and tried a toddler bed with the last one only. We were trying to hold off on buying another big bed. :) But, I do not personally recommend a toddler bed. She could easily get out of the toddler bed and we had to put a bed rail on it because when she would go to roll over, she'd fall out. All my others went from a crib to a regular twin bed. We did put a side rail on the twin bed until they got used to it, but we had much more success with the bigger bed. The crib rail was gone before they were 3. I'm sure some other moms will say they loved the toddler bed, but we didn't have any success with them at all.
L.

Hi,

We actually just moved our daughter to a toddler bed. She'll be two this Thurs. We did it because she has night terrors and flails about, and we were afraid she would hurt herself in the crib. She had gotten her arms and legs through the bars a few time and we were afraid that during an episode she would end up braking an arm or a leg. She is doing well in the toddler bed. She does get up a few times a week and comes into our room, just down the hall. I have to tell you though it's so much better than the crib, we don't hear her banging about. I know some people move their children when they are ready to climb out or have already done so. If he is close to this then I would go for it. My thinking is the sooner you do it the sooner he'll understand and stay in. Good luck.
C.

We moved our son to a "big boy bed" when he was 18 months old as I was 7 months pregnant. It was a BIG mistake. He is now 2 1/2, wakes up every night and crawls into bed with us. A crib would have not allowed that. If I could do it again, I would have bought a second crib. My advice would be to keep your child in a crib as long as possible and as long as he is not climbing out. I wish I had listened to all the mom's who told me to do that.

Our son just turned two and he is still very happy in his crib. I think each child is different with the preferences. Our Ped. told us to keep him in his crib as long as we can - he is much safer there. Now, once he can & does climb out of the crib - that is when we should move him to a toddler bed. She said it is all about safety & once they go to the bed you have to worry about so many dangers if chooses to get up at night or before you in the morning. Our son climbs but has yet to climb near or in the crib. hooray!

We just moved our son (11months) to a toddler bed about a week ago. He learned to crawl out of his crib so it was time. He LOVES it and is doing sooo good in it so far!

A., because my daughter was tall for her age, she actually had to be out of a crib by the time she was a year. i actually would wake up with her next to my bed saying mommy, i lay with you and the first few times it freaked me out since i know i put her in her crib when i went to bed. i found out that she was actually tall enough to climb out so the crib was not place for her. i am sure she sort of fell out a few times until she realized how to get out right without falling but i never heard it. i ended up taking her to a store and i let her pick an affordable toddler bed. it was realllly hard at her age to keep her in her bed/bedrdoom and honestly, had my stressful moments for a while but over time she felt like a big girl and enjoyed her new bed once the rules were finally established that she could not play in the middle of the night. if he is about to fall out, that means HIS next step will be to climb out too. AG, because my daughter was tall for her age, she actually had to be out of a crib by the time she was a year. i actually would wake up with her next to my bed saying mommy, i lay with you and the first few times it freaked me out since i know i put her in her crib when i went to bed. i found out that she was actually tall enough to climb out so the crib was not place for her. i am sure she sort of fell out a few times until she realized how to get out right without falling but i never heard it. i ended up taking her to a store and i let her pick an affordable toddler bed. it was realllly hard at her age to keep her in her bed/bedrdoom and honestly, had my stressful moments for a while but over time she felt like a big girl and enjoyed her new bed once the rules were finally established that she could not play in the middle of the night. it seems you may have to do the same thing. if he is about to fall out, that means HIS next step will be to climb out too. i would not rush it if he dont have to be out and enjoy the time in the crib while you can but eventually he will grow up and you will have to. hope this helps. K.

When my youngest was about that age, I took the side rail off the crib and but the bed down as far as it would go. At night I put pillows on the floor, just in case he would roll off of his bed. If you would decide to do this, do not forget that your son can get into things while you are sleeping so you will not be able to watch what he is getting into. So make sure to safety proof your home and baby gate off the sleeping area from the rest of your home. If you do not want him out of his room, put the gate there. My son loved the new found freedom. He would get onto his bed during the day and play. Sometimes if he was tired, he would go to bed himself. Hope this helps...

Hi A. -

My son was 2.5 when we moved him into his toddler bed. He was so content sleeping in his crib, I believe he probably would have stayed in there until he was 5. If he is unable to climb over the sides, I would not move him. Don't rush it, you don't want him running around the house at night when you are sleeping.

S.

I moved my daughter to a twin bed when she was about 21 months old. It was actually a daybed that she still has and I put a rail up. My husband was deployed to Iraq when she was little so her and I stayed with my mother. When he returned home, I did not want to put the crib back together for a few months so we decided to switch her. She was ready even though she never climbed out of her crib. Im not sure at 1 that you want to switch him just yet. If you do switch him Id start with a Toddler bed. But you might find that he is out of it playing more than he is asleep in it. Though he goes to sleep well, he might wake up in the middle of the night and play again before going back to sleep, without you knowing. Id also suggest a gate at his door if you switch him so that he is not running through the house and getting into things before you wake and hear him. Hope this helps.

We left our daughter in her crib until her older brother taught her how to crawl out. That was close to her 3rd birthday. My dr said as long as she was not crawling out, to let her in up until her 3rd b-day.

Good luck!

we moved my daughter at 2 1/2 so accommodate the birth of my son, which was funny, because it's not like he went in it right away. we cosplept for almost a year. nonetheless, neither of mine were climbers, so that was something in our favor. dd seemed to genuinely LOVE the crib. she would frequently wake up the in the middle of the night and put on little plays with the stuffed animals, we could hear her talking and singing even when we had no idea what she was saying! ds didn't love it as much but he was in it until 3 because getting a twin bed for him tiny room was problematic, but i would have moved him earlier for sure.

my couin moved all three of hers at 1 year, and not into a toddler bed, which is just another expense you don't need, but into a twin. she just put the mattress and box spring ont he floor for a year, that way rolling out presented less of a problem, and the bed wasn't intimidating.

a friend of mine from jamaica told me that they don't use cribs there anyway, they generally cosleep and then go right to a twin. made sense to me.

i think you just need to know you own child, and recognize the new set of challenges that will arrive once your child can hop out and roam the house on his or her own.

Everything I read when my son was a baby said to move them to a bed when they were either 36 inches tall or close to 2 years old. My son was 2 yrs old before he hit 36 inches, so we bought him a twin bed and put the One Step Ahead bedrail (they are the longest ones made on the market for twin beds) on the side that wasn't against the wall. We also made sure to buy a bed with a tall headboard and a footboard that came up taller than the mattress, just to keep him safe on all sides at night.

It took him a while to get used to the bed b/c he did the get out and wander around thing for a week or so. I just kept putting him back in bed and he got the hang of it. He's now 3.5 years old and has always slept well throughout the night.

It sounds like your son is safe in his crib - I would definitely lower it as you're planning on doing and then move him again in a year or so, unless he grows taller than 36 inches. I have some friends who bought a toddler bed and loved that but I chose to go ahead and buy the twin bed as I knew we would eventually need it (I wanted to save money in the long run). Best wishes!