When to Move Child to Toddler Bed

If she's happy where she is, there is no need to make a change now. She's still pretty young. Better to keep her in her crib until around the age of 3, unless she starts climbing out. At 3 she will be more able to understand and follow directions about staying in bed.

I would skip the toddler bed. I think they are a waste of money. Go straight to a twin bed and use a rail. That worked great for us when I switched my two kids at around the age of 3.

My 21 month old just went into a big boy bed last month and I have had very few problems at night. It has gone extremely well. But using your child's old crib for the new baby could be really good or your child may be really upset about it. Talk to your child first to see how she will feel about it.

I agree, why change? Do you need the crib for your younger one? If so, she will realize that regardless. I say get another crib off of craigslist and let her stay in her crib until she starts climbing out, and even then you could get a crib tent and delay moving to a toddler bed until she actually requests it. You will surely regret moving her to a toddler bed now. Imagine if she switched to a toddler bed now, and she stopped sleeping well, started to be very difficult to put to bed making bedtime an hour or two ordeal, started acting out and acting like a little baby again, waking up in the middle of the night, getting into everything, etc. Transitioning to a toddler bed is actually a pretty big step and can be a very trying time. Are you ready to lose sleep and spend more time putting her down, baby proof her room completely and put up a gate, or keep her door shut, and wake up in the middle of the night for both kids, and possibly deal with other behavior issues? I mean everything could go really smoothly, who knows. But you have to prepare for the worst. Personally I could not deal with all of that while taking care of a 2 month old as well. I think it would be better to wait as long as possible, or at least wait until the baby is sleeping through the night so that you aren't completely sleep deprived

Our daughter just turned 2 a couple of weeks ago and we are expecting baby #2 any day now. We bought our daughter a toddler bed when she was about 22 months old. So far she has only taken naps in it and played on it (and she will put herself in timeout and go lay on it). We still have her sleeping in the crib at night because she is a restless sleeper. The one night we did have her sleep in the toddler bed she fell out. (The only crib rails that we can find for a toddler bed cost more than the bed did! And all the other rails on the market only fit twin size beds.) We aren't pushing it to have her sleep in the big girl bed. Just kind of waiting until she feels ready for it.

If she is sleeping fine then why change it?? She will let you know when she is interested.

If she sleeps well in her bed, keep her there! Why mess with a good thing? She'll let you know when she's ready to move on.

I don't think there is an age/weight limit. The main thing is as soon as they can get out or even try to get out on their own, it is time to switch. If that is not an issue, I would leave it be for now.

If it is all working the way it is, what is the reason for making a change? Our mantra was if they were safe and content, don't mess with success.
Read Dr Sears info about sleep, he has done extensive studies on the subject. His Web site is askdrsears.com and never has failed me!
Enjoy your babies, the days are long, but the years are short!
J.

Hi J.,
Is there a need for the crib for the newborn??
If not, don't rush it. She's a great sleeper and feels comfort from her bed. You don't have to do a toddler bed. (Even though they are cute) It's just more 'stuff'. You can easily go from crib to twin bed if you want.
I'd say - save your money.

Between 3-4 years old

So many people are in such a hurry to get their 1 or 2 year old in a toddler bed and because the child isn't ready or mature enough they encounter many problems like the child won't sleep in their bed, the child won't stay in their bedroom etc.

I am keeping my baby in her crib until age3 or until she climbs out. She will be going to a regular big girl bed with a guard rail then I don't like toddler beds.

My oldest was moved to a bed around 18 months because we were expecting our 2nd. With our 2nd, we moved her to a toddler bed around 18 months as well because of baby #3. Our 3rd is a different story...we moved him when he was about 26 months old. We're done having children and he wasn't trying to climb out, so I just kept him in there. He LOVES his big boy bed and does very well in it. I haven't had the problems with him getting out of bed all night like we did with our girls. Age probably has something to do with that. How's your daughter doing with the new baby? If things are going well, I'd say go ahead and move her to a toddler bed. Just make a big deal out of it so she feels like she's becoming a big girl and not just getting pushed aside for the new baby. I'd wait a little bit before moving baby into her crib...just until she accepts her new bed. Good luck!

If your daughter is sleeping well and doing well with the new baby, I would not change a thing! Invest in a cheap crib for the new baby if you need to -- good rest and peace in your home are worth the investment! Every child is different, but from what I've observed with my daughter and all of her little friends (who are all a little over 3 years old now), the children who moved into a bed when they asked for it/wanted for it had a much better transition than those who were just moved and were not part of the decision. My daughter started asking for a big girl bed right before she turned 3 and we didn't have any problems with the transition. Also, I know plenty of 3 year olds still in their cribs and there's nothing wrong with that!

My son turned two in June and I am expecting our second boy in November. I decided that we would transfer him to his "big boy" bed at 25 months. He, like your daughter, has always been a very good sleeper and never tried to climb out of his crib.

When we first made the switch, he was unsure because we had switched rooms on him as well so that the new baby could have the nursery (we have really small rooms). But we tried to make it really special with a new bedspread that he got to pick out (Thomas the Train) and we made it a huge party.

Regardless of all those plans, Daddy still had to sleep next to his bed for a few nights until he knew there was nothing to be afraid of (different shadows on the wall, the closet door, etc). Now, he's adjusted.. it has been about a month... and he's doing just fine.

I've always felt that we could have moved him sooner, but there really wasn't a reason to until we needed to have the crib for someone else. I'd say your daughter is probably ready to move now, just be prepared for a little adjustment period.

yes, i agree with most everyone here who says "don't wake a sleeping baby"! :) ok, technically that may not be the way it goes, but if something is working, it's probably best not to rush to change anything. we had to move the week our little girl turned 2. that's how we got rid of the crib. at the old house, we had her big girl bed set up in her room for a few months. then, we told her that it was going to be in her new big girl room for her birthday. we never ever had a problem-- she was just ready then. everyone is individual and has different experiences and situations, so go with your instinct. it won't steer you wrong.