When to Move Your Child from a Crib to a Bed?

funny, this is a very good question. My 2.5 year old still sleeps in his crib. A lady I work with still has her 3 year old sleeping in a crib (her 3rd child). We got him a nice Lightning mcqueen bed and he loves it, but you lay him down and the next minute he says 'mornin'...a few nights later he started coming into our room at 4:30 AM flicking the light on yelling 'Mornin'...although very cute, it isn't so nice to get waken up at 4:30 AM

then we moved his brother into his room, (now 10 mos. old) and our toddler would pile blanket after blanket in the baby's crib, well at this time his brother wasn't even rolling over, so we brought the crib back. I didn't want him to accidentally hurt his brother. So our plan is on his 3rd birthday we are bringing the bed back out again....and we aren't going back to the crib.

I have heard the rule of thumb is to move them to a toddler bed when they start using the crib as a jungle gym and are crawling out.

My son hated his crib so we moved him to a mattress with a side rail on the floor at 12months. We added the box spring when he was about 16months and could climb up on it. He goes to sleep each night with a story and wakes up and talks until we go to him. There really isn't an age its more when your child is ready. If it makes him feel more independent, or if the crib it too small (he can climb out) then it is the right time. Good Luck I hope you have a smooth transition.
A.

I moved my daughter from crib to toddler bed when she was jumping out of her crib and climbing like a monkey I think she was about 15mos. I thought it would be safer for her in a bed, however she never liked her toddler bed and created a new habit of sleeping mommy's bed.I would personally keep your little one in a crib as long as possible until they are close to three years old or are making it dangerous by climbing or jumping out.

A twin bed pushed against a wall and with siderail works great too.

My kid was about 18 months and #2 was due when she would turn 25 months. You never know how long it will take. My husband was making a toddler bed for her so until that got done months later...my daughter slepted on blankets on the floor. She wouldn't sleep on the mattress that was on the floor. The only thing that worked was shutting her in her room and putting on a door knob thing so she couldn't get out. It was aweful to hear her cry out. I'd check on her every 20 min. or so to make sure she wasn't poopy. One day at about 22 months I was able to leave her door open and she didn't come running out. I said that I'll leave her door open so the cats could visit her and that seem to do the trick. Sometimes she'd wake up in the AM and come to our room. That's a habit I think we just broke and she's now 2.5 years old. She sleeps in her toddler bed, we leave her door open, and she rarely comes to our room. If you need more help let me know.