Home How old was your kid when you moved them to a toddler bed?

[vespergirl]

My son is 2 years 9 months old, and still sleeps in a crib. He likes it, and I like the fact that he''s secure in there at night, and not running around the house. However, now that I''m pregnant with number two, we''re planning on moving him to a larger bedroom in the next couple of months, and keeping the nursery intact for the coming baby.

I am a little worried about the transition, and wonder what your thoughts are on the appropriate age to move to a "big boy bed." At this point, since he''s almost 3, should we just scrap the toddler bed idea & move him to a twin?

Thanks for your feedback!

 

[somethingshiny]

As soon as he could climb out of his crib. For my son, he was just over two years old. One of my nephews was just under two and another nephew was never in a crib.

We also moved him due to potty training. We wanted him to be able to get up and use the potty first thing in the morning or in the middle of the night if necessary.

Our son is currently 3.5 and we''ve nixed the idea of a twin bed until he grows out of the toddler size. For one thing, he needs all the floor room he can get. For another, he''s an active sleeper and I think he''d fall out of a twin if he didn''t have a rail. If it has a rail it''s so close to the toddler bed I don''t see the point.

We thought using his "old" bedding was also helpful. His bed changed but all of his sheets and blankets were the same so the transition was easy.

 

[D&T]

Right at about 15 months...

Then at 26 months DD went on to a twin bed, no rails... she fell off a couple of times, but I had pillows all around. She learned quick, but this works for us and our DD

 

[luvmyhalo]

We made the switch at about 28 months. She went from the crib directly to a full size bed (with rails on both sides so as to avoid any "roll-offs") with no problem. We took the rails off the other day and she''s doing fine with it. It''s so crazy to see our little girl in that big full size bed, she''s growing up so fast!

 

[Clio]

Mine were each about 18 months, and they went straight to twin beds.

 

[packrat]

London moved into my old bed, full size, when she was 27 mo. She wasn''t trying to climb out or anything-we were trying for the next baby and figured she was ready. Trapper was the same age. He''s got the twin size JD built for him, and London will be going down to twin size this winter whenever JD makes it for her. The house/bedrooms are too small for anything else. I kept the doors shut at night and during naps. It took London a while to figure out how to open up the door, and once she did, I left it open, and if she had to potty during the night she''s come get me. Trapper doesn''t know how to open the door yet, so he knocks when he''s ready to get up or if he wants another snuggle before he goes to sleep.

 

[mrssalvo]

my oldest went to a toddler at 18 months b/c I was preggo with my second and needed the crib. she did fine but I missed having her contained. My second stayed in her crib until 2 1/2 and then moved straight to a twin bed. she never fell out and I didn''t have the rails. I will keep my youngest in the crib until he can climb out, definitely for as long as I can!

 

[vespergirl]

Thanks for your feedback - DS climbed out of his crib once, when he was about 27 months, but it hurt when he fell, and he never tried it again. He actually really prefers the crib - we''ve asked him several times if he wants a big boy bed, and he said "not yet." It''s going to have to happen in the next few months though ...

 

[Kaleigh]

I moved DS out of the crib once he was climbing out. We moved DD into a twin and gave the toddler bed to DS. Not sure how old he was, he was like a monkey climbing out of that crib. I even tried one of those toppers you put on top of the crib... He unzipped that in a nano second...

 

[lyra]

My girls both went straight to twin beds at around that age. One never ever fell out of the bed, the other was still falling out at the age of 6+.

Maybe you can involve him in planning the set up of his new room and getting his opinions on bedding choices, that sort of thing, to make him more comfortable with the idea. You can use the rails too. We used them for a short period of time, although like I said, one daughter still managed to fall out. We often found her wrapped up in her quilt with just her legs sticking out in the mornings. Like a lollipop! She was a sound sleeper.

 

[waxing lyrical]

We transitioned DD1 to a toddler bed at 22 months. DD2 was 23 months when we transitioned her to a twin bed.

 

[february2003bride]

Vesper- at 2 years we moved both DS''s to double beds. We did it in one fell swoop and hyped it up! New room, new bed, etc.

 

[Tacori E-ring]

I am wondering this same thing but I really, really, really like having T contained. Plus she sleeps well in her crib but she is 21 months...decisions, decisions! Seeing how she has never co-slept (after the first few months for naps) and won't even CONSIDER sleeping in a regular bed I have a feeling she will be in her crib for a long, long time.

 

[swingirl]

You want him detached from the crib so he doesn''t get jealous and feel like he got kicked out of his bed for the new baby. He is certainly old enough right now. We started with a twin sized mattress and box spring on the floor until we were sure our kids wouldn''t fall out.