For those who have had to make a transition to toddler bed around 18/19 months...need advice!
A week and a half ago my son had been having several nights of having a really hard time going to sleep. He would scream and cry and fight us at bedtime. Prior to all that, bedtime was no problem. Lay him in his bed at 8pm and he was out like a light on his own. I tried it all. After 5-7 nights of it I decided he would have to cry it out (he is really strong-willed) so I knew he must just be realizing if he screamed, cried, and fought us he would get what he wanted well that night he climbed out his crib....4 times. So, since then we have had to make a very quick transition to a toddler bed. We even lowered his crib down once more and he still climbed out. I was hoping to keep him in it much longer than 19 months but I am afraid at this point he will get hurt because he is so good at getting out. His crib transitioned to a toddler bed by taking the front off and putting a guard rail on but the problem now is getting him to go to bed in there alone! We were on vacation all last week and he had to sleep with us because there was no bed for him...I stayed in there until he fell asleep for the last 2 nights but he is waking up crying in the middle of the night. I am at a loss of how to train/teach him to stay in his bed. Being that he is only 19 months old it is hard knowing what he understands too. He also can climb the wooden gate in his doorway so I am not sure if I should shut the door and put a doorknob guard on the door but am afraid of what he may get into with the door shut 
Advice needed!!! TIA ladies!!
Re: For those who have had to make a transition to toddler bed around 18/19 months...need advice!
We transitioned DD early (I think 20 months old). I made sure there were no toys in the room. I left her bookshelf so if nothing she could just "read" to herself. I also made sure it was as toddler proofed as possible with guard rails and plug covers. I used a nightlight but made sure it didn't plug into the wall. We got the ladybug nightlight/star projecter fromBRU and it turns off in about 45 min.
I had a monitor in her room and if I heard her out of bed I would go in there say "get back in bed" in a stern voice and put her back. I allowed plush animals for her to play with in her bed.
We only had a few days where I found her asleep partially on the bed or on the floor.
I know how you feel I'm in the process of trying to figure this out as well but my LO is only 12mons!! She's 90th percent for her height and she is so close to flipping herself out of bed but I feel shes just to small for a toddler bed(ours also converts). I'm buying some time by having her sleep in footie pjs so she doesnt get enough traction to climb over the rail but I dont think thats a solution I can use much longer.
My boss told me when her daughter was small they actually took the door off and put a screen door on that way it wasnt a gate she could climb over but could still see thru.
Not looking forward to switching her to the toddler bed, I might end up on an aero bed in her room to get her used to the toddler bed. LOL
At about 18 mom we moved our son into his toddler bed because he was tearing apart the crip, literally. In the beginning all was fine and he never tried to crawl out of bed. Now at 21 months hes out all the time. Seems like ever 30 seconds im back in there telling him to get back to bed, he throws his fit, give him a kiss and walk out of his room. With the door shut behind me.
Easier said than done, but just stay consistent and dont let him win this "war". He will cry and scream and you will want to do whatever he wants just to make him sleep. But he needs to learn self control and to stay in bed. Yes you may find him sleeping on the floor, i still find mine there some nights.
Your hard work will pay off. Good luck.