NPR: Crib Transition Advice

cnbean

So I don't post a ton on here, but I'm hoping for some advice. DS will be 2 next month and he has just started climbing out of his crib. I'm dreading making the switch to a toddler bed and am having a hard time making myself do it. Bedtime was so easy and now I just forsee it becoming this battle royale! 

Anyone who has been through this and has any tips for a smooth transition, please share. Thanks!

boymum2014

I went through it while nannying full time,and my best advice is have absolutely minimal communication if they get out of bed when they shouldn't-they will come up with every excuse in the book-thirsty,hungry,tummy hurts,need bathroom-let them have 1 trip to the bathroom if needed then guide them back into bed just saying 'goodnight' and leave. Some parents want to be nice & play with their kids at 2am and it makes the situation worse each time they wake up they will expect that attention!

busterbeagle

My DD will be 2 in a couple weeks and we just made the transition a week and a half ago. It has gone as smoothly as we could possibly hope. We kept everything else about her bedtime routine consistent. She was very excited about getting her big girl bed, but we have also played it up as much as possible. She is so proud of it. Her bed is also a hand-me-down from my cousin who she really adores and looks up to, so we used that to play into how special it is. If that wasn't the case, I might have let her pick new bedding or something else to make it seem like a special big girl privilege. Good luck, I hope it's easier than you expect!

chknma

We did the transition around Christmas and it went well. We really hyped up the whole big girl bed thing. I think it's good to keep the routine consistent with what you've been doing in the crib. For DD that means a pretty short bedtime or she gets distracted and wants to play. Some friends put up a safety gate, but for us it wasn't necessary. I think I worried a lot more about the transition then I needed to, but all kids are different! Good luck!

bcnoelle

My son transitioned a little over 2 years old.  We got him a really fun bed,  here is a link:

https://www.amazon.com/The-Step2-Company-Boys-Storage/dp/B00D9OMXHM/ref=sr_1_5?ie=UTF8&qid=1391175559&sr=8-5&keywords=step+2+bed

I also made sure all of his furniture (especially dresser) were secure and his room was as toddler proof as possible...since now he was sort of given free range.  We keep his door open but put a baby gate up.  We keep a routine every night (read books, put him in bed, I put on his turtle twilight star night light, sing a couple of songs, then say good night and leave).  I think he likes the routine and it worked out a lot quicker than expected.  Good luck!

MrsT2008

We haven't done it yet (probably in a few weeks, as soon as we finish setting up DD's new room) but honestly, I think you just have to do it.  It might suck, it might not.  But it has to be done, right?  That's the way I'm looking at it!

ETA:  My plan is to keep our bedtime routine exactly the same.  I'm also going to let her explore her new room/bed for a week or so without making her sleep there (if she seems hesitant). 

bumpuser9353653

DD is only 19 months so we haven't made the transition yet, but my SIL said one thing that helped with her daughter was getting one of those night lights that has a moon/stars for night and a sun when it's time to wake up (you can customize the time settings) that way if LO gets up in the middle of the night, they can see the moon light and know it's still bedtime.

I also have heard that switching the door knob around on the bedroom door (so the lock is on the hall side) is a good idea so they can't accidentally lock you out.

MrsT2008

RugbyMamma said:

DD is only 19 months so we haven't made the transition yet, but my SIL said one thing that helped with her daughter was getting one of those night lights that has a moon/stars for night and a sun when it's time to wake up (you can customize the time settings) that way if LO gets up in the middle of the night, they can see the moon light and know it's still bedtime. I also have heard that switching the door knob around on the bedroom door (so the lock is on the hall side) is a good idea so they can't accidentally lock you out.

We'll be doing this (kind of).  DD's new room is right by our basement and I'm terrified that she'll open the door and fall down the stairs, so we're switching her door knob with the basement so that we can close and lock the basement door and her door can't be locked at all.

Ladiebug30

My situation is a little different because a toddler bed isn't really possible for my son right now. He also learned how to climb out of his crib, but I don't know how we would keep him in his bed so my husband took the mattress holding hardware off the bottom of the crib and we have his mattress on the floor. It just fits. We also pulled his bumper from his bed set out of storage and tucked it beside the mattress and tied it to the bottom of the crib to make sure there were no cracks or open spaces. It isn't ideal but it bought us a little more time because I'm just not sure my 17 month old is ready to be out of his crib.

cnbean

Thanks for all the suggestions! I'm really hoping that I'm making this a bigger deal that it needs to be. His timing just really sucks and it makes me hesitant to change anything else. Oh well! 

Lovenyc

My son was jumping out of the crib right around his 2nd birthday. I was scared to make the switch to a toddler bed as well. We were planning to move him to a new room to make way for baby so we decided to give it a shot. It went shockingly well. 

We bought a twin mattress and box spring. I bought a side rail to keep him in there safely. We put a baby gate on his bedroom door. He is able to open and close his bedroom door.

He was never a good sleeper in his crib but seems to really enjoy his new found freedom. He was sleeping like a champ for the first couple of months but is having a bit of a regression now due to recent illnesses...but all in all, I highly recommend the switch! 

dragossoul84

We had to transition DS 1 out of his crib to a toddler bed at 1 because he was crawling out I was terrified. We took him to the store let him pick the bedding and decorations for his big boy room and really have not had any trouble at bedtime. We have solid routines bath, dinner, book, kisses and he goes down pretty well. I of course baby proofed the room furniture secured to the wall outlet covers and we do have a child proof door knob cover on the inside of the room. We did have some trouble at the very begining because he was afraid of the dark but would unplug nightlights we took touch lights and hung them on the wall at his level and before he goes to sleep we walk around and high five the touch lights then tuck him in. My son is only 19 months though so things may be different at 2. I hope things work out for you