2nd Crib vs. Putting 18 month old in toddler bed

AshleyEric609

Thoughts?

I'm having a hard time with deciding if a 2nd crib should be purchased or if we should move our 18 month old into a toddler bed. She's only a year now, but new baby is here in April. 

ajswart

i personally wouldn't rush the transition to a toddler bed, i would see if a friend or family member coud lend one for a while.

juliane2004

I would do a crib. It's nice that the 18 month old would have a place that is safe to be while you are busy with baby.

Also, my DS is 21 months and now where near ready for a bed.

trind

We transitioned at 17 months to a toddler bed. That way it was completed by the time our son was born 2 months later. It was much easier to spend the time to transition before having two kids.

Mom2Mack1

I think it's different for everyone.  We just transitioned DD, she was 19 months.  So far it's been great.  When we put her down if she gets up we just put her back and she gets the message. 

jesselayne8

I am pondering the same question. DD will be 17 months when #2 is born.  I would want to transition before the baby is born so she would be 15-16 months.  I am thinking about a mattress on the floor aka Montessori style floorbed minus the frame around it.

Magenta728

We are buying a new crib. I want DD  in the crib as long as possible. Also, her crib is convertible, so that's what would become the toddler bed anyway, so either way, we'd have to buy a new crib

memali26

DD1 was 19 months when DD2 was born. We kept DD2 in the pack and play in our room and DD1 in the crib in the nursery. At 23 months, DD1 went easily into the toddler bed in her new room and about a month and a half later DD2 (at 6 months) went to the crib in the nursery. Worked well for us and we avoided buying a second crib.

Elocin

We're going to have the same issue. DD will be 21 months when this baby arrives. I have no clue what we're going to do yet, but was hoping to do as many transitions as we could before the new baby arrives. However, she doesn't seem ready for a bed at all yet and she moves around SO much in her sleep. I think we're going to have to get another crib for the new baby.

etude de la vie

Depends on the kid. 

DD got her crib converted around 2 but DS got put into a full size bed at 16 months and did great! He slept in the crib since 3 months but always cried, hardly napped and woke up every night crying and woke up every morning at 5.

He napped over 2 hours  in my bed and would sleep in until 7 so I took the chance and from day 1 of bring out if the crib he STTN, and slept in, and napped 1.5. 

agibson175

We just moved DS into a toddler bed in his sisters room so I could get the nursery ready.  He was 18 months and he did great!! he has been in his "big boy bed", as we call it, a month now and does naps and goes down at night great! Before we moved him we did work hard on making sure he soothed himself to sleep.  We would not rock him or let him fall asleep in random places if we could help it (couch, our bed, in the car)  and we said "time for night night" everytime we went to the crib.  So now at night I can say to the kids (DD is 4 and DS is 19 months) alright time for night night and he will go get in his bed, I dont have to fight with him or chase him down. 

 

HawaiiLover

We just bought a new crib since our daughter is doing so well in hers.  I don't want to rush her and want her to have a safe place if I'm with the baby.  I have friends that transitioned already or are now for 18-22 month olds, it's all so personal.  My daughter is so active that if we don't force her to slow down she will keep running and playing.  The crib works perfectly for that for naps and bedtime.

jinnymb

It really depends on the kid.  We went back and forth and ending up just buying a cheaper crib from Target and moved DS1 into this new room with the new crib.  He was doing really well in it and was not ready to leave. He was also only 15 months and very much about routine and security. When we did transition him at 27 months we went straight to the twin bed with rails and he had no issues.

This time with DS2 we are just going to transition him before the baby comes into the other twin bed in DS1's room with rails.  He models everything his brother does and he seems less comfortable in his crib so I don't anticipate him having too many issues. He will be almost 2 and DS1 will be in there with him.