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Houston Babies
Big bed transition - (I know, I know - been asked a millions times)
But haven't seen it in awhile.
DD will be coming midish Nov. DS is 2.5 and still in a crib (he has never attempted to climb out, so we left him there). DS's crib converts, so we will not be using it for #2 - she will be getting a new set. We have 3 options:
1. Leave DS in a crib, buy a 2nd crib mattress for #2.
Pros: With all of the change with the new baby - at least he has some stability and he sleeps well in the crib and likes it. We sometimes have to leave him while he is still crying, so it's easy to do that with a crib and know where he is.
Cons: We would be out the crib mattress cost - which would probably only last around 6 months before we would have to convert him, anyway, b/c he would be getting too big for the crib mattress.
2. Convert DS into his (full) bed, and use his crib mattress/rail cover/waterproof crib sheets for #2. If we do this - should we do it now, so we can get into a "big bed" routine before the baby comes? Or should we wait until we *need* the mattress (she will prob. be in a PnP in our room for 6-8 weeks).
Pros: We wouldn't have to buy anything extra that we wouldn't already (just need a full mattress). Ripping the band aid off and just getting it over with.
Cons: May be a difficult transition during a big change. Even if we transitioned him now, would he revert when the baby's born? We sometimes still need to leave him at night while he is still crying, so I am afraid he would just climb out of a big bed and not go to sleep, or be crying at the door if we lock him in. If he is older, does it help with them climbing out of the bed? I do not foresee him staying on the bed, even if we tell him. We have put him in a bed at other times (visiting other ppl, hotels, etc), and we usually have to lay with him to fall asleep, but if he wakes up, then he just gets out.
3. Convert DS into his toddler bed (just taking off the front of the crib and putting on his toddler rail).
Pros: I like the transition, so it's not as if he goes straight from 4 "walls" to no walls.
Cons: We would still need his crib mattress for this, and I fear he will be getting too long for it in 6 months or so, anyway, so I am thinking not worth it? And he could still get out - same as a big bed.
This discussion has been closed.
Re: Big bed transition - (I know, I know - been asked a millions times)
How old was he at the time?
We moved DS to a twin bed about 2-4 weeks (can't remember) before the baby. He was 22 months at the time. He too loved his crib and never tried to climb out or anything. I would have loved to keep him in there longer but didn't want to get a second crib to do that. I'm not going to lie, the first night was a little rough. He woke up in the middle of the night and got out of bed. DH ended up having to get in with him so he would go back to sleep. The next morning I was in tears thinking we had done the wrong thing. The next night was fine though! Once he is in bed he really doesn't get out. In the morning he waits for me to come in too.
I would just go straight to a big boy bed. I only wish we had done it a little earlier because it added more stress to me being so pregnant and worrying about the transition.
23 months.
Yeah - I figure I just need to go ahead and rip the bandaid off now - he is almost 2.5, so he should be old enough to handle it (especially since both of you switched before age 2! Very impressive!). I am secretly going to miss the convenience of the crib, though! haha.
I have been talking up a "big boy bed" and he seems to *want* one at some point, so that's a good sign.
I'd go straight for the bed now.
I bought a toddler bed for DD since her crib didn't convert. She never slept in it, just used it as a step stoll to get into the Queen bed in her room and always slept there. Eventually I just started putting her to bed in the Queen bed and took the toddler bed down.
She was about 18 months when I took her out of the crib. She was tall and a climber!
Our deal was that after bedtime routine (bath, books, prayers etc) that I would "sleep with her for a little bit." I would lay with her for 10 or so minutes and then leave. I never had a problem with her getting out of bed. Now that she's 7 she still asks me or DH to sleep with her for a little bit after prayers.
Now we only do it for about 3 minutes, but it's nice that she still likes it.
Collin Thayne 10.11.2010
For us, the anticipation was way worse than the actual transition. Then again we had no choice. He started climbing out at around 22 months when the baby was due two months later. I think it was easier on me that he set the timeline!
He definitely slept on the floor on occasion, but he survived that. He would wake from naps with carpet marks all over his cheek because he would try to talk to us under the door and would fall asleep.
He is going to have to transition sometime. I think it would be easier on you to do it when you don't have a newborn on your hands.
We went straight to a twin bed with a bed rail. We removed the bed rail fairly soon after because it was annoying for bedtime, and he started to want to climb on/over it. He did fall out of bed once or twice after that, but I had pillows next to the bed, and he just climbed back in and went to sleep again.
Of the options listed, I would convert to a full. I moved mine to twin beds at 16mo and 19mo - but they were coming from my bed, not a crib (though I did have a crib, it never got much use).
So I can not even imagine buying a 2nd crib when he's 2.5. Just seems like he'd be out of crib stage withing 6mo anyway, so why not reuse it? You can always convert it later. So personally, I would buy a full mattress and put it on the floor until #2 is done with the crib and then convert it.
One of us lays with DS until he's asleep. We did the same with DD until she was about 2.5 and then she was ready to fall sleep on her own. When DD was little and woke up, she never got out of bed, just called for us/cried, even if it was morning! OTOH, DS gets up and goes to the gate at the stairs and calls for us... even if it's 3am, lol.