Parenting after 35
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Toddler Bed
At what age did you switch your LO to a toddler bed, from a crib. Any tips? Did they walk around in the middle of the night?
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Re: Toddler Bed
DD -- 5YO
DS -- 3YO
We had to put our DD in a toddler bed at 18 months because she would climb out of her crib. At the time she loved Elmo so we made a big deal of getting her an Elmo bed and sheets and pillows. She was so excited when we were putting it together. To help her transition to sleeping in it we had one of the little Elmo couches that folds out into a bed with a built in sleeping bag she slept in that for about a week and then wanted to sleep in her 'big girl" bed! She pretty much stayed in her room but not always in her bed.
GL!!! I cried big fat tears when we took the crib apart but it's been smooth sailing for all of her bed transitions since then!
Charles started to escape his crib right before he turned 2, so that forced our hand. We're still having nightly battles right now, but it's not over the bed! HA.
We also use a tension gate across his door to keep him from wandering. I put it up underneath the lever door handle and he quickly learned he can't get out. Heaven forbid the day he realizes he could just raise the lever and be free.
Sometimes I cringe at the thought of literally locking him in his room, but the alternatives would be so much worse.
We actually purchased (well ordered, as it's on back order) a twin bed from Pottery Barn Kids while it was on sale last month. It will be back in stock in April, when Aaron will be 32 months old and we will probably make the switch then.
I don't think the switch will be seamless at any age so hopefully it won't be too awful then. He hasn't climbed out of his crib as it's rather high.
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Ha ha, yeah, I always think about fires and getting them out, but I think I could handle a tension mounted gate for awhile or at least a few nights. I don't think I'd lock her in her room, plenty of time for that when she's a teenager, lol.
Gosh, don't even get me started on this. The best advice I can give you is KEEP YOUR KID IN HIS CRIB UNTIL HE LEARNS TO CLIMB OUT. Then, you have no choice but to switch him over. I would have kept Adrian in his crib until he physically didn't fit in it but he learned to climb out every single night when he was 28 months old, so we had to get a toddler bed (we use the crib mattress in the new bed). It took a month for him to learn to stay in his room for a little while in the mornings. Before toddler bed, he used to sleep 10 hrs at night and wake up around 7am. After toddler bed, he only sleeps 8-9 hrs at night and sometimes wakes up at 6am. For a month we were totally exhausted but now it seems that he stays in his room for a little while and we get to "sleep in" some days til about 7 or 7:30. He naps long, usually 3-4 hrs, probably to make up for lost sleep at night.
It's not great. We used to sleep much better and we've had to babyproof his entire room and most of the house, just in case he takes a detour to the kitchen instead of our room in the morning. I also have to lock him in during nap time so he will stay in his room and sleep. And most nights me or DH have to stay with him and lay in the futon next to his bed and wait until he falls asleep. The alternative is to lock him in the room again and let him cry. I don't like to do that twice a day so we suck it up and take turns staying in the room with him at night.
Some kids have no problem but Adrian is just too excited to be "free". So if your LO still doesn't climb out, KEEP HIM IN HIS CRIB! Can you tell I feel strongly about this, lol. Good luck!