moving to toddler bed - Qs!
So DS will be almost exactly 2 yrs (2 yrs & ~2 weeks) when baby comes. DS is still in his crib, but we'd like to move him to a toddler bed & use the crib for baby. I have read to move toddler with enough time so that they don't feel like they're being kicked out b/c of baby. We've decided to keep DS in his room & make another bedroom the baby's room so there's some continuity for DS. I have many Qs. Pls answer those that apply to you.
1) how old was your toddler when they moved to toddler bed or some other set-up (big bed), etc?
2) how long before new baby arrived did you move toddler if that was the reason you moved them at that time?
3) where did you buy your todddler bed?
4) how did you introduce new bed? Talk about it for a while to get them used to idea & then one day just put it in & take crib out?
We have a convertible crib, but didn't buy the conversion kit. PBK sells it still, but I can't decide whether it would be better to convert his crib so that he can get used to a bed for a few months & then get another bed & switch the crib back to a crib for baby. Or just go straight to another bed & not mess w/ converting the crib. Thoughts?
Finally, any other advice, suggestions, experiences are welcome! Thanks!
Re: moving to toddler bed - Qs!
1. Around 21 months. I caught him climbing out of the crib and moved him that day.
2. N/A
3. We have a convertible crib from USA Baby and bought the conversion parts at the same time as the crib. All the parts were here the day I needed to convert.
4. I sent him into the living room to play while I converted the crib during what was supposed to be naptime. No talking, no transition. It needed to be done right then for his safety, but it wasn't something that we'd been planning on having to do so soon. When I had the toddler bed complete, I called him back in to his room and he played on the bed, checking it out. He didn't nap in it that day, but was fine at night and has been fine with it ever since. He has pretty much given up naps since we moved to the toddler bed, although I still make him have "quiet time". It's just too easy for him to get out of bed and play. And it's not that there are toys in there to play with - the kid plays with his socks and dirty clothes basket.
1) Sometime between 2 and 2 1/2...it was a while ago!
2) n/a
3) I got him the toddler racecar bed, I think I got it at Toys R Us
4) We just set it up in his room. He thought it was really cool, so he was very excited to sleep in it. I actually left the crib in his room for a week or two before taking it down...I think more out of laziness though
We have a baby now, and are planning to have another by the time DD is about to turn two. I won't bother with a toddler bed again, I'll put her straight to a twin bed. DS grew out of the toddler bed by the time he was 3 years old, so I don't think its worth it.
DD slept in her crib until 8 months, then we co-slept until she moved to her own bed.
1- 16 months
2- 2 months
3- We just went with a mattress on the floor, no frame or toddler bed. She was (is) so young and I wanted her to be as close to the floor as possible in case she fell out. They have cute beds at TRU, but when we were there the other day, all DD wanted to do was climb on them, so I'm glad we didn't go that route. We have a convertible crib, but we felt like the bed would be an easier transition for her. She hadn't slept in the crib in a while, though. I really only wanted one transition, too.
4- She was too young to explain it to her. We turned the guest room into her new room. I think she was thrilled to have a new space that was fun- we painted the walls fun colors, put these large brightly colored dots on the wall, she has a bright pink rug, etc. She spent time in there while we were preparing it and we would sit on the bed together and play. Once it was time to move her, everything in the room was hers and she had access to it. No changing table or dangerous furniture (we keep the closet door closed). Her sheets were bright and fun and we put a really soft hot pink blanket on top. She now runs in there and dives on the bed- too cute! We've had several people come see her room, including my parents, and we let her lead them in there. I think she really identifies it as "her" space, which makes a big difference coming from sharing our space.
I have heard that leaving the crib in the room can help the transition if you are going to an all new bed, but I would be worried about them trying to climb on it. I was terrified of moving her so early, but it has gone really really well. She runs around the room freely during play times but doesn't get out of bed on her own with naps or overnight- she always waits for us to come in. I think that was the advantage of doing it before she learned full independence.
As for falling out, she has fallen off twice, both while playing and jumping around while were in there. She gets close to the edge sometimes but doesn't go off. The times we were with her, she thought it was funny- didn't hurt at all.
1. Just after she turned 2.
2. 3 months. I took down the crib completely for a couple months and then a month before the baby came put it back up in the baby's own room.
3. No toddler bed. We used a hand-me-down twin. I really didn't see the use in going to a toddler bed we'd have to get out of shortly enough. I do have a *tip-of-the-tongue-itis can't-think-of-the-word* on it to keep her from falling out, and the other side is against the wall.
4. We set up the twin with her helping me. We left the crib in the room for a couple days just in case, but she was great with moving straight to the twin. Went to bed without any problems.
We do have a door knob cover on the inside of her bedroom so she doesn't go explore the house without us awake. I feel she's safer that way.
6-yr-old Elena and 4-yr-old Julia.
My Blog! All about my girls and quilting
1. About 15 months. She tried twice in the same day to slide out of the crib the way she slid feet first off our bed and managed to get stuck in the crib bars up to her hips. I had to slather her in baby oil to get her unstuck.
2. N/A
3. Babies R Us. Spent about $100.
4. Getting stuck in her crib bars terrified her, and she refused to get back in the bed, so we went to BRU and bought the toddler bed that day. DH assembled it that evening. It took a while for her to get used to it. Getting in and out of the bed on her own was a BIG dose of freedom for her. We keep her door closed when she sleeps, so at least we didn't have to worry about her roaming the house at night. We'd planned to go from a crib to a twin bed, but she was too little for that when we switched her over.
Meredith, 6-1-06 and Alex, 11-5-09
1. Just over 2 years old. I caught her trying to climb out after her nap. We had already bought the bed so we set it up that afternoon. No real transition, other then that day. We talked about how exciting the big girl bed was, etc all while daddy was setting it up. We did not have any trouble with her adjusting.
2. N/A
3. We went straight to a twin bed. We bought one of those trundle one that are very low to the ground, like 1 1/2 off the ground. It is pushed in a corner and we put big floor pillows on the side incase she fell out. We talked about putting up a rail, but DH thought if she tried to climb out of the bed she might try to climb over the rail which would be worse then just falling off the bed.
4. oops, see #1