Hot topic: toddler beds!

Turtle143 · February 2013

A hot topic for this age, right?

So Liv has been willingly napping on a camper mattress I set on the floor in her room when it's time for nap. I lay down with her and she falls asleep.

She hates when we put her down in her crib for bed at night. I'm wondering if this could mean she is ready for toddler bed. Maybe she feels like being in the crib is like being in prison. Tonight, I turned off the lights and she happily marched to her spot on the mattress on the floor and then cried when I picked her up and put her in her crib.

I am not sure if converting her crib to toddler bed is a good idea. I worried she'd wake in the middle of the night and wander around. How do you all keep the room safe for your toddlers? For those who transitioned? We have outlet covers but she's a climber. She climbs up on the rocking chair, no biggie but she tries to climb up on her changing table too. I'm also worried about her opening her dressers and climbing up on those.

I'd love to hear suggestions on safety once they're free to roam around their room unsupervised. I can definitely see her waking in the middle of the night and exploring.

mamarazzi528 · February 2013

I say try it. You can always convert it back if it doesn't work out yet.

As for safety, we moved DD to a completely new room and the only furniture we put in was the bed and a small bookcase. The room already happened to have a built-in dresser, and since DD has never been a climber I haven't worried about it yet. She only tried to open the drawers in the very beginning. They were empty then and she hasn't touched them again. I just filled them yesterday, so we'll see if that changes! I have heard stories of kids emptying the contents. . I would hope the fun of that would wear off quickly, though!. If there had been a rocking chair in the room I probably would have taken it out just in case. I could see my DD climbing up to sit on that.

My DD does wander in the room sometimes. It's usually if we don't come get her soon enough after she wakes up. Then I will find her sitting on her floor, looking at books. . That doesn't bother me, but today she must not have been as tired when we put her down for a nap, because I went to check on her and she was sleeping on the floor with a book in front of her. Haha. So far, though, that has been a rare occurrence. I do wish we had a video monitor, though. Then we could put her back into bed if she tried to do that again. I do have a slight fear about her opening her bedroom door and wandering out of her room (especially in the middle of the night) but so far it hasn't happened...

Good luck!

JavaVino910 · February 2013

Sounds like your LO might be ready. I would definitely reassess her room and make sure it is super child-proof. Secure all her furniture to the wall if you haven't already!

MommyKayla11 · February 2013

I'd try it.

milesc · February 2013

Try it

Do you still have a monitor in her room? You'll hear her if she gets up and wanders or starts to get into things. I doubt she will wake up and try to wander around/climb in pitch black.

Turtle143 · February 2013

milesc:
Try it
Do you still have a monitor in her room? You'll hear her if she gets up and wanders or starts to get into things. I doubt she will wake up and try to wander around/climb in pitch black.

Well last night was night #1 of toddler bed. I mentioned converting her crib to DH that day and his interpretation apparently was "do it and do it quick." I was gone all day yesterday and when I came home, DH was already putting her to bed. I go in her room to say goodnight and the bed has been converted!

We don't have the rail for it and his solution was to put my body pillow on the floor "just in case" she falls off. LOL

So she fell asleep easily, with DH sleeping on the floor then sneaking out. Until midnight and we both woke from the monitor. I thought she fell off the floor but DH said it sounded more like she opened the door and wandering the hall now. I go out and she was standing outside our door! LOL she sees me and runs back into her room. I slept on the cot on the floor and it seemed like it was about 2 hours on and off of me waking hearing her rustle in her bed. She woke up 5 hours later.

I need encouraging stories! But I guess it would have helped if we had her room pitch black. I'd been letting her sleep with a night light because I thought it would solve our sleep issue.

ann_jeremiah · February 2013

Yea... We converted at Thanksgiving. DS comes into our room upon waking up EVERY NIGHT. he never goes anywhere other than our room.

milesc · February 2013

Turtle143:
milesc:
Try it
Do you still have a monitor in her room? You'll hear her if she gets up and wanders or starts to get into things. I doubt she will wake up and try to wander around/climb in pitch black.
Well last night was night #1 of toddler bed. I mentioned converting her crib to DH that day and his interpretation apparently was "do it and do it quick." I was gone all day yesterday and when I came home, DH was already putting her to bed. I go in her room to say goodnight and the bed has been converted!
We don't have the rail for it and his solution was to put my body pillow on the floor "just in case" she falls off. LOL
So she fell asleep easily, with DH sleeping on the floor then sneaking out. Until midnight and we both woke from the monitor. I thought she fell off the floor but DH said it sounded more like she opened the door and wandering the hall now. I go out and she was standing outside our door! LOL she sees me and runs back into her room. I slept on the cot on the floor and it seemed like it was about 2 hours on and off of me waking hearing her rustle in her bed. She woke up 5 hours later.
I need encouraging stories! But I guess it would have helped if we had her room pitch black. I'd been letting her sleep with a night light because I thought it would solve our sleep issue.

Figures I would say that and she gets up, haha. Maybe try ditching the nightlight?

We bought DD a toddler bed because I wanted to have her in a bed before DS arrived. We just laid her down like normal and that was that... we haven't had any issues. She did fall out of bed once or twice, but neither time she woke up so I just picked her up and put her back in bed. She still won't get out of bed until I go in there and get her. Now when it was nap time (especially if she isn't all that sleepy) she would get up and look at a few books, and look out her window. Sometimes she'd fall asleep on the floor, but she quickly learned her bed was more comfortable and always sleeps there.

Also, DD can't open the round doorknobs so she's trapped in her room, and its baby proofed so I don't mind if she gets up and wanders around for a bit

Smile Give your DD time, she'll get the hang of it

Turtle143 · February 2013

milesc:
Turtle143:
milesc:
Try it
Do you still have a monitor in her room? You'll hear her if she gets up and wanders or starts to get into things. I doubt she will wake up and try to wander around/climb in pitch black.
Well last night was night #1 of toddler bed. I mentioned converting her crib to DH that day and his interpretation apparently was "do it and do it quick." I was gone all day yesterday and when I came home, DH was already putting her to bed. I go in her room to say goodnight and the bed has been converted!
We don't have the rail for it and his solution was to put my body pillow on the floor "just in case" she falls off. LOL
So she fell asleep easily, with DH sleeping on the floor then sneaking out. Until midnight and we both woke from the monitor. I thought she fell off the floor but DH said it sounded more like she opened the door and wandering the hall now. I go out and she was standing outside our door! LOL she sees me and runs back into her room. I slept on the cot on the floor and it seemed like it was about 2 hours on and off of me waking hearing her rustle in her bed. She woke up 5 hours later.
I need encouraging stories! But I guess it would have helped if we had her room pitch black. I'd been letting her sleep with a night light because I thought it would solve our sleep issue.

Figures I would say that and she gets up, haha. Maybe try ditching the nightlight?
We bought DD a toddler bed because I wanted to have her in a bed before DS arrived. We just laid her down like normal and that was that... we haven't had any issues. She did fall out of bed once or twice, but neither time she woke up so I just picked her up and put her back in bed. She still won't get out of bed until I go in there and get her. Now when it was nap time (especially if she isn't all that sleepy) she would get up and look at a few books, and look out her window. Sometimes she'd fall asleep on the floor, but she quickly learned her bed was more comfortable and always sleeps there.
Also, DD can't open the round doorknobs so she's trapped in her room, and its baby proofed so I don't mind if she gets up and wanders around for a bit
Give your DD time, she'll get the hang of it

Well we chickened out and converted back to regular crib by night #3. hahaha We are going on vacation next week and because we requested a crib at the hotel, we are thinking it's best to put off the toddler bed transition for now so we are not confusing her....too much at least.

But something tells me she is ready now because the day following the night of our toddler-bed fail, I locked her in her room (tied a scarf around the knobs of the double door in her room so she couldn't turn them) for nap time. I left her lying down in her bed, I heard her trying for the door about 3 times, then she cried for maybe 5 minutes and when she was quiet, I saw she had fallen asleep in her bed! She didn't try to sleep on the floor!

I am excited to tackle the transition again when we come back from vacation next month! And this time definitely without the nightlight!

Unknown · March 2013

Get a toddler bed which have a lower frame or in other words, it is close to the ground. In this way, when your kid accidentally falls, the fall will be less painful or it will not contribute a great impact. A safe toddler bed will depend on the features.

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