BTDT mamas - Transitioning LO out of crib?

Ladiebug30 · March 2014

My son is almost 19 months old. He learned to climb out of his crib a couple of months ago. DH and I bought ourselves a marginal amount of time by placing the crib mattress on the floor with the crib around it. It isn't ideal, but it works for the time being. The problem is that without the mattress board connecting the four sides, the crib "shell" is very light and it's only a matter of time before he realizes he can knock it over. I'm thinking it's time to transition to a new bed but I have some concerns.

House Info: Our upstairs living area is really just one large room (our bedroom), a bathroom, and a sitting area (his "nursery"). The nursery does not, and cannot have a door of its own and there is no door at the top of the steps. We would definitely invest in a good baby gate for the top of the steps.

Okay, so my questions for those of you who have transitioned children out of a crib are:

1. Did your LO move to a toddler bed or directly to a twin/full size? Advantages/disadvantages you experienced?

2. Do you have any advice for keeping a toddler in a bed throughout the night?

Thanks!

LoveIsAll25 · March 2014

My son started climbing out of his crib at around 13 months old. Every dam night we were awaken by a BANG followed by a loud cry. We bought a toddler bed but then he started walking around the house in the middle of the night. We then moved his toddler bed to our bedroom and he started sleeping through the night again. He was in our bedroom for about a a year and a half. When I found out I was pregnant in September I moved his toddler bed back to his bedroom to help him get used to sleeping in his own bedroom again. The first couple of nights where rough but now he loves it.

I hope this helps!

Mittens14 · March 2014

We had a convertible crib so he went from crib to toddler bed then to twin size bed. We were living in our old house at the time that we transitioned from crib to toddler bed, he was about the same age as your LO, maybe 20 or 21 months old. His bedroom was directly at the top of the stairs. We put a baby gate there, but it still made me nervous so we switched the lock on his door to the outside (we still had the baby monitor set up so we could see/hear him). If he got out of bed he couldn't get out of the room by himself (which made me feel that he was more safe) and eventually when he woke up he would just call to us and we would go in and put him back to sleep. Without having that door and him realize that there was no point in getting out of bed since it was locked I don't think that we would have transitioned easily. If we hadn't had the convertible crib I would have just put him right in a twin bed. We bought a mates bed for him and it's about the same height (maybe a few inches taller) than his toddler bed.

As far as keeping him in his bed I have no advice, the only thing that worked for us was that I sit in his room until he falls asleep and then he usually sleeps straight thru till the morning. we moved into a different house now and have a gate at the top of the stairs but it's down the hall from him and he's 3.5 now, so we don't lock the door, if he gets up before us in the morning he just comes across the hall and climbs in bed with us.

JessElam · March 2014

My son was about that age when he was transitioned. We had a convertible crib that we put the little side rail up with the mattress set as low as it would go. I don't recall having problems with him crawling out of bed at night, but from what I remember it was a pretty easy transition. If you plan to use the crib for you new baby, then I don't see how putting LO in a twin bed would be difficult. You can also check Ikea as they have some good options for twin beds that are low to the ground.

MrsT2008 · March 2014

We just moved DD out of her crib a week ago. She is 27 months though, so a bit older than your DS. She went to a twin (crib does not convert and I didn't want to buy a toddler bed. Basically my reasons were monetary as well as not wanting to have to do another transition when she outgrew a toddler bed). I got a low-profile box spring and she can climb in and out fine. She's in her own room but I do have a gate in the doorway so that she can't leave her room at night.

The first night was the roughest. In general she just seemed nervous/a little scared about being in a new environment (both the bed and the room are new to her). Took her over an hour to fall asleep but she only cried for 15 minutes. She's been totally fine since.

I haven't had any issues with her getting out of bed - the first couple nights I told her not to get out without calling for me (just kind of a shot in the dark, I didn't think she'd actually listen!). She does get out in the morning now but I'm okay with that. She rarely wakes up overnight though so I wasn't really worried about her getting out of bed during the night.

Ladiebug30 · March 2014

It makes more sense to me to skip the toddler bed. The crib is convertible but we had planned to use it for baby girl. Thanks for the IKEA tip. I often forget about them as the closest store is about 2 hours away. I'll check out their selection.

flutepharm87 · March 2014

When we transitioned the boys, we started by using their existing crib and pulled off 1 side of it had three "walls" and open on one side (we chose a convertible crib). After awhile of that set up, we switched to toddler beds, which used the crib mattresses we had. Just recently, we moved them into twin size beds (so we could take the crib mattresses back, we're re-using a crib/mattress for new LO).

Can't really help you with advice for keeping them in bed. The boys share a room, and they wake up and play a lot in the middle of the night. Sometimes, I will climb into J's bed to sleep. Sometimes, it works out but other times, I kicks J out of his bed, so we have to go in and put I back in his bed. We're still working out the kinks of getting them to sleep in their own beds at night and not with their brother.

Ladiebug30 · March 2014

@aimee223 This is temporary but won't be changed before number 2 gets here. We bought a house with lots of ... potential. A little over half of the house has been completely renovated. Within the next year we plan to add an addition which would include permanent bedroom quarters but we will all be together for a little bit. Not ideal but it is what it is. The other option is to put ds downstairs by himself and I'm not comfortable with that idea.

frasey · March 2014

we moved DD starting around 21 months I think. We first took the side off her convertible crib for several weeks. Her crib is really low, and we just put pillows on the floor beside it. i think she fell out once on the first night, but had no problems after that.

We then switched her straight into a double bed at 23 months. We knew this was going to be her forever bed, and didn't want to bother making another switch down the road. Its just a mattress on the floor, and it works great. Its awesome being able to lay in there w her and snuggle her to sleep when needed. We also all sit in the bed to read her stories at bedtime.

Honestly she does get up and walk around when she's fighting a nap. We just make sure to have the dresser secured to the wall, minimal things on the floor to entertain her, etc. There are books in there tho.... most times she walks around for 10-15 mins and then goes to sleep in the bed on her own!

We put a doorknob cover on the inside of her door so that she can't get out of the room by herself.

LDQAM516 · March 2014

Personal preference but we totally skip the toddler bed…pointless in our minds. Our kiddos usually go to a regular sized bed between 18 and 20 months…And to keep LO in their rooms…we switch the doorknob so we can lock it from the outside…especially if in the beginning the constant putting them back in bed and reminding them not to get out does not work….they eventually get the hang of it…just takes time and patience.

eghulse · March 2014

My DS is the same age and just decided last night that he was gonna transition himself. Slept in the toddler bed all night like a champ. We've had the toddler bed set up in his room for a few months to get him used to the idea, and just waited till either he decided to switch or baby brother came and we had to start the transition ourselves. He does play in the room for a bit, but goes to sleep when he's tired.

Chellbell20 · March 2014

DD was over 2 when we moved her, but she went strait to a twin. Our crib is convirtable but we wanted to save it for a new baby (we were ttc at the time). DD never had a problem with getting out. In fact she will still lay in bed and whine and cry rather than get up and come in our room and she's almost 3.

angelita11 · March 2014

I moved my DS a few weeks ago at 27 months. I set up the bed then started giving him naps in there. We did naps for a week before we added night time. I feel that it got DS and me comfortable with the bed before we did a full night. I'm using a toddler bed because I was able to borrow it from my parents, who bought it for when my brother'a kids visit. I think it helps DS to know that his cousins used it.
I have no suggestions for keeping him in bed other than putting him right back in bed when he gets up. It can be a long process but it seems to work with my DS for naps & early night time. We have a harder time at night because DS calls to daddy or gets out of bed & goes to daddy's side of the bed to be brought into bed with us. DS knows who is the softy between mommy and daddy.

Ladiebug30 · March 2014

Thanks for all the great suggestions. Very helpful. We will skip the toddler bed and hopefully when we do find a bed for him, it will work with his night time routine. He has a really great routine right now which is partly the reason I have been so hesitant to change. Thanks again!

ns1 · March 2014

We had a convertible crib too and took off one side. We put a thick comforter on the floor underneath it to cushion the inevitable falls. Then we got a toddler bed. I like that it's closer to the ground and she can get in and out of it herself (Ms. Independent). It is an extra and unnecessary cost though, but we did buy a cheap one.

We close DD's door at night and made sure her room was toddler safe. Maybe you can section off your nursery space with gates?

Ladiebug30 · March 2014

Kimbus22 said:

We went straight to a twin over full bunk bed. DS sleeps in the bottom bunk on the full bed. Love it. He'll have it forever. When he's older he'll have an extra place for people to sleep over. When he's in high school we can take the top bunk off and he has a full sized bed.

As far as keeping him in bed, we just told him it's like his crib. If he needs something, Mommy and Daddy can see him and hear him with the camera and to just call us. I didn't expect it to work but it did. Even in the morning he waits for us to come in and say good morning before he gets out of bed. But we also transitioned him last month so he was almost 2 1/2. I think that makes it a bit easier to reason with them.

What a happy surprise! Also, I really like the bunk bed idea. As for staying in bed, I guess we'll see what happens when we switch him. Maybe it won't be an issue and I'm just looking for trouble.

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