How old was your toddler when they moved to a toddler bed?

[**eeyore**]

I just wanted to give you more inspiration for keeping her in the crib.

DD#1 moved the week that she turned 3. She wasn't climbing out, but I thought it was time. She was kind of tall for her age, too.

With DD#2, she's over 3 1/2 (she'll be 4 in November), and she's still in a crib! My goal is 4 years old. She's very happy in there.

As long as she's not climbing out, I would leave her!

I agree! My twin DD's are now 3 yrs 5 month. On Sunday we just moved them from their cribs to full-size beds (their cribs converted to full-size beds). We just skipped the whole toddler bed, since they are so old.

Our girls were very happy in their cribs - in fact one of them actually preferred sleeping in a pack n play over the crib - she is my "cuddle-er"!

One of the girls went though a stage of climbing out of her crib around age 2 or 2 1/2. Somehow we managed to nip that one in the bud and it stopped after a week or two.

My mom told me that my oldest sibling was in a crib until she was 5 (when the 2nd child was born). That seems a little extreme to me, but I think 3-4 (preschool age) is perfectly fine. It is interesting though, a few of my friends have said that they think I am holding my DD's back too much by keeping them in their cribs - although these are the same people that have 3/4 year olds that are still wearing diapers! I guess that for me, I'd rather have a potty trained child still sleeping in a crib than changing the diaper of a big kid!

 

[nrod]

My oldest was "forced" out at 3 1/2! He loved his crib! And if he weren't so tall, he'd probably still be there - but he literally outgrew it. No toddler bed for him - he was too tall, so he went right to the big boy bed.

Now my little guy, he hated his crib! I was having trouble getting him to sleep and I finally realized it was because he hated the crib. After I took DS4's crib down, I put his old mattress on the floor (to use as a couch during story time) and DS2 decided that it was the perfect place to sleep. I hated him sleeping on the floor and he is too little to climb up in the twin bed himself (yes, we have Mutt and Jeff children ), so we got him a toddler bed. He was around 2 1/2. Now he is asleep in about 10-15 minutes!

Thankfully neither climbed out at a young age! My oldest would climb in, but oddly enough he never climbed out. And the youngest had just started to climb out when we switched him over.

 

[welovedisney7778]

We moved DS when he was a few months shy of his third birthday, He was content in his crib and never once tried to climb out, but he was definitely getting too tall, and I was afraid he'd fall out. He's in a toddler bed and LOVES it. Many of my friends moved their kids before 18 months, and had lots of trouble. I felt better knowing he was safe in his crib, and now he's old enough that I don't have to worry so much if he gets out of bed.

 

[katie111]

My daughter was exactly 3. She Just started climbing out right before her B-day and then was dying to get a big girl bed. We moved her directly into twin bunk beds (on the bottom bunk of course). My DS was 3 1/2. He loved his crib. Never, ever tried to climb out. He's very small for his age & he wanted a toddler bed so that's what we got him. When he was 4 we moved to a larger house & got him a twin bed but he still has his toddler bed in his room (he's now almost 5) and some nights he still loves to go to sleep in it. My youngest DS is now 14 months and there is no way I would move him before he's at least 2 1/2, hopefully later if he's not climbing out. My kids would never stay in for a nap if they had a bed. Also, I would be afraid of them walking around the house in the middle of the night if they were that small.

 

[Karebear]

My son was 3 and still loved his crib and never tried to climb out. It was great. Shortly after his 3rd birthday, I decided to get him a big boy bed and we purchased a twin bed for him. He hated it and went back to the crib! When he was almost 4, he finally started sleeping in the twin bed!

My daughter started climbing out of her crib at 2.5 years, so we put her into a twin bed and she loved it.

Shows you how different kids are! Good luck!

 

[BridetobeDisney]

I wish my DS 15 months would sleep in a crib. He had a bad fall at 11 months old. We would put him to sleep in our bed and as soon as he was asleep I would put him in the crib. Well, I was writing lesson plans around 10pm and my DH went to lay down with DS. DH fell asleep before DS and he rolled out of the bed onto our tile over concrete floors. He fractured his skull and had a huge hematoma on the top of his head. DH felt so guilty and so did I for not laying down with him like I normally do. Long story short, DS got really clingy after that and gradually became more scared of his crib. Just recently he wants to get in and play for a few minutes so that's a step in the right direction. He has been sleeping with us ever since and sleeps all night long. Also when trying to transition him back into the crib he cries so hard that he throws up. So then I have to change the sheets and give him a bath. It makes a huge mess. His dr. said that he is one of those kids that instead of holding their breath when upset he throws up. NOT FUN FOR MOM! I'm sorry it's OT but has anyone heard of that before?

 

[RMulieri]

DD was 18 months when we moved to a toddler bed and 3 when we moved to a big girl bed.

 

[Minniemouse07]

Both of my kids were in a regular twin bed by 18mo.

We totally skipped the toddler bed!

 

[Mom2JPL]

I have 3 and I have different stories for all of them! My kids are only almost 5, 3.5 and almost 2, so they're pretty current, lol!

My oldest dd was a 27 months when we converted her crib to the toddler bed. She started climbing out and knew she was ready for the bed. She was a good sleeper in the crib and stayed a good sleeper in her bed. She still took her naps (which was my fear) and went to bed easily at night. Never tried to get out of bed and wander! Right after we converted her bed, we found out I was pregnant with baby #3, so we let her get used to the bed for a bit, and then she picked out the toddler bed she wanted and we took the crib back into a crib for the baby (we found out it was a girl, so this worked well).

My son tried getting out of his crib before 2. We had a race car bed from my nephew that we tried but....not a good idea! He would NOT nap, he would NOT go to bed at night...it was torture! So, within a week I bought a crib tent for his crib and placed him back in it. Yes...he was back to napping and back to sleeping at night! When he was almost 3 we got him a spider-man toddler bed (he picked it out) and he's been sleeping great in it at night. He's no longer napping (poor mommy!) but he does sleep well at night (up around 6:30ish, and in bed by 7:30ish, although it's a little later in the summer).

My baby is now 21 months and not trying to get out of the crib (as of this morning!). She is the worst sleeper of my 3...she whines at night when you put her down; whines in the afternoon for her nap (which lasts about 2 minutes and then she's fast asleep); she's the first one up in the morning (by 6) and the last one to fall asleep! I'm keeping her in the crib as long as possible!!! I'm not ready to give up the naps (she takes a 3 hour one during the day) and I'm not ready for the running around at night because she has the "freedom" to explore her room!

Also, just my opinion, I'd go from a crib to a toddler bed. I know of too many people who put their kids from a crib to a twin/full size bed and had sleep issues with their kids. They want mommy to lay down with them because there's room and it starts a habit that's hard to quit! My friend's daughter is 5 and my friend still has to lay with her at night for her to go to sleep, and most nights sleeps there all night! My cousin's daughter, also 5, will fall asleep in her bed (with help from my cousin) and then in the middle of the night go to my cousin and her husbands bed for the rest of the night. I guess what I'm saying is, don't start something that you don't want to continue. Habits are harder to break the older kids get (more strong-willed!).

 

[MrsJ Henry]

Love hearing all the different stories and how kids are all so different.
Malea is 2 but is a little peanut. She is 33 inches and 22 lbs. (Guatemalan children tend to be smaller)
The crib that she is in converts to a toddler bed so it will be interesting when the day comes and we take the side off and put up the toddler rail, to see how she does.
But for now we will stick with the crib for a while.
She has only slept with us twice when we were in a hotel room.(wanted nothing to do with the pack and play) Other than that she does fine going to sleep in her crib.

 

[Elmo888]

I'm also glad to read the stories! My 18 month old DD LOVES her crib! She has never tried to climb out. She loves to sit and read before bed at night and when she gets up in the morning. We have another one coming in September, and people are always telling me I should make DD move out of her crib and into a "big girl" bed before the baby comes. I don't see the point of that. She's happy and she's contained, so I'm happy.

That's another good point...if you have another one coming, I would beg/steal/borrow a crib from someone.

I have two friends who were going back and forth with this issue. I tried to convince both of them to leave the older one in the crib and just find another crib.

One decided to move the 2 year old out of the crib for the baby, and she regretted. After the baby is born, she had a newborn that wouldn't sleep and a toddler that wouldn't stay in bed...that is a difficult situation.

The other friend did manage to snag another crib, and she was so happy that she did.

 

[*pixie*dust*]

My DS came home at 20 months and I started him out in a twin bed with rails. He did just fine. He had been in a crib before that but I had been warned that he climbed out of it frequently.

 

[Poohbug]

I don't move the kids out of the crib until I have to. I figure the crib is a safe place for them to be and I am not rushing them to grow up. I let them stay unless they start climbing out or I really need it for a new baby. I guess if my last baby tells me that he wants a big bed I would let him but I'm not going to be the one to mention it.

So far my two oldest have been between 3 and 4 before they moved to a big bed.

 

[kpm76]

I don't move the kids out of the crib until I have to. I figure the crib is a safe place for them to be and I am not rushing them to grow up. I let them stay unless they start climbing out or I really need it for a new baby. I guess if my last baby tells me that he wants a big bed I would let him but I'm not going to be the one to mention it.

So far my two oldest have been between 3 and 4 before they moved to a big bed.

ITA. My DD is 13 months and is into everything! She's a climber but she loves her crib and thank God had not attempted to get out. I will keep her in there as long as possible because the alternative will be a complete nightmare. When we make the transition, I would like her to be old enough to reason with. You can explain to a 3 yr old that they have to stay and they get that there are consequences, but an 18 month old just thinks it's a free for all if they hop out of bed....not ready for that at all. Plus she's still little.....I am all for raising an independent, strong woman, but I do not think I need to make her grow up faster than necessary......