Tips for transitioning a toddler from crib to bed???

[mtemm]

my son is 22, almost 23 months and we want to start putting him in a bed instead of his crib. Hard to do because he is a GREAT sleeper for both naps and nighttime...just hate messing with his routine. However, I'm due in April with twins and we really need the crib. I'd rather do it now while I'm still mobile and the babies are still (god willing) far enough away that he won't associate the change with them.

We bought a twin bed (mattress/boxspring/frame) over the weekend and plan to start with the mattress on the floor, eventually adding the other pieces as he gets used to things.

Any tips for making this transition? Should we leave the crib up for a few days? Its a small room, but we should be able to fit both comfortably for a short time. Moving the changing table out helps with that.

I appreciate any advice BTDT's can give!

TIA!

 

[peg2001]

We left the crib up and used the new bed for naps only for a few days. At night, DD still slept in the crib. Within a week, she was sleeping full-time in the new bed. She was excited because it was a "big girl" thing to do.

Good luck. It sounds like you are going to have your hands full!

Peggy

 

[swea_pea1]

We actually used a toddler bed instead of a twin bed. It worked for us since they use the same mattress (and therefore the same sheets) and DD was sleeping on what she was used to when she went into her "big girl bed".

Congrats on your twins! Double the pleasure and double the fun

 

[luvmarypoppins]

Yes, we did the same things, so I agree to leave both in the room for a while. Also maybe he can pick out his own big boy sheets, his favorite character, pooh, bob the builder, toy story etc. That should help and maybe a special incentive as a reward to celebrate, (whatever you decide). Also maybe you can start with reading in the bed etc. Give lots of praise etc. Good luck.

 

[mum4jenn]

Back when my dd started climbing out of the crib on her own I went to a toddler bed. She was really excited about it but when I would go check on her at night she would be sleeping on the floor!!!! She looked so pitiful!! She would take her stuffed animals and comforter but would sleep on the floor or a recliner we had in there. I would pick her up and put her in the bed each night after she had moved to the floor. Most of the time she never woke up again and eventually she stayed in the bed.

I would agree about letting him pick out the bedding for it.

 

[Jenn Lynn]

I never really transitioned DD. We moved from Iowa to Wisconsin and just set up her twin bed and didn't put the crib back together. She was in a twin bed by the time she was 1 1/2. No railings either and she has never fallen out.

 

[CEDmom]

Is your son going to be staying in the same room once the babies come? I know a lot of friends that moved their older child to a new room a few months before the 2nd child arrived and that helped with the transition. I also have friends that took their child on a shopping trip to pick out new bedding which helped also. For us DD stopped wanting to be in her crib after we went on vacation and she slept in a bed. We did the mattress on the floor routine for a while and then go her a bed.

 

[mtemm]

thanks everyone! I really appreciate all the advice. gee, just wait till I come back for potty training tips. eek!

my son is going to be staying in the room he's in now. that wasn't the plan...he was supposed to move to the larger bedroom, however once we found out we were having twins that changed. Will need more room for them.

I think we are going to set up the bed today and keep him in his crib for a few more days then start trying. I like the idea of starting him on naps in the bed, but at night in the crib, for a bit, but I'm not sure how successful that will be.

I'm hoping I'm worrying too much about this transition and it ends up being nice and smooth. Ya never know, right?

 

[tiggerlover]

We moved DS out of his crib when he was 2. We took down the crib and put the twin bed up all in the same day. We treated it like a rite of passage and made a big deal out of his "big boy bed", DS was so excited that there were never any transitional problems. We put the twin bed up against a wall and had a bedrail on the other side. We told DS that the same rules applied in the bed, he was not to get out of it unless we came to get him and to my surprise we never had any issues.

Good luck on the transition and congratulations on the impending arrival of the twins.

 

[Lewski709]

Make the switch now. Make it fun. Wow, you are getting so big you get to sleep in a big boy bed. Allow him to pick the bedding, but don't go hog wild. He'll want it changed in a year or two and that stuff can get VERY pricey.

No problems, except he sneaks in our bed at about 1-3:30 every night and has for 2 years. We don't mind. My 11mo old is a better sleeper than the 4.5yr old, but that's ok. We don't mind, especially since he is in his own bed until way after we are asleep. We don't even know he is there anymore until we get up. He always snuggles up to me and says he like sleeping with us cuz mommy is so warm. Someday, sleeping with mom and dad won't be so cool and he'll stay in his own bed all night, every night.

 

[Shannon G]

Great advice everyone - I'm getting ready to deal with this transition myself. DD is only 16 months old, but the new baby is due July 1st, so we're going to need the crib. I, too, am hoping to get her used to her new bed before the baby comes, so that she doesn't associate getting kicked out of her crib with the arrival of her new sibling!

Good luck to you mtemm - I can't imagine having a toddler and twin newborns!!

 

[padams]

We moved DS to a "big boy" bed when he was 19 months. Our ped told us not to buy a second crib- that DS was ready to move out of the crib. We made the move 3 months before little brother was born. I don't recall any major transition issues. I do recall a few nights of DS getting out of his bed to come see us.

Letting your child select new sheets is a great idea. I think your child will be so excited to be a "big kid". I bet if you let him do naps in the big bed but try to make him go back to the crib at night, he won't want to do it. DS wanted nothing to do with the crib once he saw his big boy bed.

 

[MerryPoppins]

We did it like tiggerlover, new bed up and old bed down all in one day. We put the bed against a wall and used a rail on the open side. He adjusted to the new bed quickly because we called it a big boy bed. He had a little trouble going to sleep in new surroundings, but was excited about it.

Here is a hint I got from a friend. I took the baby bed mattress and stored it under the twin bed for a few weeks. At night I'd pull it out. That way if he tried to crawl over the rail for some reason in the night, it would break his fall. It made me feel a little more secure.

Good luck!

 

[KristiKelly]

With our kids, we just went cold turkey. Took out the crib, brought in the big bed. We did get them excited by letting them pick things out. Our son, we let pick out the bedding, he picked 101 Dalmatians, our daughter, she picked out a pretty flowery one and she got to "think" that she picked out her furniture. They were both excited about the switch. We did buy bedrails at Babies R Us, I still use them with my 4 y/o my niece fell out of the bed when she was little and dislocated her shoulder, so I'm paranoid .

 

[caparamedic]

I took my son with me to pick out sheets and mattress pads (buy two of each). He loved it!

The reason for two sets is for when they potty train, you can make up a bed and then place another matress pad and set of sheets over it so you can do a "quick change" when and if their is an accident. Our guy only had one "accident" ever.

My son and I built the toddler bed together and he used his tools (toy screw driver and hammer like dad's).

When he climbed out of his crib the first time, we both took the crib apart together and removed it from the room together.

In a fit of genius, my son woke up the next morning in the toddler bed, crying "mommy, daddy, I need you to get me!" He forgot he could get out of bed himself now!

When he moved to the twin bed, he protested by sleeping on the floor. My wife and I were thrilled! As long as he slept and stayed in his room, he could sleep in any postion he wanted to!

He has never slept in our bed or come into our room to snuggle. He is very independent and a great big brother.

Our little guy is now 19m/o and I think he may be leaving his crib soon too. He already has a bed in his room waiting for him. We will forgo the toddler bed this time! As soon as he climbs out of that crib it will be taken apart too!

Good luck!!