when should a little boy move out of his crib and into a big bed?

Rebecca - posted on 02/06/2009

Thank you everyone for ideas!!!!!

Lori - posted on 02/04/2009

I moved my kids to a bed when they were about 18months old. I actualy started with  a mattress on the floor because i wanted them to get used to the bed idea and not fall off. It worked wonderfully. They did this for a short amount of time and then i put the big bed in their rooms with a bed rail on it. Never had a problem. I also put a gate up in their doorway until they stayed in bed through the night. Didn't take long at all. The whole deal about leaving a child in a crib when they can crawl out scares me. Just my opinion, everyone is different. Good luck : )

Jenny - posted on 02/04/2009

My oldest two got kicked out of the crib when there was another on the way. I found the toddler bed (my dad built ours our of 2x4s, so it it VERY solid and strong) to be a better way to go. They seem to feel safer there. In fact, my 5 year old has a twin, but often sleeps in the toddler bed anyways. Personally I plan to keep my 2 year old there as long as i can. He climbed out once, but hasn't tried in months. He also plows though or climbs over baby gates. Once we are deep into the potty training i think we will try to move him.
Good luck!

Peitra - posted on 02/04/2009

My oldest, a girl was in a toddler bed at 16 months because I was pregnant with our 2nd and then was in a twin size at 3 1/2. My middle, a boy was in a toddler bed at 2 years 2 months because he was climbing out of the crib, in a twin bed at 3 1/2. And my youngest son climbed out of his crib at 19 months so we put the crib mattress at its lowest setting and then took the crib rail off so it was like a toddler bed and we added a bed rail. He was still pretty little not to have a rail. At 2 years 5 months old we put him in a twin bed with a small bed rail...he loves it. But, we have to use 2 toddler gates, one on top of the other in his door way or he will toddle out of his room in the middle of the night. Good Luck with this. :)

Dana - posted on 02/03/2009

We had to move my son to a "big boy bed" when he was about 18 mos - 2 years because I needed the crib for his younger brother.  What we did was get a twin mattress and put it on the floor in his room, we took him to the store and let him pick out a cool set of sheets.  We didn't let him sleep in the bed for a couple weeks but he could see it and he knew that it was a "big boy bed."  He got so excited about it that one day he asked to sleep in it at nap time, so I let him and he stayed!  After a couple days of him napping in the bed we let him try at night.  It took a couple days before he was okay in the big boy bed at night.  After a couple weeks of him sleeping in the bed without falling out we put a boxspring under the mattress and then a couple weeks later we took him to pick out a bed frame.

If you include him in the decision making process and make the big boy bed seem appealing it will go a lot smoother.

That said, I'm dreading the transition from crib to bed with my younger son because he much more defiant and active than my older son was.

Good Luck!

Amanda - posted on 02/03/2009

Unlike what Michelle had said about the bigger bed being better, I've found the complete opposit true. When moving a child out of a crib (small and inclosed area that they feel safe in) and into a double bed they tend to be overwhelmed and not feel safe and secure anymore. Also, ask your child what they want. In this case if you want to move them and they still want the crib you're not going to have a happy little toddler. Same for if they want out and you keep trying to keep them in a crib. 

Good luck! My first was booted out of her crib for her little sister to take it over! But the change happen seamlessly!

Sharon - posted on 02/03/2009

I personally don't plan on moving my son out of his crib until he starts climbing out of it.

Rebecca - posted on 02/02/2009

danielle, i have a few friends that have told me to just let them stay in their cribs till they decide to get out themselves. i have always worried about my son hurtin him self.and most mom's say that boys are bad for this. i just hope he is ready for this change.

 im sorry to hear about your friends son :(

Danielle - posted on 02/02/2009

be carfull about keeping them in the crib too long because when they can climb out they could really hurt themselves. i had a friend lose a chiled he feel out while climbing and broke his neck

Danielle - posted on 02/02/2009

well i have a two year old son and he was my first on his 2nd birthday we baought him bunck beds when he came home he was so surrprised we even got him new pjs. he does pretty good about staying in there on occassion we have to put him back in his room. but make it special for him make a big deal about his new big boy bed. my son is now 2 and a half and is potty trained. he does good with it.

Stella - posted on 02/02/2009

Just because I seem to be the exception to most people on here, my son got the rail taken off his cotbed only when he would and could repeatedly get out of his bed. He was 2years 10months. Unfortunately, baby gates didn't work with him- he would just barge through the tension type ones and learnt to open the ones fixed to the wall at the same time he learnt to climb out of his bed. That said, my sister-in-law prefer her children to be in a bed with a bed rail from about 10months old! I guess 'when', is 'when' you're ready as much as them.

Rebecca - posted on 02/02/2009

I like the bed on the floor idea!!

thx everyone!!!

Megan - posted on 02/02/2009

I'm not much of a help on the topic of when, but for when you do, if you find he has problems switching - try going straight to a bigger bed and skip the toddler bed (like a double). I've found it common within friends and other moms I know that switched that the bigger beds have been much better. Especially if you have a babe that likes to move!

I know my daughter is all over the place when she sleeps, and the toddler beds just don't give her that much room to move. So I'll be going straight to a double bed.

Emily - posted on 02/02/2009

We don't really use a crib... my first climbed out of it at 15 months and hit her head pretty good. My current 13 month old is currently on a crib mattress on the floor of our room. She stays on the mattress when it's bedtime and climbs off when she wakes up after naps and in the morning. When she goes down for naps, we close the baby gate at the top of the stairs and close all the doors to the other rooms... but leave the door to our room where she is sleeping open. Everything is baby/toddler proofed so she can't hurt herself or break anything. She sleeps for around 2 hours, then walks to the gate at the top of the stairs and calls for us when she wakes up.

We moved our first and second to crib mattresses on the floor of their own room when they were almost 3 and almost 2. They got "big girl beds" about 8 months later, and they love them.

Amanda - posted on 02/02/2009

My son turned 2 the 9th of January and he is still in his crib. I am going to keep him in there as long as possible. :) He has climbed out one time about 2 mo. ago but he fell onto the floor and I think it scared him enough that he hasn't tried it again.

Rebecca - posted on 02/02/2009

lol i never thought about a baby gate!!!! awesome thanks!!

Michelle - posted on 02/02/2009

No, I have a bed rail and he will stay in bed all night.   I have captain beds for my kids, I never went with the toddler beds. I liked a twin so that I could lay down with them when we first switched them so they were not scared.  If you are woried about him getting out of bed and walking around the house use a baby gate in his door way for the 1st while.

Rebecca - posted on 02/02/2009

michelle, did you find that your boy would get up and out of bed? Im kind of worried about that cause I also have a n.b.

Michelle - posted on 02/02/2009

I moved both my kids at age 2, I have a girl and a boy. I found it easier for them to poty train if their were in a big 'boy/girl' bed.