when do you put your baby in a big bed?

Amber - posted on 10/25/2009

my neice is two and when she started crawling out of her crib is when my sister in law put her in a big girl bed she had a hard time for about two night but now she sleeps and naps perfectly fine

Kaihla - posted on 10/25/2009

I put my daughter in toddler bed at about 15 months old. The only reason was that she had quite chunky legs as a baby and kept getting her legs stuck in the bars of her crib. I let her help me put her big girl bed together, it helped her get excited about it. I honestly thought I would have a bit of trouble with her getting in and out of bed, so I kept her crib in her room for her first nap in her big bed, just to see how she would go. She slept fine in her big bed for her nap and bed time. The very next day I took apart her crib.

Gini - posted on 10/24/2009

i would keep track of the little ones sleeping pattern in the crib over a period of time-1 month-3 month period, when i noticed that they weren't all over the crib for a significant patter was established- then it was time to move them.

Erica - posted on 10/23/2009

I already posted a comment but I have remembered something failry important. My mother is a X-Rya tech. She once had a little girl age 2 1/2 come in for x-ray for a broken elbow. Turned out she had never tried climbing out of her crib as far as the mothers knew and the one time she did she landed just right on the floor (which were hard woods) and fractured her elbow. So it would prob. be a good idea to get him switched over by 3 at least! once again GOOD LUCK!

Erica - posted on 10/23/2009

I put my daughter in a toddler bed at 18mos. old only because she was starting to try to climb out of the crib and I was afraid she would hurt herself. I think that if he is comfortable and still safe in the crib you dont have anything to worry about. When his safety is threatened then its time to make the switch. I put a baby gate in her doorway so she could not wander at night. I also put one of those padded safety rails up so she could not roll out of the bed. She made the adjustment with no problems and never even attempted coming out of her room! Good luck!

Lisa - posted on 10/23/2009

We put our little man in a toddler bed when he started climbing out successfully! LOL I know that sounds bad but he had an amazing technique, we called him spiderman for a while there. He loved being in his big boy bed immediately.

Katherine - posted on 10/22/2009

My son is 22 months and a horrible sleeper...he can get out of his crib no problem and scales the side to get in our bed every night. Someone just offered me a toddler bed, so I figure how can things get worse if I move him?!! I just want bedtime to stop being a battle. He fights sleep every night...even with a routine, etc. Sooo tired.

Geryanne - posted on 10/22/2009

I had started to put my son on my bed when he was 10months...I had to pat and sing nursery songs for him and that goes along with his pacifier (quited in 17months). And about 2 weeks later, got a mattress for him (with four sided cushion) and he got used to it about 1 week time. As usual patting and singing. Enjoy !

Erin - posted on 10/22/2009

My son is 21 months I am not going to put him in a toddler bed until he climbs out or until he is old enough for me to reason with him a little better. I am to scared of what he might get into if he wakes up. What you said you were going to do sounds good to me.

Fiona - posted on 10/22/2009

hi toni i have just put my son into a big bed he is 3 in december we held out as long as we could with him in his cot the reason we had to put him into a bed is that he was getting to big for the cot i think we did well with him in his cot until he was nearly 3.

we told him that he was getting a surprise and that he was such a big boy now that he has a big bed for a big boy and he loves it mind he gets out of it pretty early but you just have to keep putting him back into it until he gets it its excitment at the start.but he is only in it 2 weeks hope this helps

Sheila - posted on 10/20/2009

My daughter just turned 2 at the end of august and we shortly after started the "big girl bed" phase. she has been sleeping soundly and safely in her big girl bed for a month now. at first it was difficult because she would cry and get scared but once i showed her that the safety rail keeps her safely in bed she was happy. most people say they are ready once they start climbing out of their crib, but my daughter was another story. she not ONCE attempted to climb out of her crib, and i wasnt going to sit around and wait for the day that she did climb out and possibly hurt herself from falling to the floor. so I was ready to just get rid of the crib rail, and convert her crib into the toddler bed. good luck

Toni - posted on 10/20/2009

thanks for all your help. and i thinkk i have come to the conclusion that maybe putitn my son into a big bed when he can understand what i tell him, and maybe i can then explain how great it would be to be in a big bed xx

Jennifer - posted on 10/20/2009

I agree with Tammy, every mom should do what she thinks is best. My son is 22 months and we got him into a toddler bed last month when he climbed out of his crib and fell on the floor crying. I said "ok thats it time to start sleeping in a toddler bed". I didn't want my son to climb out of his crib again and maybe seriously injur himself by falling. I also thought that my son would get out of bed whenever he wanted to because now he would have the freedom to do that. But much to my surprise he has done wonderfully. He sleeps through the night and loves having a "big boy" bed. I have his bedroom child proofed and child proof door locks on his door nob, so that he can't wander in the middle of the night. But he never wakes up in the middle of the night anyway. :)

Long story short.... make the switch to a toddler bed when you feel your child is ready.

GOOD LUCK :)

Tammy - posted on 10/20/2009

I think its when its safe to put a child in a bed.If you think there ready then try it out and see.But if its comforting to the child to be in there crib,I would not mess that up yet.By 3 or 4 would be a good time to have them in a toddler bed.My kids were in a bed by two.But thats me.Others do things different.Theres nothing wrong as a parent doing it your way.Good Luck!

Meghan - posted on 10/20/2009

yeah...it is difficult to know...but you know your son better than anyone...you could just try it out and if it doesn't work out then you can put him back i the crib...there are no laws against that...

Toni - posted on 10/20/2009

thanks for your information. i just feel under pressure to know everything, my son sleeps so happily in his cot, and i wouldnt want to disturb that but it feels like the times gettin near, but i also know what hes like and the 2nd he could get out of bed he would. he wont sleep on the sofa or even while in bed with me, so im thinking that maybe the bars are like a comfort for him, sayin that i dont want him in a cot until hes 5

Meghan - posted on 10/20/2009

My daughter is 27 months old and she still sleeps in a crib...I plan on leaving her in a crib until she is 3 or 3 1/2 and she knows she needs to STAY in bed all night until the sun is up...unless it becomes dangerous by her crawling out of the crib...It really is the safest place for them to sleep because you never know what they might get into while you are sound asleep...I had my daughter in her toddler bed 2 months ago right after her 2nd birthday the first night was fine and we were really excited for her but the second night I heard her in the office she had gotten into all the pens and scissors at 3 am...I even had a baby gate at her door...she managed to climb that...now she will stay in her crib until after her next birthday...good luck!

Sarah - posted on 10/20/2009

I put my daughter in a toddler bed when she was 18 months, she didnt like being confined in her crib anymore. I think that it always depends on the child and the parent(s) when they are ready. I just told my daughter she got a new big girl bed got all new bedding and made it into something exciting and special!

Jessica - posted on 10/20/2009

when my boys were 18 months old, we had to stay in a hotel because we were doing some renovations... we decided that with all the other changes that had happened, they would be less likely to notice the different sleeping arrangement... they never had any problems...

that being said, they suggest you don't make any changes when you are trying to change other routines, ie: starting potty-training, no more naps, etc...

hope that helps... don't think there is a right and wrong... we wanted them out of the crib because they were starting to climb the sides... we just left their door open, and put a baby gate up... their door was always open when they were in a crib, so we didn't want them to suddenly feel abandoned behind a door with a new bed, too...