What age is a good age to start with a toddler bed?

Emelie - posted on 03/28/2009

When your daughter is climing out of the crib, it is time for a toddler bed. My youngest fell out of bed once, cryed, and then learned how to do it without falling so then we moved him to a toddler bed. The only thing that stunk about that is getting them to stay in bed, but it is better then them falling out of a crib.

Kim - posted on 03/28/2009

Going to a toddler bed is good but if she will not stay in it then that  is a problem also.  My sister's son was in a crib til he was atleast 2.  What she did was drill new holes for the mattress so it lowered it almost all the way to the floor and turned the side that lowers to the wall. 

Kylie Ann - posted on 03/27/2009

Quoting Rebecca:

What age is a good age to start with a toddler bed?

My daughter is almost a year old. She is starting to climb all over the place. She is getting up on coffee tables and climbing stairs like it is going out out of style. Her crib is as low
as it will go. I am worried that one night I am going to hear a thump and then a scream when she has climbed out of bed.

Dear Rebecca,

When my son was one I put him into a bed. He would climb in and out as they do at that age, but you just keep putting them back that soon realise that it is bed time. I had side rails on the bed for about a year, my son never fell. He is now and has never fallen out of any bed. I hope this is some help to you.

Kind Regards

Kylie

Jamie - posted on 03/27/2009

Easy:

1. They can climb out

2. There armpit reaches the top of the crib rail on the shortest side. Any taller and they run a risk of flipping out because thier heads are so heavy.

Kimberly - posted on 03/27/2009

Use the crib as long as possibly for safety and sanity, but get them a toddler bed as SOON as they figure out how to crawl out of their crib/pack-and-play or else you'll be in for rounds of find the baby when baby is supposed to be sleeping. That and baby will climb out and get things she isn't supposed to have, if you aren't careful or could get hurt. My son is almost 2 and has finally managed climbing out of his pack-and-play, but due to the current situations with my mom keeping him and living with my 90yr old grandmother, he doesn't have a bed yet, but he's usually only sleeping in his pack-and-play at night, and waits for you to get up. We're trying to either get mine or my dad's old bed out of storage before we buy a new one.

Amanda - posted on 03/27/2009

I put my son in his toddler bed at about 19 months.  We started with only naps during the day so he could get comfy with it and putting him in his crib at night to sleep.  Now, if he gets up in the middle of the night all I do is take him back to his bed and tell him to go to sleep.  He may cry a little, but before you know it he's out like a light again. 

Sandra - posted on 03/26/2009

My daughter is a climber, but she is still in her crib at almost 19 months. She has not figured out how to climb out of it yet and I am not worried. I am not sure when I will switch to a toddler bed, but for as long as a can I will keep her in her crib because I know she isn't ready to stay in a toddler bed without getting up when I put her to sleep yet.

Carmen - posted on 03/26/2009

I guess it all depends on when The child desides to start climbing out of the crib. My daughter had  a toddler bed at 1 1/2.

Elizabeth - posted on 03/26/2009

both my kids got toddler beds for their first birthdays......best thing i have ever done

Kristin - posted on 03/26/2009

If you are ready for her to be in a toddler bed, go for it. I wouldn't want her falling out of a crib either! You could try it out with just putting the crib mattress on the floor, that way if she rolls off, she is only a few inches from the floor. You might have to keep her from leaving the room for the first few weeks, so if she doesn't climb a baby gate that might work! Good luck!

Rebecca - posted on 03/26/2009

Thanks for the comments. It has been helpful. I am glad that her crib turns into toddler bed so we can try the toddler bed and if it doesnt work out we can go back to the crib.

Sinh - posted on 03/26/2009

my daughter just turned 2, and that was one of her bday gifts!!

Stephanie - posted on 03/26/2009

I think you should move her out. I would rather my child be close to the ground than crawling out of a crib. We switched our son into a toddler bed when he turned a year so I think it should be fine as long as she can't get into anything serious.

Justine - posted on 03/26/2009

my son turned 2 last week and I put him in a toddler bed and had no trouble at all. Before in his cot I used to put him there till he sleeps, and now I have to stay with him till he falls asleep. But he seems to get used to it. by time the waiting till he falls asleep is becoming shorter

Nichole - posted on 03/25/2009

I agree with Melissa start it during the day and see how it goes.

Melissa - posted on 03/25/2009

My daughter was sleeping in a toddler bed by 19 months. We started her out slow though, first playing during the day around/on the bed. Then she would take naps only in her toddler bed (so I was awake if she were to fall) then she started sleeping in her big girl bed at night! The whole process was a few weeks. My husband and I made a really big deal about her being a big girl and applauded her for her actions!

However, with all this being said, I also think it depends on your child...use your mommy judgment! Good Luck :)

Bonnie - posted on 03/25/2009

hayden was walking at 10months and was starting to climb out of his crib...so we made his crib into a toddler bed then...we never had the problem of him coming out of his room and coming in ours..until recently and he's almost 3...........

Steph - posted on 03/25/2009

My oldest son started walking at 8 months. So we got him a toddler bed at 9 months. It was low enough for him to climb in & out of. When we put him to bed we closed the door. So that he'd stay in bed. Couple hours later when we went to bed i would open the door a bit. Sure enough in the middle of the night I would wake up to him walking down the hall way with his blanket. But he loves his bed. Hes 20 months now. I found with giving him a toddler bed when he was tired during the day he would go to bed on his own. It was nice not having to worry about when to put him down for a nap. I think every kid is different. My youngest is 8 months he just started crawling. I wouldnt put him into a toddler bed yet.

You know your lil one is climbing everything, I would get a toddler bed. There so low to the ground & have the sides on them. I worried that my son would fall out so what i did was put a stuffed animal where the rail wasnt. He has a huge dog, it worked perfect. He did fall out of bed a few times. But the soft & short landing, he didnt even notice he had fallen out. I really wouldnt worry too much about that. could even buy a form pad to put under & also use it as a step or something.

Lisa - posted on 03/25/2009

my daughter went into a bed at about 16 mths when i found out i was expecting again, so she wouldn't be upset that the new baby had her cot. we made a really big deal of the fact she was going in a big girl bed and she only got up once the first night then not at all after that. is your little one old enough to understand that kind of thing?? if you do put her in a bed and she keeps climbing out then the quick return method works well. stay outside the room and each time she climbs out put her straight back in with no fuss. she will quickly learn she has to stay there.. make sure you have a child safety gate if you have stairs. hope this helps x

Amanda - posted on 03/25/2009

i put my son in a toddler bed when he was 23 months old.. right after he jumped out of the crib, and headed downstairs.. lol

Jenna - posted on 03/25/2009

hi i put my daughter in a bed when she was 16 months because of the same reasons and she just wasnt sleeping properly so thought may aswell give it a go! it was a bit of a nightmere at first because it was a novolty being able to get up and out of bed to play when ever she liked! but after a couple of days it was good.

Cherissa-Lynn - posted on 03/25/2009

WE took off one side of the crib so that it made it to the day bed thingy. It still made her feel like she was in her crib but she was learning how to  " not " fall outta the bed :)
My oldest used that from when she was 13 months till she was 2 then we moved her to a capitans bed.

The toddler beds are nice ... but the only thing that I seemed to find with some of my girl freinds is that they got used to staying in the room with the kid until they fell asleep.
made it hard for the kids to fall asleep by themselves.

Maybe just take out the side of crib - lye your daughter down close to the wall ... and wait to see what happens ...   good luck :)

Rachel - posted on 03/25/2009

My oldest daughter managed to climb and fall out of her crib probably around 10 - 11 months. I didn't move her to a big bed until she was 19 months and wouldn't sleep in a crib anymore! If you are worried about her falling out of her crib, go ahead and get the toddler bed, they are much lower to the floor, just be ready for her to come into your room in the middle of the night!!

Deidre - posted on 03/25/2009

Hm, if she is walking around and you think you can teach her to stay in her bed at bedtime go ahead and switch. If you are going to I would just make sure to put enough blankets on the floor for padding in case she works her way over or past the rail and onto the floor. If you want to keep her in the crib, make sure that there are no bumper pads in there b/c she can use those to climb out. My daughter is a climber as well but doesn't yet walk, I currently have no concern of her getting out of her crib (though I did put it on the lowest setting to keep her from falling out).



Good Luck!