Crib to Big Girl Bed

I was in the same boat as you. My daughter was 17 months old when my son was born (I was 22 at the time) and we moved her into a twin sized bed about a month before he was born. She did fine!! I laid in bed with her the first few nights just for 10 mins or so and that was it. A little later we started putting a baby gate up on her door cause she was sleep walking, but thats another story altogether. Now Im expecting #3 in January but we moved my son into a big boy bed when he was 18 months old and it was the same situation. I laid with him for a few minutes every night and then just let him do his thing. Both my kids sleep in regular beds (we didnt see the point in toddler beds) and its was a piece of cake. Have fun!

I think that if your first child is able to get up and walk around well, then the todlar bed should be ok. There is no guarentee that she will like the change at first, but that may not matter what age she is. When I transitioned my first child to the todlar bed I gradually started letting her try it out soon after the first baby was home. That gave us enough time to make sure she was use to the bed, and wasn't upset that the new baby was using her crib. We also kept the baby in our room for the first few months, and I think transitioning that way worked well.

V.

Hello C.,

I had my n° two baby when my first daughter (Margaux) was only
15months. I did not breas feed so it was easier for me to put Charlotte on a smaller crib (99$ that I used from her birth till her 5 months).

When Margaux turned 17 months old,I bought a toddler bed and put her crib bumper arround it (as nice as I could) and told her that she was getting a big bed just like mom and dad (did not tell her that she was now a big girl - she wasn't and I felt she didn't need more at that time) and added names of friends who's sons or daughters were sleeping in beds!

The first night she cried a little (I assume she was confused and missed her crib (the crib was actually left empty till she was 20 months old and by that time she had forgotten about sleeping there)so I had to go more than 5 times to see her and pretended that she had asked for her new bed and after a while she was just ok.

The next day, she was proud to go to sleep in a bed! and I was of course encouraging her. Never mentioned anything about the crib that was left empty and then one day I told her that Charlotte wanted to be with her (they share bedroomssince Ch. turned 6 months old) and since we had that extra crib we were going to use it. So Charlotte moved in (I just kept an extra travel crib in another bedroom for Charlotte's naps).

It worked for us. Hope this will help. Good luck with your family and the baby to come.

We started our son in his toddler bed at about 15 mo. but we set it up right noxt to our bed as he was still breastfeeding. I would nurse him in his bed to sleep and sneak out, then in the AM when he needed his milk he would just come on over and cuddle. He did better than I thought and now we are planning on moveing him and his bed out into his siblings room but he is now 2yo so don't rush it also w/having a new baby she may regress once the baby arrives so be prepared! Good luck!

Thanks for posting this... My daughter will be 1yr on Jan 10 & I was wondering when I can change her to a bed since shes trying to climb out ...
Congrats on baby #2...You're a brave woman =o)

My mom moved my sister and me out of the crib and into a twin bed at 1 year. My sister just moved her son out of a crib and into a toddler bed at 16 months. I moved my daughter out of her crib and into a toddler bed at 18 months, she was climbing out herself. I don't feel there is a magic age. It is more important the you prepare the child and are prepared yourself. Sometimes it takes a few days to teach the child to stay in his/her new bed.

My girls are 18 months apart, the youngest turned two in September, and we live in a 2 bedroom town house. Space is limited so my husband and I decided that bunk beds were the best idea. While either of them are too small and young to sleep on the top bunk, they are small enought to share the one bottom bunk. They each sleep with their heads on opposite sides from one another. Its been that way for a little over a year now, making the baby about 14 months old when she started sleeping in the "big girl bed". She did just fine and its still a great situation for me. Just make sure to have lots of extra pillows on hand!

I moved my kids into a toddler bed/twin bed when they could get out of the crib on their own. If you think your daughter will stay in the toddler bed than you can move them at whatever age you feel they're ready. There really isn't a set age for it. The main thing is that they shouldn't be in a crib if they can climb out because they could fall.

no all of mine were in there own beds by 12mo. I am a mother of 7 and they all responded differant how ever one thing that work with the most of them was I bought a toddlers bed, one it was fun just there size and easy to get in and out of for them. and make a really big deal out of it wow your a big girl now, you could do it on her birthday no rush you need to spend as much time with her now so that she will not feel like she is being replaced and doing it on her b-day makes it her day. and have her be mommies helpper by getting you things or the baby with help I let them hold there new sib as soon as the first few hours or before you leave the hospital or the first thing when you get home. let her be close she will be such a big help to you and always feel special, even when the baby comes she may want to come crawl in bed with you let her a few times or at nap time so she may feel close to you and be a part of the bonding if you breast feed let her sit with you. sorry I just go on and on with more than you ask for but I hope it helps and good luck and best wishes to you and your family

Congrats on baby number 2!! I, myself, have twins and I started them in their tod beds at 2 years old. I'm considering switching them to twin beds in April, 'cause I'm going to be moving into my own apartment. Or, I'll just wait till they turn 3.

Alittle about myself. I'm a 23 (turning 24 on December 10) year old single mom of 2 year old boy/girl twins, Sebastian and Anastasia. I'm raising them on my own, their father isn't in their lives. I live in Port St. Lucie.

Congratulations! My children are 15 months apart too! Kaden is 6 months and Jewel is 21 months. She started sleeping with the rail off her crib two months ago. Kaden is still in our room in his own crib but she loves it she transitioned so well. Each child is different some switch earlier some later she actually sleeps better now because she doesnt wake up and run back and forth in the middle of the night. Hope this helps and good luck it is so much work having two under two. BUt they really love each other they light up each morning when they see each other and it melts my heart.

J.
Jewel and Kaden

Hi C.,
I admire you for having baby number two so close to baby one. I Myself did the same thing. My eldest daughter was 14 months old when my second daughter was born. I understand the confusion about when to put baby 1 into a big girl bed. I started the transition right before I brought my second daughter home from the hospital by putting my older daughter in a toddler bed. She seemed to love it. I also kept the baby in my room for 3 months but by the time I moved her to the crib my older child was completly comfy in her "big girl" bed. So I say it is perfectly fine to go ahead and start the transition as soon as you are ready. Write me if you have any other questions. C. C

A little about me: I am married and have 3 daughters and a step daughter that many people would swear was mine as well. I feel my children make my life worth living.