My son i s14 months and I wanted to know how long it takes to transition a child to his big boy bed and when is a good time to start? Before potty training or after? We have been very lucky that he has slept through the night since he was 3 months old.
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My daughter got the "big bed" when she was potty trained. It was an insentive for her. She was trained by her 3rd b-day and got a new bedroom set as a gift.
We had my sons big boy bed in his room for 8 months before he slept in it. Finally one day he said he wanted to sleep in it. We always asked him, but didn't push it. We tried a few times prior to this and he would just run around the room and not stay in the bed. My son was 22 months old when he slept in his big bed for the first time. I was thankful too because I needed the crib for my daughter that was born a few weeks later. I just didn't want to push it.
L.
We moved our 3yo to a twin bed w/out a box spring on a frame with bedrails (the kind you can buy at Walmart, etc) at 18m because he was climbing out. He actually didn't start coming out of his room until his brother was born a year later. He is 3 now and isn't fully potty trained yet.
We moved my son to a toddler bed when we was 2 because he could easily get out of his crib. He didn't like the toddler bed and we didn't use it for very long. I don't know what his problem was with it, although I suspect he wanted to "sprawl" out and he was falling out of the bed a lot! So within about 4 months we moved him into a twin bed with the mattress on the floor. That way if he rolled out it wasn't a far fall! Then we eventually put the bed on a frame once he was consistantly not rolling out of the bed! I would say anytime after 2 years old is fine to start the transition, although I would let him stay in his crib if he's still sleeping fine in there and not getting out on his own. Most boys don't become potty trained until 3 years old or later, so I wouldn't use that as your guideline! But really 14 months is quite young to move to a "big boy" bed. He's really still a baby. Enjoy that while you can!
As a mother of 4, I'm wondering why you are doing this so early. Or even thinking about it. If he is a good sleeper, leave it alone. You will go nuts with the amount of effort it is to switch them when they are not ready. You will suddenly have a boy who doesn't want to go to sleep, constantly gets out of bed and wakes up earlier than you'd like. Wait until he's about 2 and see how much he likes his crib. If he's not trying to get out of it...why fix something that isn't broken?
And, I'm sure you know, potty training happens between 2 and 3 for most kids. Boys can take longer. My 3 1/2 yr. old boy still has to wear a pull up at night, while my daughter did not need diapers or a night time pull up starting at 2.
Hi A.,
My oldest daughter was 3 when we transitioned her to a toddler bed. The change went very smoothly.
However, my younger daughter was climbing out of the crib at 18 months, so we didnt have a choice but to put her in the toddler bed, for her own safety. Transition did not go smoothly, and had to get creative with bed placement to get her to sleep threw the night again. She would wake in the middle of the night and stand in the middle of her room and scream. This would happen 2 to 3 times a night. For a solution I first put her toddler bed into my bedroom, this started to help, I then moved her bed into my oldest daughters room( at their request). THis worked.
My advice, is to keep them in a toddler bed as long as possible. Crib gives a feeling of safety and securety to a toddler.
Best of luck to you. Heidi
We transitioned Madison to her toddler bed at 16 months, almost 17. She would tell us "ny ny" and go to her room, throw her baby in her crib, hold her arms up, give hugs and kisses, and go to sleep without a peep. She was sooooo good about it. We just talked it up to her and she had no problems. Look for signs from your son, like the things I listed that Madison was doing, or that he's climbing out of his crib (puts himself in danger). And just like changing beds, potty training will come when he is ready. Madison is almost 27 months and we are starting this weekend because I'll be off work for 2 weeks. She has been waking with dry diapers, asking to go potty, and has actually peed and pooped on the potty for us.
Anyway, just look for the signs, but don't do both at once. I think that will be too much for him. Good luck!
Hi A.,
Take your time! I read an article a while back that said to leave them in their crib until they are closer to three. I don't think you need to worry about it yet. However, when you do decide to, maybe set up the bed in the room with his crib. Let him take naps in the bed, but still sleep in the crib at night until he is ready. He will let you know! My oldest had an easy transition to her bed when she was 2.5. We moved so we just decided to put her in a big bed, in her new room and never had any issues. My youngest won't be as easy, I don't think. We will keep her in her crib for a while still. She will be 2 in January. Good luck!
All three of my kids stayed in the crib until 3 years old. I even purchased a second crib because my two boys are only 14 months apart and the first boy was not old enough to sleep in a big bed when his brother got here. If your son is sleeping well and not trying to climb out of the crib let him stay in it for awhile longer. The big bed is easier once they are potty trained because they can safely get out of bed at night to use the potty. My first son is 3 1/2 and has just switched to a big bed and has started to use the potty. My baby loves his crib and he is 2, he will stay in it as long as he wants to. He can climb in the crib when you tell him it is night night time but never tries to get out. I think you should keep things as they are, if you force the big bed you will turn a good sleeper into a one with very bad sleep habits! Good luck.
We moved my daughter to her "big girl bed" (not a toddler bed, but a regular twin sized bed) when she was about 2 years old, but only because we were expecting a second child and needed the crib. We probably could have waited a little bit longer, but we wanted her to be used to and comfortable in the new bed well before the baby arrived. Initially, she slept in the bed just during nap time and only if she wanted to. She did that for about 2 weekends in a row (she's at daycare during the week), then decided she wanted to go back to sleeping in her crib. She did that for another few weekends in a row, then decided she wanted to try the big girl bed again. She's been sleeping in it for naptime and bedtime ever since! I think it helped that she was in a stage of wanting "to be a big girl" and that we redecorated her room around the same time. She was so thrilled with her new room and so proud of herself for being a "big girl", it didn't take her long at all to forget about the crib entirely.
I started my son at 15 months, It took about a month for him to be completly comfortable in it. He would get up and sleep on the couch or come to our room. He is 2 now. He wasn't potty trained then. good luck.
My now 4 yr old was transitioned into a toddler bed at 18 months because I wanted him in a twin bed by the time his brother was born. He was under 2 1/2 when by second was born. He transitioned very nicely. We decided to move my second into a big bed at 18 months also since the transition was so smooth before. This time we cheated a little which I don't like but my husband sees nothing wrong with it. My oldest was in a toddler bed with rails, then moved to a twin and we slowly removed the rails. but my second skipped the toddler bed and went to a seperated bunk bed(twin). Basically it is the top of a bunk bed on the floor. there are rails all around it and no way for him to fall out. A glorified crib on the floor with no way to remove the rails but the ability to climb out in fact I have woke up several times with a 22 month old staring at me.
My opinion is if you can wait then wait. Then if your child is ready later on or climbing out of the bed move him. Once you start poty training there is still a while before the child will be at the stage to get out of bed on their own in the middle of the night. so think of the crib and the potty training as 2 seperate stages.
We are now expecting #3 and the crib is ready.
I started putting my kids in their own big kid bed when they were getting out of the crib by themself.
They will tell you when they are ready.
J.
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My daughter went into a twin bed at 16 mo because I needed the crib for the next baby. She loved it though and did great. My middle son, I took the railing off his crib to make it a toddler bed around 18 mo, and he went in a twin bed at 2. My youngest is 14 mo and still in a crib. His personality though leads me to believe that he wouldn't stay in a bed so I have no plans of putting him in a toddler bed anytime soon. I think it depends on the temperment of the child.
Most do this between 18mos and 2 years. My daughter was a bit older than 2. She never tried to climb out but when her crib broke we got her a toddler bed. Potty training realy has nothing to do with it. Some boys take longer to potty train.
Our son never climbed out of his crib so we left him in there until just before he turned 3. He was safe and happy in there and the only reason that we had to move him out was that he was just getting too big. I painted a new room for him and we got him a full size bed and the transition was super smooth, keeping in mind that he was old enough to understand and communicate. He was completely potty trained at that point as well. My advice is that if you have no reason to move him leave him there as long as possible : )
