My husband and I think our son has out grown his crib. He is 14 months but he is the height of most 2 year olds and some 2 and 1/2. He has been bumping into the sides and waking himself up at night. We are thinking of converting his crib to the full size bed and use the side rails. Has anyone done this at this age or do you have any suggestions.
When he can crawl out of the crib is usually a good indication that he's ready to move up.
If he's too big and uncomfortable, try switching him.
You are the parent and only you know whats best for him. At least try it out and if it doesn't work out, change it back.
Sounds like he is uncomfortable, but you have to consider his safety and how he sleeps at night.
hi my son coslept from birth and was a big boy too.. never took to the crib. we put a queen bed - mostly so I could sleep with him when needed- which has a lot of room and he wouldn't fall out... we put it on one of the half height box springs on the floor. I taught him that when he woke it was best if he called my name and I came to get him up. My husband constantly fears my daughter will climb from her crib and we didnt worry with my son because falling from a bed mattress onto the floor is nothing. I don't think I would offer pillows yet and would keep blankets minimal too for awhile. If you are worried about him leaving his room, you could put up a simple baby gate in his doorway so that the door is not shut, but there is a barrier. If he needs you he can call from the gate. Good luck... I agree with others, the transition will be tricky, but worth it.
I put my oldest son into his big boy bed at 10 months. This was due to a phobia of rails that he developed at this age. This meant no rails on his big boy bed either and all we did was put a whole bunch of pillows around the bed. He never fell out of bed and slept through the night - which was amazing for us as it took us a long time to realize it was the rails that were causing his sleep issues. Relax and convert him over if you feel that's what right as you're the mother and as they say mother knows best!
Good luck
S.
If he keeps hitting the crib sides, then he's too big for the crib. As long as you have the side rails, he should be fine in the larger bed.
Hi R.,
My daughter is 29 months and she still sleeps in her crib. As long as she can't climb out I don't feel the need to change her to a big bed. But if you think it would be better for him to be in a big bed and he would get more sleep I don't think there would be anything wrong with it.
If you think that your son will stay in the bed once it's converted then go for it. My daughter is 14 months too and she climbs in her brothers bed sometimes and would never lay down and relax. My daughter would end up sleeping on the floor or running around the room all night because she can climb pretty good. I didn't put my son in a big bed until he was 20 months and still sometimes I'd find him asleep on the floor. It just depends on his maturity level.
We put the full size bed in the room with the crib and let our son nap in it. It didn't take long until he told us to take away the crib. He was pretty young also, under 2. I don't think it's an age issue as much as a readiness issue. Your little guy sounds ready. Try putting the mattress down for naps so he can get used to the size without the siderails. Don't worry about him falling off, he will learn how to move around on the bed without falling off. If you start with that mattress on the floor and he does, he will figure it out quickly.
My younger daughter decided at about 15-16 months old that she didn't like the crib because she saw her older sister sleeping in a "big" bed. We put her mattress on the floor. It is not the most aesthetic solution after spending a bunch of money for a nice looking bed, but after about 18 months, we were able to put her bed back together (with side rails)and she is able to sleep in the bed without falling out (and getting hurt). It took a few weeks of patience while she adjusted to the freedom of being able to get out of bed when she wanted, but I really believe not worrying about her falling from crib or bed was worth the effort.
kids can stay in the crib until 3!! be prepared if you take him out, to deal with the in and out of bed issues....
We had the same problem with our daughter. When she turned one we decided the crib was too small for her. We converted it to her toddler bed. She was getting too big for me to pick her up out of her crib and this would also make it easier for her to just get out of bed by herself. She is now 2 yrs old and looks as tall as the 4 and 5 year olds in her daycare. She is going to be a big girl like her mom. But I really think we made the right choice to convert her bed. It made her more independant and she really likes getting in and out of it when she likes. I think your son would enjoy the room and would sleep better.
My husband and I waited until our son was 2 before transitioning him to a twin bed. It was great for the first two weeks then he figured out he didn't need us to "free" him. We have had trouble ever since getting him to stay in bed. Some nights we can spend an hour in his room waiting for him to fall asleep. You should also consider what your child can get into if you don't hear him out of bed. I would wait until your son is older before moving him to a bigger bed. Try rolling up a blanket and use it like a bumper that may help with him hitting his head.
R.,
My now 11 year old, was a large baby too & I put her in a regular sized bed at 18 months. Never used rails, etc. and she was just fine.
I suggest just going ahead and swiching him. If he falls out of bed - then add the rails, but otherwise just use a pillow on the side of him & that should be okay without the added expense.
Good Luck!
A.
We put our oldest in a twin bed at 11 or 12 months. I don't see a problem as long as you realize that he will be able to get out on his own.
Even if your son is big, if he is moving around that much in his sleep he needs to be in a crib still. Plus, my daughter is very mature for her age and we tried to convert to a toddler bed at around that age and it did not work at all- it is near impossible for them to grasp that they have to stay in bed, even though they are able to get up. It lasted almost two weeks before I put the side back up- and I tried everything you're supposed to do; I put her right back in her own bed, etc. Eventually she started falling asleep on the floor in front of her door, so I realized it wasn't time yet! But size wize, there is no height limit on full size cribs and most can support up to 100 lbs- and if he gets tall enough you're worrying about him climbing out, you can by a crib tent! Really, you should wait until he's at least two.
I have had friends that have transitioned their child from a crib to a bed by the time the child was 12 months old and I did it for my children when they were about 18 months old. What I did was first placed the mattress directly onto the floor so that it was not too high up and we purchased double toddler guardrails to go around the mattress. Over a period of months, we gradually introduced the box spring under the mattress and then the bed railings under the box springs and the mattress until we were sure that the full height of the bed would not be a problem. And then we also took a look at everything in our children's room and upstairs to make sure that everything was babyproofed -- furniture bolted to the wall, safety electrical outlet coverplates, toilet lock, gate at the top of the stairs, etc.
Hi R.,
If you are ready to deal with your son getting out of bed on his own...and probably not staying in bed, once he figures that he can get out and stay out. If he doesn't climb out, then I would recommend leaving him in his crib for as long as possible, it is a nice peace of mind for mom and dad. But, if you are anxious to get him sleeping in a big boy bed, just be ready to deal with him getting out when ever he wants (once he figures that out). Some children don't figure this out for a long time and some children love their big boy beds. Another thing to consider is if it is hard on your back or wrists to lift him out of his crib, you may decide to put him in the bigger bed. It does sound to me that he is a restless sleeper, if he moves around a lot. I would be concerned about him sleeping in any bed with out rails to keep him in. If he is restless, he will thrash around on the rails too...just like his crib rails.
Best of luck, you will know the right thing to do for him, you are his mom! Kids are so flexible and learn things real quick!
T.
I moved my daugther and son at 15mos. My daughter had no problems moving to a twin sized bed, no rail. My son needed a rail for awhile, but by two he was w/o it. He is 3 1/2 now and just fell out of bed this past week. I don't think 14 mos is too young. In fact, I feel the younger the better. I never had to fight my kids to stay in bed. I think they are more flexible at a younger age.
My advice...go for it! You know your son and you have to do what works best for you him and your family. If he's not fitting in his crib then maybe he is ready for what i guess you would call a big boy bed. There isnt any real set age of when you should change it up, you know.
If you can make the crib into a day bed and he's happy like that then great, if not then it might be time to get him a toddler bed or something like that. Basically something he's comfortable in. Get bed railings too to help him stay in bed.
Good luck :)
I personally dont think age has anything to do with it. My daughter did not go to her toddler bed until she was about 18 months old. My son, on the other hand was out of his crib when he was under a year. He is very tall and was able to climb up the side of the crib and fell out. I just bought the Safety First side rails for both sides of the bed and he did just fine. He is now two and climbs in his bed on his own, even for naps.
My son was also really tall at about the same age. He didn't have a problem bumping the sides and waking up, but he did climb out of his crib twice at 15 months. We resisted changing him to a big bed because he would not have stayed in it. In fact, he used his crib until about 26 months and remained comfortable with it, even though he filled it. If you feel your son could climb out and get hurt, I believe you can purchase crib tents that help deter climbing. I know lots of people do take their children out of the crib much earlier than we did. I'm sure you know best whether it's something he can handle.
Hi R.,
Since you are unsure get a small toddler bed but keep the crib in the room too. You might find that your son prefers the crib and he'll want to go back. You also might find that your son won't stay in the bed and you may have to put him back in the crib. My son was 2 1/2 when we got him a bed and it took him a few weeks until he was ready to give up the crib even though he hated the crib. It also took awhile to get him to stay in bed.
Good luck,
L.
i would try to keep him in there as long as you can..my son is tall and he's 25 months old and i still have him in there..i still have the bumpers in there..did you take those out? maybe if you did put them back in. i'm trying to keep my son in his crib til he's 3..he's a little wild man and would be up all night if he could.
Yes, I had the same problem with my son. I took him out of his crib at about 15 months. He is in a full bed also. It's against the wall on one side and side rails on the other. Everybody told me he was to young, but I felt it was time.
KK
I moved my daughters to beds with a safety rail at this age and they were just fine. I have a friend who did it with no rail- she first brought in the mattress and laid it on the floor so the little girl could get used to the new dimensions. After sleeping this way for about a month, they brought in the bed and she never fell, with no railing!
Hello, My daughter is 18 months and has been in a big girl bed(twin bed w/ safety rails)for about 4 months. She did not like her crib and sleeps great in her bed. She does not get out of bed but I know every little one is different so I would say just try it and see how he does. Hope this helps, H. A.
Aloha R.,
My oldest was 10 1/2 months when she was climbing out of her crib. She was tall for her age, but not really tall enough for a regular bed, and since she was an active sleeper, I put the crib mattress on the floor. This worked for each of my children and they loved it! Having the mattress on the floor worked for several reasons: they could get on and off without any problems and when they were rolling around in the night they didn't wake themselves when hitting anything, or get hurt from a fall. When they were ready for a regular bed the transition was easy.
Good luck,
L.
R.,
My son was 14 months when he started sleeping in a toddler bed. It was low enough to the ground that I thought he felt safe and he could get in and out of it himself. My second son started sleeping in a toddler bed at 12 months (our third son needed the crib.) You can even use the same mattress that is in his crib - something familiar is always helpful when making a change.
Hope that helps!
P.
Hi R.,
I had to put my son into a toddler bed at 17 months because he started jumping over the crib rail and out of the bed (and he was on the small side). My son was not a big napper anyway, but once he no longer was within the confines of the crib, he virtually never napped again.
I don't know how well your son naps or how easily he goes down for one, but once a child is in a bed without the crib rails, it's a very different experience to put them down for naps.
Some children happily take them, but for the ones who fight it, it can be more challenging.
Just something to consider.
This is all part of the fun of going one phase to another. They grow up so quickly!
All the best to you.
M.
Our oldest was a huge baby and too big to sleep in the bassinet. He'd move his arm, hit the side and wake up. The crib was the only option, but I vividly remember thinking he was way too little to be in that big old crib by himself. I'm sure it seems too early for the toddler bed conversion, but there really isn't a timetable, is there? Try it. If it doesn't work than you have your answer. But if it does - you'll all sleep better.
All of my boys climbed out of their cribs by 18 mos. I used a twin bed (any size would work) and pushed one side next to a wall with side rails on the open side. This works well. If they climb out of the bed, just lead them by the hand back to bed, it may take many times at first; however, by the third night, he should stay in bed when you put him into bed.
R.,
At this age they are all over the place in their bed. If you do convert the bed, you may want to consider going with a futon or even a mattress on the floor instead of actually converting the bed. That way if he falls off (they can fall off even with rails) he won't have far to fall. I'd also recommend childproofing the room well and putting a baby gate on the door so he can't get up and wander the house without your knowledge.
:-)T.
With both my boys they were big at birth and continued on that pathway for a while. They both were in toddler or big boy beds early. We just used the rails to let them know that they were supposed to stay in that bed - they loved it. It does afford them the opportunity to get up and carouse though. Usually it is just when they wake early (one of mine was an early riser anyway) and get up and start playing). That sort of thing. Good luck & God Bless You!
