Switching to a Big Bed/pillow

Why rush her out of the crib if she is happy? The switch from crib to bed was fine for both my kids but their sleep does change. Both my kidscbecame so tempted from toys, books in their room now that they could get out and napped less or shorter and woke up earlier to pay or leave their room to explore. Why mess with a good thing until you have to?nmy daughter wanted a pillow but for some reason I did not feel comfortable and it seemed uncomfortable for her little head so I just took one of her super soft blankets and folded it and laid it where a pillow would go. She loved Feeling the softness on her face and their was no bulkiness.

Why don't you want her in her crib at age 3? If she's sleeping and no issue I wouldn't set an age. On the other hand if she is potty trained and needs out or climbing out of the bed then I'd move her. I never gave our kids pillows in cribs, some do, and I think they take up too much space and years back when I had kids they used to say it wasn't good for their necks but I would think by her age it wouldn't hurt, but probably isn't necessary either. Do you have a crib that makes into a toddler bed with the rail? If so that will be an easy transition. It will make a change in her sleeping when you take her out of the crib.

my daugher had the pillow pets in her crib from a year and a half old and at 3 just got her toddler bed (potty trained so got rid of the baby crib) she was content in her crib so i let her stay in her crib not a big deal to me at all

I agree with getting a toddler pillow. Or make one yourself using a firm pillow form. My mom made my son one and embroidered monkeys on it and he loves it! of course he also sleeps with a ton of stuffed animals too...so there would not be room for a normal pillow. Oh and my son loved his toddler bed, he was so happy to have his "big boy bed" you never know what their reaction will be intill you try something new.

If she does great in a crib and you don't need it for another child, and she doesn't climb out, I say leave her there.

When we switched my daughter to her toddler bed (same age as yours), with the sheets and blanket and everything we gave her a pillow and it was very awkward for her. It's funny, because we wouldn't dream of sleeping without one, but that's what they're used to. I took it out for a few months, and I cannot remember when or why i put it back. She eventually got used to it. Of course, people thought I was crazy that she didn't have a pillow for a while, but she slept better without it. everyone is different. do what works!

It's likely that the size of the crib is too small to hold your daughter and a pillow if she pulls it out from under her head during the night. The rails will prevent her from being able to move it out of her way.

When my son was less than 2 (I think he was just over 18 months and climbing out of his crib) we put him on a twin mattress on the floor with a pillow. He didn't use the pillow at first, but he eventually started using it. But in a bigger bed space, he had room to scooch below the pillow to sleep flat, or push it out onto the floor. You could just try pulling her crib mattress out onto the floor and seeing how she does.

Small children sized pillows are good options, as are pillow pets. She will get used to it. My 4 year old loves his pillow, but only actually uses it about half the time.

We gave both our kids pillow pets to start with, they are smaller in size and really soft! My youngest is almost 3 (end of May) and he is still in a crib - no rush there! He naps great and sleeps 11-12 hours night. I will likely transition him to toddler bed this summer, shortly after turning 3.

We have a small travel-sized pillow in the crib. My 28 month dd won't sleep without it. It's all about what they are used to. And, with a small pillow, if she doesn't want to use it there is plenty of room to avoid it.

Pottery Barn Kids makes small, toddler-sized pillows that fit perfectly in a crib or toddler bed. That's what we used when our girls were that age. You could get a toddler bed (or twin bed, whatever you plan on using), and have her sleep on that for nap time until she is used to it, and then have her start sleeping on it at night. You're lucky that you made it this long with the crib - I had to move my kids to toddler beds around 18 months because they kept trying to climb out of the crib! So we kind of had to go cold turkey and move to the toddler bed immediately. (Even so, though, neither one had any trauma - it was pretty stress-free for us. Not sure if that's typical.)

Get her a Pillow Pet. She can hug it or lay on it, her choice. She may have asked for a pillow, but it doesn't mean she knew how she would react to using one or even like it, and if it or a Pillow Pet cause her to wake up or be restless, it's not for her, and it sure won't cause her any harm to sleep without one ; )

If you want her in a toddler bed just do it, she's old enough. Set it up so she can use it for a nap the first time, that way she can familiarize herself with it during daylight. Childproof her bedroom as much as possible in the event she gets up, and put a doorknob cover over the nob or a gate across her door to prevent her from leaving her room at nap/bedtime.