Time for a Big Boy Bed??? - Coatesville,PA

My son is exactly like Melonie's. Always has been a great sleeper and never tried getting out if his crib. We put him in his big boy bed (twin size) against the wall on one side and w/ a rail on the other. HE LOVES IT!! He has a ton of stuffed animals in there which would not fit in his crib. Just like Melonie's child, when he wakes up he simply calls for us to come get him. Its not that he "cant" get in and out on his own because he can, but for whatever reason he doesnt. It could be becasue I never gave him the option of being able to get INTO bed by himself at bedtime, I always PUT him in. ???

Good Luck!!

When we moved each of my three girls into Big Girl Beds we a put a gate at the door. The first week there was a lot of calling to us from the gate, and we would put them back in bed, no talking, no more good nights, just right back in bed. And a few nights they would even fall asleep at the door by the gate and then we would put them back in. My only other advise is that we took everything else out of the room. No toys, no dressers, no lamps. Just a few stuffed animals and books. It was completely baby proofed, so if they wandered their room at night we were confident that they were safe.

hi my son was around 18 months when i moved him on up to a bed its so much easier for me now
but it was a little harder in the beginning
but call it a big boy bed and he will love it

Does the crib convert to a daybed style? If so, I would certainly try it. My son was a little older than yours is now when we switched his crib to the daybed, but I don't see why you couldn't try it. It was tough for about a week, maybe 2, but after he got the hang of it, it wasn't too bad. I actually parked myself in the hallway outside his door and read every night for the first week. That way, I was close enough to play goalie and get him back into the bed if and when he got out. Give it a shot, and see how it goes. Just remember to be consistent with it, and eventually it will be just like normal.

Good luck!

Hello. I just put my son in the toddler bed 3 weeks ago and it didn't go from peaceful to hectic because he didn't figure out that he could climb out of the bed for a week however he only gets out of bed when he's not exhausted now like if he is still hyper and wound up before naptime and i put him in the toddler bed he will climb out and play in his room but if he is tired he just goes right to sleep i waited until he was 2 to put him in the bed only because i redecorated his room for his birthday i made his birthday a baby to big boy transititon and i made that clear to him so over the 2 weeks before his birthday i started making the changes explaining everyday and even more with every step that this is making him a big boy and with being a big boy there are certain things he has to do like when he got his bed i call it his big boy bed i tell him every time he goes down for a nap he needs to go to sleep in his big boy bed and not play he can play when he wakes up and after he makes his bed and with the toy bin he had to learn to clean up after himself most importantly clean his room i do reward him for doing his "chores" he gats an allowance $1 a week that i put in his piggybank and soon into his bank account we are starting as a "collegefund" but i got way off topic here sorry i don't think its too soon but try to see if he is rolling to the point that he will roll out of the bed or if its just he is feeling confined in the bars. soory about the long version thought maybe my experience would help.

I forgot to add do the transition at night time when he is exhausted it will make the first night easier for you:
1 he won't be able to see all of the stuff he can get at because of the dark
2 he should fall asleep fairly easily because he is so tired
Good luck :)

When we put our son in the big boy bed for the first time we made a huge deal out of it. He was so excited we thought it would be a piece of cake. It wasn't. You just have to be strong. We put a gate up at the door, did our bedtime routine and put him in the bed. He was at the gate in a flash. He cried that he wanted to come out, needed a drink, etc. We told him to get back in bed once and then ignored his pleas. After a few minutes, he knew he wasn't getting out and he gave up and fell asleep. A few times he fell asleep at the door and we would pick him up and put him in the bed. After a few nights, the crying didn't last as long. After about a week or so, he gave up and didn't cry at all anymore. It really takes about 5 days or more to teach them. If you can hold out for a week you'll be fine. Crying won't hurt your child, no matter how violent it seems. Good luck, I know it's difficult but it has to be done eventually.

HI E. I SWITCHED ALL FOUR OF MY CHILDREN AT AROUND 18 MONTHS. THEY SEEMED TO ADAPT FAIRLY EASY. I JUST MOVED THEIR FAVORITE STUFFED ANIMALS INTO THE BIG BED. THEY HAVE THEMED BEDS NOW MY YOUNGEST IS 3 SHE HAS A DORA BED. SHE WAS SO EXCITED TO BE SLEEPING WITH DORA MY BOYS BOTH LOVED CARS SO THEY HAVE CAR BEDS. MY OLDEST HAD A PRINCESS BED. IF HE IS REALLY INTO A CHARACTER YOU MIGHT WANT TO LOOK INTO THAT. GOOD LUCK

Both of my older ones made the switch at around 2 yrs. I feared the worst and expected to wake to have a little one staring me in the face, but you may be surprised. I don't think my girls even realized they could escape the bed for a while. Of course both had a side rail attached to the bed to prevent falls. No problem!

Our daughter is almost 18 months old, she has been in her big girl bed since she was 16 months...we got her a toddler bed thats really low to the floor even though her crib converts, its still too high up for her so I am not even sure why it converts she couldnt sleep up that high until she is older anyway, but anyway we just put pillows on both sides of the bed on the floor (it has rails too) incase she falls she wont get hurt... and she was so excited about it she didnt give us any problems sometimes she gets up after i tuck her in and hubby and I read her stories(I ALWAYS tuck her in and tell her its time to sleep after a while she knows what I am saying)and she has gotten used to the routine of going in on her bed and reading a story she knows its time for bed... and naps we do the same... but we put a gate at her door so she cant go wandering at night but its nice she'll get up in the morning and play in her room for a while before she wants breakfast and cries to get out, she seems MUCH happier in the mornings in her crib she would wake up and immediately scream...glad we made the switch =) and good luck!!!

My son too was/is very easy to put to bed and never climbed out of his crib. We put him in a big boy bed right before his 2nd birthday. I was also worried that our bedtime routine would change once he realized that he had the freedom to get out of bed when he wanted. I thought we would do naptime in there first and then try bedtime. Well, too my surprise, ever since the very first night, we have never had a problem. Actually he turned 3 in December and it is only recently that he is actually getting out of bed on his own once he wakes up. For the longest time, when he would wake up, he would just sit it his bed and call for us. It was adorable. Our son was (and still is some) very into Thomas the Train so we bought him a Thomas the Train toddler bed and decorated his room in all Thomas (he actually switched bedrooms at the same time!) Anyway, I would say that it is probably time for a big bed if he is uncomfortable. You could always put the bed together but don't take the crib apart yet and then see how he does for a few nights. If you need to you could always go back to using the crib a bit longer. Maybe that will inspire him to be good in his new bed so he doesn't have to go back in the crib??

Good Luck!

All I can say is don't do it too early although every child is different. If your son is having no issues with his crib, like trying to climb out I wouldn't switch yet. I switched my son at around 20 months because I knew that if he wanted to, he could climb out. He had never even tried. I switched him before his nap one day and by bedtime the next day I had his crib back together. It was a nightmare! Even back in his crib it took him a few weeks to get back to his old routine.

My son is now 30 months and we just switched him because he was climbing out of the crib. The process has been much smoother than before.

Good luck!

Abby

My son is the same age and I'm dreading the time when he needs to be moved into a "big boy" bed. I'm worried about the same thing. BUT, I remember being worried about the same thing with my daughter and surprisingly she rarely got out of bed. It was a little bit of a struggle getting her into bed but once she was there she was good. Maybe introduce it on a weekend that way if he is getting up in the middle of the night and you're losing sleep you're not suffering at work (assuming you work mon-fri of course!). During those first few days if he does get up just stick to your guns and bring him back to his bed each time. After a few nights (or week) of this he'll catch on that it's not work him getting out of bed. Good luck!

Hi E.,

My son has been in a bed since he was 19 months and he loves it...so YES it's time for a bed...with a bed rail of course...if you think he can climb out of it ...put a secure gate at his door and leave his door open...He'll be fine!

My son wan't a climber so he didn't get a "big boy bed" until he turned 3. The crib he had either converted into a toddler bed or a full-sized bed. We went straight into the full-sized bed. The first night was rough. The first time or two he got out I was gentle and reminded him it was bed-time. The next 3-4 I was stern. After that I said nothing but picked him up and put him back in bed. This went on to about 4am. The next night he only got out a couple of times. I then put a timer on the light of his aquarium. I told him that he has to stay in bed until the light came on in his fish tank. Luckily it works! He does not come off his bed until the light comes on. This works at nap time too!

Hi E.,

My name is I. and I have a 25 month old boy. He is still in a crib but I plan to move him into a bed in a few weeks. My husband and I have decided to put him in a bed with a gate at his door so that he can wake up and play in his room but can not come into our bed whenever he wants or wander around the house. That way he can call us when he needs something. Hope this helps.

My only tip would be to make sure you have a gate at the door. We converted my 17 month old sons crib when he was about 13 months old. He gets out of his bed and walks wherever he can get to if he wakes. With the gate up he jsut stand there and hollers for us. Bedtime didn't get anymore hectic for me really. I think the first few nights we put him back a few times, but he got used to it quick.

Good luck!

My son is a climber and the day he climbed out of his bed the first time is the day I converted him crib to a toddler bed. At bed time, he has never gotten out of his bed, even in the mornings, he calls me and once I'm in his room - then he'll climb out. I don't know why he doesn't climb out. Now, at nap time, if he's not tired, he will get down and play but I don't mind that. He also can climb out of those pack n' plays - but for some reason, when he sleeps in there, he doesn't climb out until after he sees me look at him. I was worried too about him climbing out all the time, but he just doesn't and I have a little monster that is into everything and climbs out of and over everything!

hello there,
i dont know if i can really give advice..you really have to do what works best for you and your child... but i can share my experience in the matter...
my son finally went from crib to bed at 3...there were multiple reasons while we waited...my son had alot of problems with ear infections and burst eardrums among other medical issues(nothing major)but he never wanted to sleep in his crib.. plus he didnt start talking till he was 3...we also had a VVVVEEERRRRYYY hard time getting him to go to sleep in his crib..he would literally scream for three or more hours before he would tire himself out and go to sleep and then when he woke up during the night it would be another couple hours of screaming... he never tried to get out of his crib but the hassle of getting to go to bed was more than i could handle most nights...when he was 3 i bought him a thomas the train bed(a toddler bed) i didnt want to get a toddler bed(they take a crib mattress) but i felt since he loved thomas so much,he would possibly sleep in it with less fight... my sister in law had her son in a twin bed well before he was two...in the beginnig,she sat next to him in bed until he fell asleep so he wouldnt try to get up and out of bed...i would think that if he sleeps in it well, i would leave him in there...is he talking yet??i felt more comfortable letting my son sleep in a bed when he was at the point where he could understand me and listen to me...how is he with change?? perhaps you could feel him out..go to the store...let him help you pick out a bed....if he is excited, use that...some kids take well to the whole bed thing...my son loved his bed, as long as he didnt have to sleep in it..but after a little while of struggle, he is alot better..my son sounds much different than yours so i dont think it would be too much of a problem...(dont quote me..lol)how about this idea?? they have twin beds that have the head board and footboard...than they have one full side and the other side is a partial ...with a space for the child to get in and out of bed...maybe if it was more enclosed like a crib he would not think to get out...i still say to leave him in there...lol...i know you say he is tall...but he cant be the full length of the crib...my 6 month old daughter is always squished up into a corner when i get her in the morning(she is my easy baby...sleeps the night in her crib ..lol)but it doesnt seem to bother her...she seems to like being up against things...she never seemed to appreciate big open clean place to lay...good luck...hope you find what works for you!! R.