When to Move to a Big Girl Bed?

Get the bed now and put it in her room so she gets use to the idea of a big-girl bed. Let her sleep there for naps if she wants. Let her sit on it. When she decides to sleep there, praise her for being such a big girl. Gradually (2 weeks or so) let her sleep in it. Then fill her crib with stuffed toys or something. When she wants to get in explain that it already has things in it and she gets her big-girl bed all to herself. If she gets out of bed and demands to be let out (can you say gate?), patiently let her know it's bedtime and don't make a big deal about it. If she falls asleep on the floor, so what? Just put her back in bed when you go to bed.
A mattress on the floor is great to start! If you're worried about her falling out of bed, get another side rail for her, and have one side of the bed against a wall.
Just don't wait. May revert when the baby is born, but it won't last long. Good luck!

My kids were about 23 months apart but I still left my daughter in the crib since I had a bassinet in my room for the baby. I also set up the toddler bed in the same room as the crib. They were going to have to share a room once I moved the baby to the crib so I started letting my daughter choose which bed to sleep in. She slowly adjusted to the bed and knew that when the baby was a little bigger he would be sleeping in her old crib while she slept in the big bed.

I think letting her transition a little at a time was a good choice for us. Hope you find what works for you.

Hi J.,

At 13 months my son fussed about going in his crib. He wanted nothing to do with it. I had an queen size air matress, so we put that on the floor and he rolled out of it 2 times and that was it. Eventually we bought a queen size bed for him and it was so simple.
L.

I am also due with my 2nd baby--my boys will be 16 months apart. I plan on putting my newborn in a bassinet for the first 3-4 months. I don't want to buy another crib either, ugh. Anyway, after the baby out grows the bassinet I'm going to see if my oldest boy will be ready for a big boy bed or still needs the crib. I'm afraid he'll get out of a toddler bed, too. I have a sister that has a crib I can borrow if I need it (she is moving her toddler to a bed, wahoo).

I don't think I would move a 14 month old out of the crib yet--might be a bit early, I think. You could try it for a week and see how it works?? Do you have any family or friends that have a crib you could borrow for a few months until your oldest daughter is ready for a toddler bed??

Sorry, I'm not much help but I'm in the same predicament as you are so I was curious to see what kind of responses you get :)

I had twins when my oldest was 22 months. We borrowed a crib (or you can get one used). When the twins were ready for separate cribs, my oldest was ready for a bed (used race car bed). You'll sleep better knowing your 16 month old is safe in a crib versus wandering the house.
Congrats and good luck.
S.

Hi J.!
My kids are 13 months apart, so I know what you are going through. We had a bassinette which helped to keep my oldest in the crib a little longer, so she was 20 months when we got her the twin bed. She did great with it, but the trick is to be sure to put bed rails on both sides of the bed, then had a body pillow that we had draped across the foot of the bed just beyond the bed rails, then stuffed animals at the head of the bed by her pillow. That way she was unable to move off the bed (fall mainly) and she was still enclosed a lot which I think made her feel like she was still in the crib. I didn't have any trouble with her getting out of bed either. She would cry if she needed me, just like in the crib too. The other advice I would give you is to put a baby gait in the doorway so you don't have to close her door to keep her inside her room in case she does end up getting out of bed. I hope this helps! My son was actually into a toddler bed about 15 months old (our neighbors were having a baby so we let them take our crib). I got a car bed for him so we never had to use rails since it kind of goes up on the sides already. He did try to get out a few times (that's where I tried the baby gait). That only happened a few nights, then was great since then! Sooo, hopefully you'll have the same luck as I did! Good luck with the new baby and I am sure whatever you decide will be a great decision!
K.

Hi J.,
I have an idea for you. What if you use a portable crib( pack and play) in you room for say 8 weeks or so or even longer with your newborn, that would give you a little more time for your first in her crib until she is ready for a bed. Then you won't have to get another crib which I agree with you would be a bummer! I do think 14 15 months in a bed is too young, keep her in there for a while longer, you are right that would be tough for oyu to be doing all the newborn stuff and transitioning a toddler at the same time! So you could have the baby in the portable crib for a while! Good luck!

Sounds like you got quite a bit of advice. I absolutely would not move a child under two out of a crib. I actually would suggest 2.5 - 3 yrs. They really don't understand that they are supposed to stay in bed all night before then. If they have the ability to get up, they will. I would not want a 1.5 year old running around in their room at night...or looking for me..or a toy..or whatever. If she is sleeping well, keep her in her own bed (crib). Why rush it? Borrow a crib for the baby or get a pack and play or a bassinet. The baby should be able to stay in one of those until your older daughter is ready to transition. Don't hurry her just because the baby is coming. She is still a baby too....it doesn't last long, let her be a baby while she still is. (Not to mention, you are going to have your hands FULL....keep things as easy as possible for the next year!)

Same problem here, except mine are 20 months apart and the 2nd is already here! We decided to not buy a 2nd crib AND to leave my toddler in her crib. She doesn't climb out of it yet, so we're planning on milking that for all its worth. Our solution: When our son is ready to be out of the bassinet and out of our room (a matter of days now!), he will sleep in our pack and play. We are planning on moving at the end of the summer so I think we'll try to transition my daughter to a big girl bed after we move. We're planning to put both the crib and a big girl bed (maybe toddler bed, but maybe a twin...) in her room and letting her decide when she's ready to sleep in the big girl bed and not the crib anymore. Good luck! Its one of the many joys of have 2 babies close together. =)

If I remember right, we moved our son (now almost 3) from his crib to a twin bed with rails (which we bought at Target), so he wouldn't fall out, at about 15 months. It was a seamless transition for us because he loved his "big boy bed". We shut his door at night, so he was unable to roam around the house if he got up. We also limited the amount of toys we had in his room, so he wasn't as tempted to get out of bed and play. We gave him the expectation that we stay in bed until it's light outside... I know, this wouldn't necessarily work right now due to the time of year and extended daylight hours. All in all, it worked great, though. I agree with others who suggested you move your daughter before your second is born, so she doesn't connect the new baby with "losing" her crib. Good luck with your decision!

I had babies 13 months apart. I would suggest that you try to keep your toddler in a crib for as long as possible. I would do whatever I could to get another crib. Is there someone who might be able to lend you theirs for a year? Could you use a basinet for the first couple months for the new baby? Each time I have switched my kids to a toddler bed, it has been a big adjustment with them getting out of bed, not sleeping as well for a few months, etc. The two cribs worked really well for me. It will be hard for your toddler with a new baby in general and keeping her in her crib that provides security might be worth the hassle of getting another crib. Good luck with whatever you try!

my boys went to beds a little after turning 1. They were rally tall and when standing they were close to flipping over the edge of the crib. I just put mattresses twin size on the floor at first. I didnt want them falling out of a bed being so young. It worked out really well for them. Once asleep they staid asleep. They both had to be rocked to sleep though until they were much older than that cause I was dumb and started a bad habit with them.

I think that I moved all of my kids out of the crib about 18 mo. My daughter slept in a daybed turned backwards and the boys just went right into twin beds. For me, it was a maturity issue also. I wanted to be able to put my kids into bed and know that they would be safe. I feel that each kid has a different time when they are able to understand that it is time for them to go to sleep. If you move your daughter to a toddler bed and she gets up and cries at the door, it probably will only be for a couple of nights. I can remember that my daughter thought that it was great and she could climb into her own bed when she wanted and take a nap.

My kids are 22 mths apart(my daughter is the oldest). We got a porta crib, (one of those small ones that you could fold up and take with you)we put my son into the porta crib, while my daughter was still in the big crib.

We moved her over to a twin bed w/guard rail about 6 mths. after my son was born & moved him into the big crib then. All was good then, no arguments about giving her lil brother her crib, she was ready to sleep in her big girl bed then.

Both my kids slept 10 to 12 hours through the nite by 6 wks of age. They are now 20 & 18 yrs old.

Good luck

We had a crib that transitioned to a toddler bed, and our daughter was in the toddler bed probably around 15 months old with no problems. If you are looking at going to a twin sized mattress, one step ahead (www.onestepahead.com) sells these inflatable bed rails or bolsters (meant for travel, but you could probably use them all the time) that are on an elastic band that wraps around the mattress. From the picture, they appear to go the length of the mattress so you wouldn't have to worry about her falling out of bed. I don't know how well they work but sometimes parents post reviews of their products, so maybe someone has reviewed it so you can see if they liked them or not. Maybe something like that might work for you. We are looking at transitioning our daughter to a twin bed in the near future and have been looking at daybeds with trundles - we figure that way, if she does fall out of the bed, we will just have the trundle pulled out enough that she would land on that bed instead of the floor! lol Plus, if the back and sides of the daybed are high enough, you only would need to worry about a bed rail for one side of the bed. Good luck finding some advice that will work for you and your situation.

We turned the crib into a toddler bed when our son was 11 months, I had been working as a nanny with a family who waited till the children were climbing out at 2 1/2 and I did not want to wait that long.
Part of the decision was also for us that when we laid our son down to go to sleep that he laid in that spot and fell asleep and did not go too far during the night unless he woke up. It took him months to figure out he could get out on his own. He would call from his crib in the morning for us to come get him.
He is now 19 months and bed time is a little tougher because he will get out of bed and come to the door, but he will climb back in bed to go to sleep.
At nap time he will play sometimes, but we do not have a lot of toys, more books in his room and it is totally child proof. And he will climb in bed and go to sleep after a little while.
My sister used a twin mattress on the floor for her son when he was about 14 months. I only used the toddler bed because we are in a small apartment and don't have room for a twin bed and the crib turned into a toddler bed, though we left three sides of the crib and only changed the side that was out.

You need to do what is best for your family.

Good luck deciding what you want to try.

S.
mother to Kai
www.HomeWithKai.com

Our youngest are 15 months apart.
I was not in a hurry to move DD out of her crib. Just before the baby was born she got her legs stuck several times in the slots on the crib so that night we moved her to a toddler bed. Before we introduced the toddler bed and had it set up in her room- so that night I put her used crib sheet on it (has her smell) and left the crib mattress standing upright so she could not climb back in. (baby gate in the door way- she came and cried for a while then got into her bed for the night)
Once the baby was born she sleep in a pack n play in our room and I had different sheets for the crib so it was not my oldest DD's bed any more. She would have flipped and climbed back in if her crib sheets were put back on it. (Yeah garage sales $.50 for new crib sheet in wonderful condition!!)
I know other people who keep thier kids in the crib until they turn 3 year old. I have also been told by one Dr at 18 months to move them out of the crib for saftey reasons.
Go with your gutt and what will work for your child.

We moved our son to a twin mattress, on the floor, when he was 18 months old and probably could have moved him sooner. He was having trouble sleeping in his crib because he moved around so much in his sleep that he was hitting his head on the bars. We didn't see much sense in trying a toddler bed, since he did move around so much, and decided to try the twin first. He did fall out a couple of times in the first month, but it wasn't a big deal because it was so close to the floor. He slept much better in the bigger bed and now (at 3 1/2) still loves it. I would think it would be better to try it out earlier, rather than letting her think she is being moved because of the baby, then she can get used to the idea of being "a big girl" and not have any misunderstandings about being moved BECAUSE of the baby. Good luck, I'm sure she'll do just fine!

We moved our son out of his crib when he was 20 months old. He did really well for about a month. Then, he was up constantly. It was so much work for us. It really is worth it to just bite the bullet and buy another crib. If you don't want to pay full price for a crib you could always look for a used one in the paper or go to a second hand store for a second crib. PS. My son was a GREAT sleeper in his crib too. I wish I would have bought another crib for our baby.

I have a 19 1/2 month old little boy and we purchased a crib that converts to a toddler bed and a double bed eventually. I'd look into purchasing one of those for your little girl and that way she can have her crib for a bit longer and you can convert it into a toddler bed when she's ready.

My little guy is still in the crib and we are not likely to detach the crib rail and install the toddler rail until he's 2 or older. He rolls around in his crib so frequently (while sleeping) that I'm still hesitant to put up the toddler rail and assume he'll be ok (or sleep well for that matter).

We have plenty of friends who purchased a crib (w/o a toddler conversion) and transitioned their kids at the age of two or older to a toddler bed, but I don't know of many that have done it any earlier. I've known some parents that do the conversion when their child starts climbing out of the crib and others just know it's the right time.

Best of luck!
L.
Mom to Loudon, 19 1/2 months

I wouldn't put my 13 mos old in a big bed. I would keep her in a a crib for longer. But, I got lucky. My boys are 2.5 years apart & since my older one had a convertible crib (crib to daybed, etc) I didn't want to get him a new bed. I found one at a yard sale for $30. My older son was constantly falling out of bed (he's got a scar on his eyelid from a fall he took in his sleep & NO idea 4 years later how it got there, blacked his eye & everything) & still needed the safety of his crib.
I found a great deal on a bassinet at a children's consignment shop & each boy slept there until he outgrew it (about 6 mos for each of them). We started out in a 1BR apt & w/o taking down the kitchen table & putting the baby by the front door, we didn't have space for a crib. We moved into a house when he was 6 mos old & just never put his bassinet up again.
If the cost is what's wanting you to have her move to a bed, look around. Ask friends to ask their friends. Ask your moms to ask their friends. Chances are, somebody's got a crib in the garage or attic getting dusty that they wouldn't mind sharing w/your older daughter until she's ready for a big girl bed. Check www.craigslist.org too. I sold my convertable crib on there before we moved because by the time my son was old enough for his own kids, his baby crib would be so scratched & jacked up from countless military moves that it wouldn't be safe for his kids to be in it.
Since the baby isn't due til Sept, you've got time to look around.

At about 14 months, my son went from being an amazing sleeper to a little monster at bedtime. We tried EVERYthing! Nothing worked. Then, one night out of desperation, we made him a bed on the floor next to his crib. He went right to sleep and didn't give us any trouble. The same thing happened for the next few nights in a row. Feeling bad that my baby was sleeping on the floor, we bought a twin-size mattress and made it into a bed on the floor for him. We took down the crib, and he slept there perfectly! We moved his mattress onto a big boy bed a month or so later when we figured he had the sleeping on a bed thing all figured out. So, in short, my son (who is 8 1/2 now) stopped sleeping in a crib when he was just a little over 14 months old. It worked fine for us. We didn't do that with any of our other kids--we waited until at least 18 months with the other three.

Good luck with your decision.

Go for it. I agree with Brenda, just go to a regular bed. It'll save money, anyway. You can start with the mattress on the floor, if you feel better. Our boys didn't have any problem with a regular bed when we traveled, even though we kept them in the crib at home a little longer. Congratulations!

My boys are 15 months apart so I am right there w/ you. What we did was keep the baby in a side sleeper in our room until he was 6 mths old. Then we moved to colorado and were able to let the boys have their own room. We gave the baby the crib & the older one a super single. We have it on the floor w. a sidebar. We also have a little tent over the top to make him feel like its a fort. He like most kids is all over the bed, but w/ the bar & the tent he pretty much stays in the middle of the bed. We have it up against the walls so only 2 sides are open, but if you get 2 bars you can create a small play pen/crib for her just lots bigger. I have heard that the smaller beds make them feel more secure but I figured we already had this bed as a guest bed and he loved jumping on itin the first place. He was so excited about getting to sleep in a big bed we didn't have any probloem w/ the transition. We also got him some car sheets so he feels like its his. We do play in the crib now and then but never had any issues w/ changing beds.

I moved my daughter at 18 mos due to her brother coming, she had a daybed, then I put up a bedrail on the open side and it served well as like a crib but she was so excited to have a big girl bed there was no issues with the transition so I got lucky. I took the bedrail off when she was two. I had to fill the crib with stuffed animals though as if she saw it she wanted back in it! :) My daughter moves around a bunch and has never fallen out of bed either. Put a baby gate on the room so she is wandering the house at night either.

By the time her brother arrived though my daughter had been in her big girl bed for almost six months. The bed rails are great, better then her on the floor as she feels a little more secure. You can push the twin bed up against the wall and put a bedrail on (they are like $15-20 at Target) I would bet if I mine on the floor they would have gotten up a million times but that is just my opinion.

If you are worried she is too young, then try putting the newborn baby in a pack n' play that has a bassinett or a bassinett (see if you can borrow one from a friend) for a little while until she is closer to 18 mos and then empower her with what a big girl she is. Take her to pick out her own sheets. Good luck and Congrats!

As for the bottle, just get rid of them all, seriously. Put them all away, out of sight out of mind. Do not cave if she gets upset, she is so young she will forget about them in no time. Cold turkey is honestly the best way to help her out. I took them away for both of my kids at the year mark and though they asked on occassion it was a non issue. I got them fun sippies and fun strawed cups. I would do this first before moving her into another or different bed.

Hi J.,
Well I have two girls age 5 1/2 and 2 1/2. I put my older daughter in a toddler bed at about 15 months because our crib broke. She wouldn't stay in the toddler bed and it was a nightly battle. I wished very much that we had kept her in her crib much longer. She never tried to climb out of it so that wasn't an issue. My second child only recently went into a toddler bed. It gave me peace of mind knowing she was safe and sound in her crib and that it wasn't a battle every night. She seemed to feel secure in her crib as well. When we moved her to the toddler bed she was ready for it. She sleeps in the same room with big sister. She was able to understand that it was something special and she enjoyed the idea of being "big" like sister. I got the kind that has sides so she doesn't feel like she will fall out.
Well you know your child better than I do. I am sure you will make the best choice for her!
I know that all children are different and your child may do fine. 15 months just seems so young for a big girl bed. In my opinion, I think for your own peace of mind, another crib would be the best. When you put her down, you know she is safe and secure. My anxiety level was helped by not having to deal with the battle of "stay in your bed" so I could be 'free" to take care of the infant. You are already exhausted and bedtime for the older child is a necessity so you can have some down time for yourself or for the infant.
You could try to find one to borrow temporarily or buy a nice used one so the cost isn't so bad. Check with "Freecycle.org" too. You will probably only need it for a year or less.
Good luck!

My opinion is that 16 months is too early. Another thing that you need think about is the wandering issue. Are you comfortable with going to bed knowing that your 16 month old can get up and wander around the house? My kids were 18 months apart. We kept the baby in a bassinet in our room until he was 5 months old. When my older son turned 2 we put him in his own big bed. We also put a lock on his bedroom door. (It sounds cruel but he can barely open the door anyway so it doesn't matter to him). At any rate, I would be very hesitant to put a 16 month old in a big kid bed.

My older two kids were out of thier crib by a year of age. I had to take them out. They hated it so much, my daughter broke her crib, and my first son came very close to breaking his. I guess I would say when ever your child is ready would be the best time to do it. My kids never did a toddler bed. We bought one for our daughter and she refused to sleep in it, she slept on the floor, so we got her a twin bed and never had a problem since. I wish you luck.

Honey...do it NOW!!! I know you have lots of answers, but here's my two-cents! My son was moved to a toddler bed when he was 13 months old, not because he was climbing out or anything, but because we are expecting #2 and wanted him out of his crib for long enough time to feel comfortable with the baby sleeping in "his" crib. My son is also very small, but he does fine. The only reason we didn't get a twin bed with a rail is due to space in the nursery, but the toddler bed is wonderful as he can climb out and in himself and your daughter might love a princess or Dora bed. He did fall out a few times in the middle of the night, but he was fine...didn't even wake up most of the time and the times he did, it was easy to put him back into bed! I wouldn't be afraid to transition her...these kids are really more resiliant than we give them credit for!

We bought a travel-size pillow and put it under the fitted sheet, which he loves and the comforter and sheets don't go all the way up to the top, so I don't worry about him getting buried. As far as safety, we put a tall gate at his door and childproofed all this room, put a few safe toys and books in his room so when he gets up in the morning, he can play a little before waking us up- though this rarely happens now since he is potty trained so within minutes of waking up he's at the gate asking to go pee. Granted, I often walk in to all the toys and books off the shelf AND the drawers emptied of clothes as he often plays a bit before bed. I also would put a spill-proof glass with some water (may help with the bottle transition too, but he no longer has this as I don't want him wetting his bed in the night) and a few "love-ies" in bed with him...even bought him a glo-worm that sings and lights up that he loves to push as he goes to sleep.

At bedtime, we put him in bed and then if we hear him get out, we put him straight back in and tell him good night. At the stary sometimes it took 5-7 times of putting him back before he goes to sleep, but other nights we put him in once and he goes right to sleep. As he got used to sleeping in his bed, we did occasionally find him asleep by the gate and I would just lift him into his bed and everything was fine. He did go through a stage of about a week where he didn't want to fall asleep in his bed, so I picked my battles and we bought him a play tent and told him he had to pick one or the other...he loved sleeping in his tent, but now it is old news and he is back to sleeping in his bed! If you are concerned, do a few days of a trial run during nap times. Anyway, good luck with transitioning. It is well worth it!

Oh, BTW, I have a post in that I asked a similar question, so you might check that out in my profile too! Good luck!

S., 26, mom of 18-month-old and #2 boy due in Aug

I moved my oldest daughter (now 4) around 15 months. She was always a really good sleeper too, and it just continued when I moved her. I actually found it really easy to move her, of course she has always been a very obedient child. I just told her that she needed to stay in her bed until I came and got her in the morning, or if she needed me just to say my name and I would hear her (I kept a monitor in with her). I always shut her door, so she wasn't randomly walking around the house during the night, and I made sure she had some friends (stuffed animals) and a couple of books in bed with her so she could read herself to sleep. However, the flip side of this is my baby girl is now about 15 months and there is no way I would put her in a toddler bed because she would be up and down half the night keeping her sister awake (they share a room) and playing. A crib keeps her nicely confined. *lol*

Hi!

I moved all of my kids to a big bed around 16 months. I don't think it was too early. What I did is put them in a day bed with a rail, so they are still contained on all sides. Honestly, it takes them months to realize that they can get out of bed on their own. I would start by putting her down for a nap in the bed so she can get used to it. I think the younger the better so they don't have the attachment issues.

The only drawback about the big bed is that once she figures out that she can get out of bed, it could be hard. But, I think every kid goes through that stage (and I always thought it was better than a kid climbing out of a crib). I always kept the room pretty bare (not a lot of toys) and of course make sure it is babyproofed really well. So, when she does get out and explore she will not hurt herself. This would be true for a 16 month or or a 3 years old!!! Better sooner rather than later, right!?!?

Good luck!
P.S. Don't waste your money on a toddler bed! Go for the twin!

I'm in the same situation, except my daughter is already 2 and I'm due with the next baby in about one month. I also don't want my daughter to have to adjust to a new room ro a new bed at the same time as a new brother.

What I've decided is to keep the new baby in a play yard in my bedroom and let my daughter stay in her crib. I had her sleep in my bed with me and then a bassinette in my room for the first 4-6 months anyway, since I hated having to go across the hall to feed her every couple of hours.

Anyway, I figure that when the baby is 3 months old then I'll transition my daughter to a toddler bed. Then she'll have 3 months or so to get used to it before the baby takes over her crib. Hopefully by then she'll no longer think of the crib as hers.

Good luck. Let us know how it goes!

My boys are 18 months apart. What I did in this situation was keep the baby in our room so it was easy to nurse or feed. That gives you a few months to transition the older one. We had the toddler bed and crib in the same room so we could start using the toddler bed and if need be put him in the crib. He did really well with the transition. Of course if there is an opening in the toddler bed they will fall out but all I do is put them back in bed and they are fine. My youngest in now 15 months old and is starting to climb out of the crib so we had to put him in the toddler bed, which I was so not ready for. He too has done fine with the transition so far as long as he is tired enough to go to sleep.
Good Luck,
A.

Personally, I have never changed a child of mine to a big bed until after they turned 18 months. In your situation I would recommend having the baby sleep in a playpen for the first 5 months and wait until your older daughter is 18 months to transition her to a bigger bed. I do recommend a toddler bed as it has partial side bars.

Waiting a couple months after your baby is born will help avoid her associating the transition with her baby sister. Also, waiting a couple months after taking her out of the crib before putting the baby in the crib may help avoid a problem too. Good luck!

Make it a GREAT day!

S.

My daughter was older (almost 2) when we moved her into a big girl bed, but we did it for the same reasons. We started months BEFORE the new baby was due to arrive, so she wouldn't think we were giving her bed to her brother. We started by asking her if she wanted to sleep in the bed for naps... then progressed to overnight "sleepovers" (we were also moving her into a new room). If she didn't want to sleep in the new room/bed, we didn't force the issue. Doing this months in advance, gave us that option. A few things that really helped with the transition:

1) Her new big girl bed was/is a trundle bed, so it already had 3 "sides". We then bought a side bar to enclose the bed which made it feel kind of like a crib. The trundle bed has been great for guests too since with the new baby we had to give up our guest room!

2) The new bed allowed us to lay in bed with her for a bit mainly to read, but also to cuddle, if she was feeling insecure. She loved this!

3) We made the transition to her new room/bed as special as possible by getting her new furniture and decor. She was a bit older than your daughter, but she loved helping mommy pick out the colors, etc. for her new room. Maybe you can involve your daughter by letting her pick out a new blanket, bedspread or pillow for her big girl bed.

Good Luck!

YES it has been done! My daughter was 12 months old when we put her in a bed. SHE LOVED IT! She is also a very good sleeper and never had any problems (very good girl) but she is tall and we were worried about climbing out. Do not let anyone tell you this is not good or you should wait. Every child is different and if you guys want to do it, go for it. Like I said my daughter loves her bigger bed.

Just a few suggestions. First of all, if you need a toddler bed and want one I have one I will give to you. Someone gave it to me and that is the only reason I have it. If you do not want to go that route, just get a twin box springs and mattress and put on the floor. Move it against a wall so she can only fall out of one side. The side rails are a waste of money but if you have one you can use it might not hurt. The first few nights may be iffy, but build her up to it before just plopping her in there one night. Also, I found it very helpful to NOT have the crib set up in her room. It is not an option any longer just like the bottle. Please send me a message if you want any other info. I feel like I am rambling. It can be done and my daughter did wonderful! Good luck.

J. S.

My kids are 2 years apart and I just kept my daughter in her crib after my son was born. She was not ready to move out of the crib and so we put my son in a pack n play in our room and kept her in her room/crib. We moved her to a big girl bed when she was about 34 months old and my son was about 9 months old. It worked out great for us. I would say don't push your oldest just because you are having another one ... kids are small and they don't need their own room or a full blown crib to sleep in so just do what works for your family.

K.

You know all kids are different, and this may be the case or not with yours, but we actually did move our little girl in a big bed after our little boy was born. When he was sleeping through the night and too big for the cradle, we just moved them both up to the next step. It wasn't a problem for her. She actually didn't even get out of bed for the first couple of days, and then of course we had some issues with that, but you just keep putting them back, and don't make it into a game. My little girl was 2. Every new thing will be an adjustment, but you just work through it and be consistent. My little boy is now 19 months and we are expecting another little boy any day now, and because he gets out of the crib already anyways, it may not be too long before we move him too. Just do what works for you.

My sister moved her little girl to a big girl bed around 12 months simply because she was not sleeping well in a crib. It worked out really well for her and solved a lot of her sleeping issues. You could try anytime. Best of luck.

R.

Hello J.!

If it's just the point of not wanting to buy another crib, for the sake of sleep, I would just break down and buy another crib. Just get one that turns into a toddler bed so it will last longer. You can buy the cheapest one a Walmart if need be. You can always sell it on craigslist when it's been outgrown. I know my daughter slept better in a crib and as soon as we switched her there was a lot less sleeping in this house! She eventually did just fine at night(by night two!), but never fell back asleep if she woke up early. I'm sure she was waking up early when she was in the crib, but with no where exciting to go, I think she was just falling right back to sleep. Now that she's in a regular bed, when she hears something, she's up and there's no talking her in to going back to bed, even if it's 5:30a.m.! I would buy the crib, get adjusted with your new baby(yay!) and then make the switch when she's a little older. That way, if you are making the switch with a crib that turns into a toddler bed, you can always put it back to crib if it turns out she's really not ready. Have fun and sleep well!!

Congratulations on the new baby! I am in a similar situation. Except when my baby comes my children will be two years apart. When I had my first we could neither afford a crib nor had room for one, so she slept in a pack-n-play until she received a crib for her 1st birthday. But for the first six months of her life she slept with me so I could breastfeed at night. She loves her crib now and I am not ready to give her freedom yet. I am planning on co-sleeping with our newborn for six months and then putting him in the pack-n-play until big sister is moved out of the crib. We are in a tiny 2 room apartment, so eventually I want both kids in the same room. Big sister on a twin bed and baby brother in the crib. I think starting out with a twin mattress on the floor is good until they learn to sleep all night in the same position. Then I will put the box spring under it and finally the bed frame.

If I were you I would wait until the baby is six months old before transitioning your older girl to a twin bed and the baby to a crib. I think co-sleeping or using a pack-n-play in your room would be a good idea. But like you said every baby and family is different. Good luck with girls so close in age!

Start baby out in a bassinett. It can last her until she is 3-4 months (depending on how big and active she is) and it will give you that time to help your older daughter adjust to a big-girl bed. Bassinetts (or cradles, too) usually cost less that a crib, and they take up less room.

Congrats on your girls!