Back in January when I was contemplating a future switch for Miss H from her crib to a toddler bed. I’m a planner and I don’t like to do things last minute, so I’m constantly thinking ahead to the next step, even if I know that the “next step” may be months and months down the road. Case in point: the toddler bed.
Miss H is still happily sleeping in her crib. She’s in there from 7pm-7am every night (usually falls asleep by 7:30/7:45). Our bedtime routine is still relatively easy, and when we say goodnight Miss H happily says, “Goodbye, see you later!”
I desperately don’t want to rock the boat when it comes to bedtime. But in addition to the new baby eventually needing Miss H’s crib, the new baby will be sharing a room with Miss H, who will be 2 1/2 when the new baby arrives. So I know that we need to be careful and strategic with how we transition. We basically have two options, as far as I can tell.
Option 1
Some articles I’ve read have stated that you should transition your toddler out of the crib and into their new bed about 2 months before the new baby arrives. This is supposed to ensure that the toddler has time to transition and doesn’t still feel a strong ownership over the crib when the new baby arrives. I, personally, am fond of this plan because if it’s going to be a struggle to transition, I’d rather do it before I add a newborn into the mix (i.e. when I have even less sleep and patience and have another little one to take care of). I realize this is a bit selfish on my part because we obviously should not rush Miss H, but on the flip side, I’d be able to give her much more of my attention now vs. later.
I sometimes ask Miss H if she’d like to sleep in a big girl bed and have the new baby sleep in the crib. She kindly let’s me know that she will sleep in her crib and the new baby can sleep on a cot (she naps on a cot at daycare now). But maybe if she can actually see a “big girl bed” it will be more exciting than trying to imagine one.
Option 2
Other articles I’ve read have stated that you should wait until your toddler is ready for a bed, new baby or not. In fact, this article advises to make the switch before a new baby arrives and a few sentences later suggests waiting until the new baby is a few months before switching your toddler, even suggesting you buy or borrow a second crib. Confusing! But I know that there is no “right” answer – every child is different.
Obviously I recognize the biggest benefit of waiting: Miss H will be able to take the lead more on showing signs of readiness, regardless of the new baby time line. And I know that the new baby will be sleeping in our room for a while (Miss H started sleeping in her crib at night at around 5 weeks, although I’m sure it will be much later for the second baby). The obvious drawbacks of waiting are, as I outlined above, newborn exhaustion combined with toddler bedtime tantrums. Also, trying to rearrange Miss H’s room and set up her new bed when we have less time and energy will be tough.
I’m incredibly torn right now. Fortunately we have some more time to wait and see, as we wouldn’t need to switch beds until early September if we choose the first option. And potentially over the summer Miss H might start showing she’s ready for this switch and we can test things out by turning her crib into the toddler bed before introducing a separate bed.
The Bed
Either way we go, our plan is to get IKEA’s Kura Toddler Loft Bed, as we need something that will work well to maximize the space in her room.
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While Miss H will be too young initially to sleep on the loft, we will make some adjustments: we’ll turn the side with the ladder against the wall so that Miss H can’t attempt to climb it. We’ll put a mattress on the floor and treat it similar to a Montessori-style “floor bed.” On the top lofted part, we can keep bins for toys and books, as we’ll be losing extra storage space in the room by also having the crib in there. And then, when Miss H is a little older, we can turn the bed so that the ladder side is out and she can sleep on the lofted part, while the bottom will be used for toy storage/play area.
Sometimes I get sad and worried with how the addition of the baby will impact Miss H, with her sleep being one thing that could be majorly impacted. As always I want to do what I feel she is ready for at the time and in her best interest, but this transition is such a big unknown I’m just not sure which way to go!
Have you gone through a similar transition, or are you currently planning for one? If so, how do you weigh out both of these options, or is there an “option 3” I haven’t thought of yet (other than buying a new house with a lot of extra bedrooms, which isn’t in the cards for us right now)?
blogger / pomegranate / 3491 posts
My plan is keeping C in his crib as long as he is content and safe in there. Down the line, if we end up pregnant and having a baby who needs it earlier, there is always a pack n play or even a cheap ikea crib. Well worth the money in my book not to break something that isn’t broken.
guest
another blogger has written about this:
http://www.babble.com/toddler/my-first-baby-moved-to-his-big-boy-bed/
http://www.babble.com/toddler/the-toddler-bed-transition-an-update/
http://www.babble.com/toddler/transitioning-out-of-the-crib-what-comes-next/
guest
I can totally relate to your post! Our children are 19 months apart and share a room. It has gone very well so far and neither child seemed to think the transition was a very big deal. Our son just turned two and is still in his crib. We were thinking of transitioning him to a toddler bed before Little Sister was born but I worried that, while he’s a well-behaved little guy, he might get up and lovingly toss a lovey or blanket in Little Sister’s crib while she’s too tiny to move it off her face. At the time, it felt like a frustrating investment to buy a second crib, but I’m glad we did. Every child and every family is different, but having two cribs is working for our family…for now.
squash / 13208 posts
Since it sounds like you need the crib right after the baby is born then I would switch her now. I would get the new bed in the room and get it arranged and then take your DD to pick out her new bedding – get some pillows – make it fun!!! Show her how exciting it will be to lay in her big girl bed with mommy or daddy and read books before bed –
You never know, she may do great!! good luck!
blogger / coconut / 8306 posts
We are currently planning this transition. I wanted to give the baby Chloe’s crib, but decided not to rock the boat. We found a great deal on a crib & went with all white furniture.
Chloe saw the crib assembled and reized HER toddler bed (cinverted) was actually a crib — and she angrily shouted that she is a big girl and BABIES sleep in baby cribs.
and that is when we went out and got her a new bedroom set, that will be arriving this week.
I’m excited but part of me is worried that the transition to a twin bed is really going to be awful.
kiwi / 511 posts
We tried to have have DS1’s crib and toddler bed in the same room and then moved him to the toddler bed while leaving the crib in the room for his little brother. This did not work at all. We were fortunate to get a second crib from my sister so we kept DS1 in his crib for longer (FWIW he did a week in his big kid bed and loved it and then regressed. This was before DS2 arrived). One day I just decided to take down his crib, I disassembled and stashed it away, when he came home he looked in his room and said where is my crib? I said it went away, he replied oh it went home, ok. And it was smooth sailing.
We then moved DS2’s crib into the room with DS1’s toddler bed and when we had staggered bedtimes it was fine and dandy…we are currently struggling with the fact that those bedtimes are coinciding.
blogger / pomegranate / 3201 posts
I love that bed!
clementine / 806 posts
We are in the EXACT same situation. I am highly protective over Paige’s sleep. And I’d do anything to prevent disturbing her sleep. But I would also like to use the current crib instead of purchasing a new one and buy a new bed for Paige instead. Instead of buying another crib and eventually a bed for Paige anyways! But I’m so worried that once she realizes she has “freedom” she might start wandering her room and the house since she can open the doors which would drive me insane. Especially if there’s a new baby in the house and she wakes up to the crying, she might want to come see what the fuss is about. Oh the worries. At least in her crib, she’s just kinda stuck there! We keep her in a sleep sack since that’s the only way we know she can’t vault her crib, which she’s done before if we forget to put her in a sleep sack. Keep us posted, I will be very anxiously curious how it works out for the Hopscotch family!
pear / 1696 posts
If you keep Miss H in her crib, you could always use a cosleeper for the new baby. My LO slept in his co sleep for 5 months until we started sleep training.
http://www.amazon.com/Arms-Reach-Original-Co-Sleeper-Bassinet/dp/B00BFBUYAO/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&qid=1400611656&sr=8-4&keywords=arms+reach+cosleeper+sheet
blogger / pomelo / 5400 posts
We chose option 1 and it went really smoothly. LO was never one for crib acrobatics and that same temperament might work in your favor. Ten months after the transition, he still doesn’t get out of bed unless we tell him to, and he’s almost 3.
guest
We moved our 19 month old into a big boy bed b/c I was expecting #2 when he was 22 months old. It went MUCH better than expected. I am glad we did it before baby #2 arrived. I was nervous b/c he was a 7pm-7am sleeper and I didn’t want to mess that up.
Expect maybe a week of transition, but you will likely pleasantly surprised. Be firm about your expectations that she stay in her bed. Actually, we put a lamp with an orange light bulb (b/c it is slightly dim) in our son’s room on a timer. He wasn’t allowed out of bed until the lamp came on at 7am. He is now 3.5 and still follows this rule unless he needs to potty.
guest
We have a 3 month old and a 27 month old. The baby is currently in a pack-n-play in our room but we want her to get her brother’s crib sometime soon. Big brother has been trying to climb both in and out of his crib lately, and since he has one of those that converts to a day bed, I took the front off the crib this weekend to see how he’d do. I’m happy to say it’s been 3 nights now and he’s done fantastic. He has no trouble falling asleep, stays in his bed without getting up, and hasn’t even fallen out yet (we put cushions on the floor just in case though its only a 12 inch drop). If all continues to go well, we plan to get him a toddler or twin bed in the next month or 2 and transition his sister to the crib after that.
I say, make the transition before baby arrives. It will definitely be easier for you, and she just may surprise you and have no trouble with the transition. Good luck!
pear / 1787 posts
I second the suggestion made by @Seattlemom:
Keep your toddler in her crib since it’s going so well and you don’t want to mess with her sleep; put the new baby in a cosleeper in your room. We’re still using the cosleeper at 6 months and I love it. We found one on Craigslist in great condition for less than a third of what they cost new.
guest
I am in the same situation as you. I have a great 22-month-old sleeper that hasn’t tried to get out of her crib yet, however baby #2 is due in November. Baby number #2 is likely the last baby so I really don’t want to have two cribs. I am struggling with the decision to transition as well. I think I am leaning towards moving to toddler bed in September knowing we wont need the crib until closer to Jan/Feb
grapefruit / 4582 posts
We switched DD1 to a toddler bed about six months before baby arrived. She did great, never got out of her bed….until the baby arrived. Second night with baby she started getting out of bed and coming into our room. She wouldn’t even fall asleep in her room unless we were laying with her when she used to go down on her own after we had left her room awake.
It’s been a month. She now falls asleep in her bed okay but still comes in between 2am-4am. We are moving in 1.5 months so I’m not going to stress it now. Ughhhh. Good luck ‘
GOLD / wonderful olive / 19030 posts
We weren’t planning on transitioning until she was 2, however a couaple weeks ago she learned how to climb out of her crib…and would do it as soon as we put her in. So out of fear of her getting hurt, we removed the front and transitioned her to a toddler bed on a random Tuesday night. Not exactly how we planned to do it, it was a rough 2 weeks, but now she’s good to go and sleep in it just fine. It made it easier, we will be able to have her out of the crib before baby #2 comes. We will get her a twin bed and be good to go!
blogger / eggplant / 11551 posts
Oh yes, I went through this exact same situation. I ended up transitioning Noelle to a big girl bed several months before the baby’s arrival so that we could give the crib to the baby. One of my biggest regrets!
She was sleeping so well in her crib, she was so easy to put down, never woke, and didn’t ever stall. She never tried to climb out or anything. In retrospect, I wish I would have just kept her in there and bought a new crib for the new baby.
The transition itself went really smoothly. But a month or two later, she figured out that she could climb in and out on her own, and coupled with her newly emerging toddler independence and defiance led to a YEAR of toddler sleep issues.
So I think you know which option I’d go with.
If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it!
apricot / 370 posts
we transitioned our 26 month old toddler from crib to bed, before our 2nd one was coming 2 months later. We got her excited about a big girl bed, how cribs are for babies, how she would get new sheets and pillows. she saw us take the crib apart, and move the twin mattress in her room, put on the new sheets and pillows. 1st night, she did cry a few minutes, but was ok after that. she still slept fine and through the night. she waited for us to come get her in the morning.
cherry / 175 posts
We just transitioned my 18 month old a few weeks ago into a toddler bed as we are expecting our second in about 5 weeks. She has no problem with the bed — loves that she can get in and out of it on her own and will climb into bed readily when it is time to go to sleep — only problem is, is that she insists someone stay with her to fall asleep now. If we leave before, she whines and climbs out of bed. I’m not sure what is causing this. We’re going through a nasty virus in our family but as soon as we’ve recovered, we’re going to address this more firmly as it is a pain to sit for an hour (or more) every evening waiting for her to drift off. It’s the only alone time I get with my husband every day. Now, it has been narrowed down to about 30 minutes, if we’re lucky.
I’m glad we moved her into a toddler bed. I just wish we could break this new habit (or perhaps we should have cut it off at the beginning? — I wanted her to feel safe and comfortable since it was a new space so I stayed with her at first, but now she won’t let it go).
bananas / 9118 posts
We just finished our transition with a 28 month old and a 2 month old. I am VERY glad we waited! Since he was sleeping great on his own and happy in his crib, I wanted to maximize my sleep prior to the newborn arriving. I figured I would rather deal with the switch when I was already up and tired from the newborn.
We had a rough 6 week transition for our toddler with the new baby. Once he settled down, then we made the bed transition- I was already dealing with enough regressions, I did not want to add another to the list while he was getting used to our new normal. We kept the baby in a pack and play in our room, which also helped everyone adjust to newborn noises. He has been doing great since the switch! We have had it set up for some time and he was used to it, so it has been gradual for naps, then we just started adding bedtime to the mix- it looks like he was ready! We use a video monitor to keep an eye on him and tell him to lay down if he sits up. We also have a baby gate on his door so he doesn’t have access to the whole house if he wakes quietly. He goes to bed with a book and his Scout doll and so far that has been enough to keep him in bed (knock on wood!)
blogger / pear / 1563 posts
I’m with @Mrs. Confetti: on this one. I have NO plans to move Little P out of his crib anytime soon.
I recently had a mom friend that told me that her son wasn’t interested in climbing out of his crib until he was 3.5 years old and by that point the transition was really easy, so he’s staying there as long as possible.
We’ll keep him in there until he’s truly climbing out and we’re nervous for his safety. If we end up adopting again before this happens we’ll just get an additional crib. We buy all of our furniture used, so I’m not worried about saving his crib for #2 to save on cost, since it won’t cost us more than $200 at most.
blogger / persimmon / 1220 posts
Currently planning this transition, probably this week some time! We are going for option 1, giving Aliya a couple months to adjust before baby #2 is here!
blogger / persimmon / 1398 posts
Ugh. I don’t know what I would do. We were lucky in that we were able to not have a deadline. That said… I had oodles of worries about our transition… and NONE of them came to fruition! It was a really smooth move for all of us… here’s hoping you have a stress-free transition too! (Which ever way you do it.)
grape / 92 posts
I’m very interested in seeing how this turns out!
guest
the ikea bed is awesome, especially since you can flip it so the bed is on the BOTTOM…!!!!!!!!! just got one for our toddler and it’s been great. You can flip it again later once it’s safer for them to sleep up top and use the underneath part as a fort or put a desk under there etc…OR you can put another mattress inside on the bottom/ground so it’ll be like bunk beds!!!! (sorry if someone else already posted similarly i didn’t read through all the comments!!). Awesome post, totally hits home
guest
we bought the ikea minnen extendable bed for our son. He was 8 months when we started putting him to bed in it. I was pregnant and until then we had been co-sleeping leaving our Gulliver crib unused. by the time our son was 11 months old he would sleep most of his night in his bed. id go breastfeed him back to sleep and then come back to my bed. I wanted to make sure he was used to sleeping all night in his bed as his little sister was to be born when he was to be 13.5 months old, and down the line was to share a room with his sister. Our daughtet currently sleeps in a playpen turned bed in our room. at some point soon they will have to start sleeping in the same room. my daughter is currently 8 months and my son 22 months old. I just found out im pregnant again. not planned but exciting. So we sold the crib which we barely ever used. and bought a second hand Kura bed. We will build the bed at the top for our son and put a mattress on the bottom for our daughter. we will be adding a trofast storage unit to use them as stairs for the top bed and build a railing for safety to prevent falls. We are excited its a great bed. when new baby is older (and stops sleeping in playpen in our room) my daughter will transition to the minnen extendable bed and new baby to the bottom bed of the kura. If.new baby turns out to be twins, then we’ll have to figure something else! lol.