From Cribs to Toddler Beds...

[Spuds]

At what age did you make the transition? Why did you make the transition? What were the pros/cons at that age that worked or didn't work for you?

We haven't switched ours yet at 2.5yrs old. They do sleep in toddler beds at Grandma's and do really, really well. Here is why we haven't made the change yet:
a. They still fuss at bed time (although, they don't as much at Grandmas)
b. They get up earlier at Grandmas (cause they're in beds). Like this morning...they got up at 7...they talked and played...I went back to sleep and got up with my alarm at 7:30. If they were in bed, I would of been up at 7, too. :umno thanks. :snicker
c. We don't have house air...there is a window A/C in their room and the plug is easily accessible. NOT a GOOD idea. What do you do to cover THAT up?? :hmm
d. In the winter we use a space heater...so same problem as C...but with a the additional burn factor.
e. I AM ALL BY MYSELF AT NIGHT. If they get up early or in the middle of the night...I like that they can cry a bit and usually fall back to sleep. If they are mobile....I'm afraid I wouldn't get ANY sleep at all. :(


The reason I'm asking is because my mom is giving me a hard time about them still being in cribs. Taryn has fallen out once, and so has Brandon...so it's not like they get out on a regular basis, but the hurt factor is a big part, I'm afraid they're gonna get hurt evenutally....

Thanks :)

[chasing_two]

Mine are still in cribs at almost 3 and probably will be for quite awhile. We've had awful experiences with Hannah when we've tried to let them camp out in the living room. :newmom She will fight sleep for hours and hours.

We've never had any issues with climbing out and they seem to be perfectly content with their cribs. I really just don't think they're ready for big kid beds yet. :shrug Don't feel bad, it'll happen eventually. As long as they aren't getting hurt I don't see what the big deal is.

[Bare Maiden]

We converted their cribs when they were about 3 years 4 months. Nick tried to climb out and got stuck between the wall and the crib so we did it that day.

They did FINE with it. I was really amazed at how well it went. They never wondered at night or got into any trouble. That being said they were always great about going to sleep at night.

My guys never bothered with the AC unit plug...there are babyproofing things you can use for outlets with cords in them. I think Saftey first makes them.

Not sure about the space heater though. Could you put up a really high gate on their doorway and leave the space heater in the hall? Pointing in to make them warm but they can't touch it? Just an idea

[SnowBirdie]

We used crib tents that they truly loved...still miss at times...and they were in until they were 4. Bedtime was fun to them with their very own tents, and we didn't have to worry about them climbing out and getting hurt. Totally worth it!:yep

[Jennalicious]

We moved into beds last winter, so at about 2 1/2. :yep They did just fine. They were both attempting to climb out and that scared me. We already had the beds, and I thought they were old enough.

They go through stages with bedtime. Usually do pretty good going to bed. Mine are all early risers, and always have been. Jonah is usually up by 6:30, so I have to get up anyway.

If you really don't want to move into beds yet, I would probably invest in some crib tents like MB said. :yep I knew a gal with triplets and one of hers climbed out and broke her collar bone. :( I was always really cautious about the climbing in the cribs after I heard that.

Good luck! :hugs

[Double Blessings]

mine just sleep in bed with me, so i can't give you much advice. i would maybe try moving them, just to see how it goes. i do believe as Melissa said, there are things to cover up cords. good luck!

[Free Bird]

Mine are 2.5 and they are still in cribs. :para

They will be making the transition to twin beds pretty soon though.:lol

[SEEK]

They were about 2.5yo. Kind of did it because I wanted them to be used to NOT sleeping in a confined space before we started camping for the year. It went perfectly fine :woot I almost think it's better to do it before they discover getting out of bed by themselves (climbing out of crib) because mine never climbed out of the cribs and they never got out of bed when we made the transition. In fact, EJ *still* doesn't get out of bed until we come up there... he just lays in his bed hollaring for one of us :lol Kylie only gets out of bed by herself at nap time and occasionally on the weekends, in the morning.

[SEEK]

But, they have separate rooms and I'm sure that helped :para

[Twintastic]

Mine are still in their cribs but they are no where near ready for beds yet. Crib tents are a good idea if you plan on keeping them in their cribs for a while. If you decide to put them in beds, then maybe buying something like this http://www.kidsafeinc.com/c=AcUAKBiKDGDUKKQ8sZ2htCuyR/product/G70/Fireplace_Hearth_Baby_Gate_by_KidCo.html to keep the heater and plugs behind. It mounts on the wall so they can't pull it over.

[crazycase]

the only reason why we converted is because they climbed out all the time as soon as Izzy learned to, we changed. They do fine. However we had to put a lock on their closet and always keep their window closed. They also still have a child lock on their side of the door so they can't get out at night.

Keep them in cribs as long as they can, I wish mine would've stayed til they were 5 :crack

[Pezzle Stick]

I switched Caden not long after he turned 2. He was climbing out of his crib at night and I was so scared he was going to get hurt. He did pretty good for the most part. We just used a regular twin bed since we had them already instead of going out and getting toddler beds. Camryn I switched about a month or 2 after Caden only because she didn't like that fact that she was still in a crib and her brother wasn't. Mine have separate rooms though. I couldn't imagine having them in regular beds at 2 if they shared a room. :newmom

[crazycase]

The girls still sleep their 12 hours here but can no longer play together in their room for more than 20 minutes or we'll have some type of disaster. They never get out of their beds at night time because they wouldn't be able to see :snicker. There is no night light in there and I shut the door. If they cry its because they lost a binky and I sneak in give it back and right back to sleep they go!

[Jennifur]

Well as you know we just recently switched and it went SO well! I was really surprised. My boys never climbed out of their cribs, but I wanted them used to sleeping in beds before we go to New Zealand and, well, their cribs were becoming unsafe due to all the jumping they do in them :lol

They still go down fine at night- occasionally they will talk for a little while but always go to sleep. At nap time I will put them down and then sit right outside their door with it cracked for a few minutes. If they try to get out of bed or play, I nip it right in the bud. And actually by they, I mean Tristan. Tyler will lay down and go right to sleep. Tristan has been wanting to play lately :lol

I had planned to put a gate on their door when we transitioned, but it's at my mom's house and we kept forgetting to bring it over and now- we don't need it. They have never once come out of their rooms. When they wake up in the morning, they just play in their room (there's no toys in there) and I'm still able to go back to sleep for a little bit. I usually dont have to get up until I hear them getting out of control with the rocking chair and making it hit the closet door :crack (They take turns rocking in it and singing "rock a bye baaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaby" at the top of their lungs :crack)

When they wake up from nap Andy and I will go up there to get them and knock on their door- they won't open it for nothing :lol

[Ringlette]

I switched mine shortly after they turned 2. The guy I was dating bought the girls really nice toddler beds, so I just decided to switch them. Amelie transitioned like she had always been in a bed. Eowyn fussed for about a week, but then she was fine. I never really had a problem with them getting out of bed. If they are upset, they will just sit in their beds and cry until I come into them, so having them come into me and just crawl into my bed would actually be better.:lol You can put a baby gate up in their bedroom doorway so they at least have to stay in there if they get out of bed.
If they are climbing out, I would get crib tents or put them in toddler beds. It's really not as bad as everyone thinks it will be. Just because they can get out, doesn't mean they will. I'm sure there are a lot of things they can get into around the house, but they don't because they know they will get in trouble.
As for the AC cord, get a outlet cover (http://www.onestepahead.com/catalog/product.jsp?productId=399762&parentCategoryId=85183&categoryId=85216&subCategoryId=86200) to put around the outlet. Even I have a hard time getting those things off.:lol The space heater is a bit different. Can you put a superyard around it or move it up off the floor?

[Jennifur]

:lol True- one day I was in the middle of something when they woke up and TRIED to get them to just open the door and come to me and they wouldn't do it :lol

[~911mom~]

My boys are getting toddler beds for their birthday. :yep

[Iggy]

We switched when we got back from visiting my mom for Christmas, so that was January 2007 - they were a little over 2. They did good, but their room has gotten gradually more and more bare :lol It's like a jail cell in there now.

[gypsymom]

Mine still sleep with me, and they still nurse to fall asleep. I'm so ready to be done with the nursing, but I love cuddling with them at night. I think we're going to move them out soon, though, to do the transition of big bed and no nursing all at once. I'm sure it will be awful at first, but I'm so ready to be done bfing. :newmom

[Sarabela]

Mine are still in cribs. I am planning to keep them there until the spring when they are 3 and we get our tax return. At that time I plan to buy Drew a queen size since he is getting too tall for a twin bed and get Elyse a new bed and put their beds in the twins room because they are nice matching beds. If they start climbing out before then I will convert their cribs to toddler beds. So far they haven't tried to climb out.

ETA: there is a space heater in their room but it is screwed into the wall, there is a plastic door you have to open to access the controls and I put scotch tape over the door so they can't open it. I think they would know better than to touch the bottom of it where it gets hot, I will have to work on that with them when we start using it again, by letting them know it's hot and putting their hands near it so they can feel the heat.

[2littlelovebugs]

Mine were about 2 years 2 months when we switched them. They were climbing out of their cribs every morning, and I just worried that they would get hurt one day. The transition was actually very easy, and they don't just get up and roam around. They share a room, and they do fine. :yep I think that as long as you teach them that they stay in their cribs when it's bedtime, they can easily learn to stay in their beds when they make the switch.

Good luck with your decision. I know I was super scared when we did it, but it worked out just fine.

[Spuds]

Yeah...I haven't done anything yet. :crack Thanks for all the input, tho, ladies!! :kiss

[Frenchy]

IMO DON'T DO IT!!!!

Seriously, we moved them into "big girl" beds when we moved in July and I have not had a decent night sleep night since. They were great in the cribs, we'd put them down and no questions asked. Now it takes them at least 2 hours from the time we put them down before they fall asleep! If one of the rails didn't break in the move, they would most likely be back in cribs

[MotoMama]

We just did the change. Everyone would tell me to wait until they are climbing out. I was in the same situation. they were not in cribs at grandparents and babysitter's house and did fine. It has changed our routine, they go to bed decent now without anyone crying and they do get up earlier. :newmom I do get woke up with them coming in my bedroom talking to me to get me up. very sweet!

[Blended]

Brooklyn was 20 months I think. I don't remember why I switched her but she always seemed so advanced for her age. We never had a problem.

[zak frost]

Well, we never really used cribs for the guys. We co-slept until they moved out into their own room and bed.

[Sizzle Muffin]

mine were about 1.5 years old..I have a very daring 'too smart for her own good' little girl..and a 'monkey see monkey do' little boy..

there was a few nights they were on the floor but they transitioned really well...surprisingly well actually..

[Smidget]

i switched mine at about 18 months when D first climbed out of her crib. i was :skeert but it worked out fine. they can't open their door yet, so they're in there till i get them up. they still wake up and play for a bit just like with cribs. the only difference is that now they can get up and play with toys and with each other rather than being by themselves in their cribs.

it was rough with D for about a week, but once she adjusted, she's done just fine. we're having a little issue now with A climbing into D's bed at bedtime and D will NOT go to bed unless she's in her bed, alone, with her blanket, her baby, and her pooh that sings lullabies :para so she cries and i have to go move A. :roll but overall, they do well :yep they'll even climb into bed and lay down and let us cover them up. although for some reason A always gets out and goes to sleep on the floor - right in front of the door :think

[Sizzle Muffin]

i switched mine at about 18 months when D first climbed out of her crib. i was :skeert but it worked out fine. they can't open their door yet, so they're in there till i get them up. they still wake up and play for a bit just like with cribs. the only difference is that now they can get up and play with toys and with each other rather than being by themselves in their cribs.

it was rough with D for about a week, but once she adjusted, she's done just fine. we're having a little issue now with A climbing into D's bed at bedtime and D will NOT go to bed unless she's in her bed, alone, with her blanket, her baby, and her pooh that sings lullabies :para so she cries and i have to go move A. :roll but overall, they do well :yep they'll even climb into bed and lay down and let us cover them up. although for some reason A always gets out and goes to sleep on the floor - right in front of the door :think

Kaeden does the same, crawls into Brooklyns bed and she will cry until I come in there and put him back in his own bed..usually do that once or twice every single night, but its manageable