toddler beds

I was wondering when do you know when your child is ready to move from the crib to a toddler bed? IF they are not a crib climber, how do you know? I head buying things like those car beds, castle beds is like giving the child a big playtoy and they will not go to sleep in the beginning as easily as a normal looking small toddler bed (with the sides). Just wondering if that is true or what other experiences others have had.

 

If your child is not climbing out of the crib... keep them in there until you are ready for them to be wandering around the house while you are in a dead sleep...
Realistically, when they are toilet trained you will have to get them a bed they can get out of.
You do not need to get them a tot bed. A single mattress on the floor works fine until they learn how to not fall out of bed, you know, safety, ease of entry and exit. Our kids never had one of those nutty toy beds.

 

We moved our daughter into a toddler bed (not one of those "nutty" ones ) shortly after she turned 2. She was (is) a jumper and was jumping so hard in her crib and shaking the sides that we thought she'd break it. Plus, we'd like to use the crib for another child eventually. The bed we got uses the same crib mattress and is very low to the ground - it has rails about 1/3 of the way down the bed starting at the headboard. She hasn't yet fallen out. We just make sure that the safety gate at the top of the stairs is closed every night and the bathroom door is closed.

good luck!

 

OK here is my take. We moved our son into his "big boy bed" when he was 21 months. He was diving out of his crib onto his head. We had purchased a regular twin mattress and tried it on the floor for awhile but he kept getting out. We purchased a twin bed with footboard and head board and use rails so he doesn't fall out. We made a really big deal about the new bed and he has only crawled out once or twice because he was afraid of "the scary lightening"!

 

Hmmm, she is starting a new daycare in June, and will be 2 in June. At the daycare, they do not use cribs for naps like at her current daycare, they use cots, so it will be interesting to see how that goes over. I know not to make too many changes at once, so new daycare, then toilet training - then bed at some point.

She says peepee all the time and potty and runs over to it but when I put her up there nothing.....I praise her for trying but I have to think that she is just not ready yet