For us, it was moving day and the crib had been packed up and I did not want to set it back up. For you, it may be a similar situation, or perhaps your toddler has entered the Houdini stage and is escaping the crib, which can be dangerous. Or maybe you have another little human on the way and you don't want to buy a second crib when your first child can just switch to a toddler bed. Whatever your story is, if you are here looking for advice on how to ditch the crib, you've come to the right place.
Hi everyone, my name is Karli and I am here to share with you any advice that I can. I have three little girls ages 11, 2, and 1. The two-year-old is my only bio baby but I love being a bonus Momma to my other two girls.
Today, I am sharing the story of how I moved my two-year-old to her big girl bed. Before I do this though, it's important that you know how sleep works in my house starting from the day I brought my newborn home.
Safe Newborn Sleep
I am a mom who is very big on safety. Car seat safety, general household safety (plugins, cords, tethers, etc.), and sleep safety. My philosophy is that no one ever thinks that something bad will happen until it does and you can't go back. Horrible things happen to good, normal people every single day. I do anything and everything that I can to ensure my kids are the safest they can be.
I know what you are thinking, and no, I am not a helicopter mom. I allow my children to asses their own risks when it comes to climbing, jumping, running, etc. But, when it comes to life and death situations, you bet your bottoms I have crossed all my "i's" and dotted all my "t's" or however you want to say that😂.
Sleep is no exception. My newborn came home to sleep in her Snoo until she was about 4 months old. At that point, she wanted so badly to sleep on her stomach or side that she was trying to turn over in her Snoo sleeper and was getting frustrated that she couldn't.
If you don't know about the Snoo Bassinet, I highly recommend reading my review on it. It is one of the safest bassinets out there with technology that will keep your baby sleeping on their back all night long. It also claims to give parents an additional 1-2 hours of sleep per night!
At 4 months old my baby moved into her crib with absolutely nothing in it except her pacifier and "pig-pig". I made sure her room stayed between certain temperatures and that she wore good-fitting pajamas with a sleep sack if necessary.
My daughter was and still is a pacifier baby which she has endearingly named "pop-pop." When she moved into a crib, I did buy her a "pop-pop" holder from Amazon. The very small plush connects to almost any pacifier and has a quiet rattle just loud enough for my baby to be able to find it again in the middle of the night. The plush also made it more difficult for the pacifier to roll out of the crib. These were common issues that were waking our baby up more often than necessary. So, the small pig was the only addition to the crib for those reasons.
My daughter slept very well in her crib and I do believe some of that has to do with the habits she formed while sleeping in the Snoo. After 4 months, I could lay my baby on her back for sleep all I wanted, but she was quick to flip and sleep on her stomach any chance she got. I found peace of mind by always using her Owlet Dream Sock which would alert me if any trouble were to arise.
My baby then slept in her crib until she was almost two years old.
Things to Consider
Right around 21 months old, we moved closer to my mom. The crib was taken apart and put away so I knew it was the perfect time to make the switch to a toddler bed. I did not feel that my girl was going to be fully ready to just jump in head first considering we had just moved. This was already such a big change for her. Everything she knew had just flipped upside down.
For the first couple of weeks, she slept in the room with us in her pack-and-play. Once she was comfortable with that, she moved into her room in her pack-and-play. I made very small transitions to make the move as easy and smooth as possible. Here are the things I considered before moving her into her toddler bed.
Was she old enough? I know there's a movement going on right now that has babies 6 months and older transitioning to toddler beds. I haven't done much research on that so I will not speak to it but I never had the desire to follow this trend. My baby was almost two years old which is the point where SUIDS is very low risk. She was already sleeping with a small blanket and a small, but firm pillow in her pack and play. By the pediatrician's standards, she was ready for a toddler bed.
Was she sleeping through the night? My little one has always been a good sleeper. At about 9 months old, she started sleeping 11-12 hours without waking. So, she definitely checked that box.
Was I ready for the change? I knew that no matter how smoothly I was able to make this transition, there would be some struggles and I needed to be prepared. Whether it was sleeping next to her, her crawling into bed with me in the middle of the night, or a new bedtime routine, I was prepared and mentally able to give a little more energy toward this.
Was she teething or sick? Neither one of these fits in the formula for change. So, if your child is not at their best, it would be good to wait a bit before making a big transition.
Were there any upcoming trips? You will want a couple of weeks at the very least to form a new habit with your child. You will learn what works and what doesn't. You will learn what they like and what they don't. Make sure there are no upcoming trips or sleepovers that will put a monkey wrench in your efforts to make this big move.
Once I felt all the boxes above were checked appropriately, I started the transition.
The Transition
Of course, before we moved her into her toddler bed, we had to choose a bed for her. I knew that I wanted a twin-sized floor bed so I looked into different designs. I am not a professional by no means, but I did make a cute bed for her with the help of my mom and sister (girl power😉).
When researching the floor bed, I found out that you need to make sure the mattress is off the floor a little to prevent mold. This bed does have a railing underneath to lift the bed a little while still maintaining the "floor bed feel." I like that there are railings to help her stay in bed while not feeling like she was still in a crib.
I also decided on this bed because I knew that I would want to lay in bed with my little one to help her fall asleep and an actual toddler-size bed is too small for this.
I kept my toddler in her pack-and-play for about a week after the bed was made. This way, she had time to adjust to it being in her room. She could lay on it and get used to the feeling so it wasn't so foreign to her. Once she was comfortable and we were all ready, we moved forward with the transition.
The first night I kept the routine the same. We read books, sang our songs, rocked and cuddled for a bit and then I laid down with her in her bed. She thought this was pretty funny as I had not done this with her before. After a bit of giggling, she started to relax and fell asleep. That was only the first night.
The next night she tossed and turned and eventually wanted to sleep in her pack and play. I've learned to be flexible in my parenthood. It isn't worth it to try to control a toddler. They want what they want and staying calm and collected is what keeps us both sane.
Every night we tried sleeping in her bed first. She slept in it about half the days and the others she wanted to be in her pack and play. After about two weeks we were able to put away the pack and play and not bring it back out. She was doing great!
It might have taken longer than some can put into it. But, if you have the time and energy, the transition was smooth and there weren't any big emotions to be had. So, let's look at the formula I created for this move once more.
The Conclusion
Ask yourself these questions first before switching your child to a toddler bed:
Is your big kid old enough and ready for the change?
Are they sleeping through the night most nights?
Are YOU ready for this change mentally?
Is your little one healthy without any teething issues?
Will you be home for the next couple of weeks to form the new habit?
Once you are both ready, go for it! Stay patient and do what works for you and your baby.
And full disclosure, my toddler now likes it better to fall asleep in my bed and be moved into her bed once she is asleep. This is something that I don't mind. My bed is more comfortable for me anyway. She also sometimes comes to sleep with us in the middle of the night. Also, something I don't mind. Like I stated before, I didn't do any bedsharing with my child before she was two years old other than maybe a nap here and there. So, her need to snuggle from time to time is totally welcomed!
Hopefully, this post helps you in your transition to having a big kid! A toddler bed is a big deal and a big change for kids. Let me know your tips and what works for you!
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