moving to a toddler/full size bed - questions

DS is 20 months and although I don't think we are ready for the move just yet, I'd love to hear how it went! Perhaps by summer, we'll give it a go.

What did you do to make the transition easier? Did your child have a hard time staying put IN the bed? Did it interfere with sleep patterns? What size bed did you get?

TIA

Re: moving to a toddler/full size bed - questions

when we transitioned my DS at 13 months old (he's 4.5 now) we had a twin mattress on the floor and the crib in his room. he never really slept in the crib so the transition was quite easy...

we started naps in on the bed at about 10 months old... and at 13 months old we took apart the crib and put it away.

the 1st night he tried to get out but it was fairly easy to get him back in bed... that was about it.

at a little over 2 he went into a full size bed.

my DD was 8 months old when her crib was taken apart. she HATED HATED HATED the crib... it was just a mattress on the floor. at 2.5 she s still in a twin (her room isn't big enough for a full) she never tried to get out.. its all she knows really.

there are nights where she will wake up and just come into bed with us, but we are ok with that...

i don't feel a toddler bed is a "bed" because technically its just a crib with no bars.

ETA: as far as sleep patterns DD slept MUC MUCH better when she was in her twin... DS was never a good sleeper once he was out of the swing (he was colic & he has autism)

Message edited 1/23/2012 8:34:41 AM.

Re: moving to a toddler/full size bed - questions

This is a good thread! I am interested as well, even though I don't ever want to take her out of her crib. Not sure how she would be but knowing her she will be out and about instead of sleeping. I'm scared to do it but want to start potty training her so I guess I would need to, eventually.

Re: moving to a toddler/full size bed - questions

Well you know I just transitioned Albert this past weekend at 21 months months not only to a full size bed but to a new bedroom. SO far so good <knock on wood>. I really had to do this becasue eventually we'll be transitioning Andrew (DS #2) to the crib and I wanted Albert to adjust to the idea that the crib and that room is no longer his before putting Andrew in there so he doesn't feel like Andrew is taking his space away from him.


First we followed his normal nighttime routine. The first night he cried and got out of the bed. We put him back and left a lamp on for him. Once he fell asleep we turned it off. The second night he went to his old room and we tola him he had to go to his new room. He said "no thank you mama" but we took him anyway and put him in bed and he just laid down took his blanky and paci, we turned off all lights and he went to sleep immediately. Last night he just went to his room climbed into bed and went to sleep.