Toddler bed and food question

Hi,
I don't post here often due do work being busy and getting home 7pm and not having time to do anything other than putting DC to bed and housework..but I was hoping someone can help me with a few questions:

what age did you put DC in a toddler bed? I know a few families that have 2 under 2 and when the 2nd baby was born they put the older baby in the toddler bed. I am not pg (and DS is 20 months old) but I figure if those toddlers can sleep in a toddler bed before 2, maybe I should be transitioning DS into one now too? Then again they did it out of necessity (didn't wnat to buy a second crib if Baby #1 was going to move into a bed soon anyway) so maybe I can wait until he's 2 1/2 or should I even wait until he'd 3? He may be 3 before I have another baby, I'm not going to TTC again until January 2009, he'll be 3 by Aug 2009.

what do you give your almost 2 year old for lunch? He is in daycare so I'm looking for something that's easy to pack in an insultaed lunch bag. I normally give him a poptart or cheerios, Motts applesauce single serving cups, Yobaby yogurt, and either a meat (cut up) or cheese cubes and pasta or mashed potatoes for lunch (alot of times it's from last night's dinner) and then a fruit&nut bar, and nilla wafters as a snack. I try to throw in a veggie too but he usually refuses that
Also, if you provide DC's milk - what do you use to hold it? He drinks from a sippy but most of his don't have tops so it's hard to pack them and hope they don't spill. I have just one with a top. I put his milk into a disposable sippy sometimes and cover it with saran wrap, or in a regular bottle and tell the teachers to pour into a sippy. So far it works but he sees the bottle and wants that, not the sippy. Any suggestions? does your DC drink from a juice box now at or around 20 months? Was it hard to get them to understand how to use a straw? I saw that there's "milk boxes" at the store but they are lowfat, right now DS is sitll on full fat milk, but I've yet to see any milk boxes where it's whole milk.

Thanks!

Re: Toddler bed and food question

Ella's going on 22 months and we're moving her into a big girl bed in the next few weeks (to make room for #2). She's not in daycare, so I don't have the same lunch dilemmas as you, but I have found whole milk "milk boxes" by Lil Milk at Key Foods.

I use them to have on hand when we're traveling so I don't have to worry about refrigeration. She doesn't drink from them though - I put the milk in her cups.

Re: Toddler bed and food question

DS is 21 months old and I am just starting to think about shopping for big boy furniture. I dont think I am even going to consider putting him in until around September or even late, by Christmas at which point he will be anywhere from 2 yrs and 2 months to 2 yrs and 5 mos. I think it is personal preference. Some people need to make the transition due to baby #2 or there little one is climbing out of the crib. If that is the case I would definitely make the transition. If you don't need to I would wait alittle while but again I think it's just personal preference.

As far as the meal issue - I really can't help much because your child eats an awful lot more than my son does. Sometimes I send, mac n cheese (easy mac) which only needs water, a fruit cup, and a vegetable. He loves PB & J already. But if your child eats meats you could even give lunch meat...etc.

With the milk issue. I would go out and buy any sort of container that has a normal lid (even an adult sports bottle) or some sort of long and skinny tupperware container. They can pour that right into the sippy cup. If you are only sending 1 serving of milf a day i would just fill up the sippy cup itself (one with the spill proof lid) and pack it that way.

Hope this helps.

Re: Toddler bed and food question

My older daughter just moved into a big girl bed on her third birthday. I wouldn't move a kid before you have to for safety -- its so much easier on you when they can't escape!

And for lunch -- waffles are a big favorite here on school days.

Re: Toddler bed and food question

I moved my baby into a big bed at 12 months.

There was nothing we could do to keep him in his crib. We made the room bare, put the mattress and boxspring on the floor and a gate at the doorway.

He slept last night from 7:30-5 in there. He then gets up to eat and goes back down.

Re: Toddler bed and food question

My DD is 20 months also. She has been in a twin bed since 18 months. She hated the crib. We changed her because we needed the crib for the baby but she LOVES not being in a crib anymore.

Re: Toddler bed and food question

Bella is 2 years and 7 months and still in the crib. She hasn't made any effort to climb out except one time and I am not going to rush it. My ped had told me to do it by 2, but that is one suggestion I chose not to follow. We've been very happy so far...we'll try and transition her at 3 to a twin bed. She does sleep on a cot at daycare and has since she was 18 months old.

As for her food at daycare, it sounds like you have a good menu (does the daycare have a fridge?) we do rolled coldcuts and cheese roll-ups, frozen pizzas, chicken nuggets, leftovers from our dinner, etc.

And the have great no-spill sippy cups that are really good...I got them at CVA and BRU...it specifically says no drip and the have various sizes...

Re: Toddler bed and food question

All 3 of my kids were in beds before 2 years old. I needed the crib the first 2x since they are all 21-22 months apart. But with my youngest, who is now 22 months, we put him in a bed a month or so ago. He didn't actually climb out that much (not like my other 2) but I found a spot in the crib that was cracked and I was afraid of something happening. I know plenty of kids that have stayed in cribs till 3 or even older. I don't think there's a right or wrong for it when it comes to a 2 year old. They can easily stay in longer if you prefer.