When Should Your Baby Transition from A Crib To A Bed?

You Have Another Child on the Way

Now, this may only be relevant if you have another baby on the way, and your preset child is at the 18-month mark or older. However, we don’t recommend that you transition a kid to the bed if they are younger than 18 months old.

If you have another kid on the way, and your present child is under 18 months old, you might want to buy another crib. However, if they will be 18-months old by the time the new child comes, they can be transitioned on to a toddler bed.

The important thing here is not to give your toddler the impression that they are being replaced. So, you might want to start the transition at least 3 months prior to delivery. You will also want to make the whole thing exciting by telling them that another brother or sister is on the way and that you are getting a big new bed.

Tips For Transitioning Your Child to a Bed

Transitioning from a crib to a bed can take time and be scary for some children. However, there are a couple of tips that should make the transition easier:

• Buy a convertible – You might want to consider buying a convertible crib that turns into a bed. Usually, this is done by removing the front panel. The simple conversion can make the change appear less drastic to the child.
• Get your child in on the action – You will want to make the child feel excited about any change, including this one. One way to do this is to maybe get him to choose the sheets, bedding, and other ways of personalizing the bed. You will want to let them decide on buying a twin or toddler bed of their choice.
• Take a look at your childproofing – We are pretty sure you have probably taken measures to toddler-proof your home, but you also need to reevaluate it. Think if there are other safety precautions you should be taking? You may want to take steps like blocking the stairwells, locking windows and doors that may lead outdoors or over to the basement. You might also close off areas where you store cleaning products or medical equipment, or other hazardous materials.
• Don’t change their bedtime routine – You will want to place the bed in the same space where there was the crib before it if that’s possible. The same goes for putting your child to sleep. If you bathed them and read them a story before putting them to sleep, there is no need to change that routine now. Please don’t mix up the bedtime routine since it might confuse your child.
• Minimize exploration – The newfound freedom would easily translate to an invitation to roam around the bed and the room. However, it would help if you reinforced the bedtime rules. You should make sure that the final tuck-in means an end to any further requests for water, stuffed toys, and bathroom trips.
• Be patient – Your child will inevitably pop out of bed multiple times to get a drink of water, go to the bathroom or snuggle with mom. However, you need to deal with this calmly and, in most cases, silently by returning them to their bed even if it has to be done half a dozen times. You will want to make each return as boring as it can be so that they get the idea that it does not matter to you. Though you could try adding a gate of some kind, but if your kid has mastered the art of climbing over a crib, a gate may not be much of a challenge.
• Praise good behavior – If your toddler shows good bedtime habits, they should be praised for it. Give them a sticker as a reward. Then if they get a certain number of stickers, reward them with a treat, something they like but do not get very often. Doing this will help keep the child on track for the most part.