From Crib to Toddler Bed
5 Steps to Make the Switch
There are sooo many amazing ways you can transition your child from their crib to a bed. This week I’m writing about how WE chose to make this transition. If you find it helpful, great! If you find something you don’t like, also, great! If you hate everything about how we did this, still great! All babies and families are different so do what’s best for you.
Before you start
It’s important to first decide if your toddler is even ready for a bed. Personally, I didn’t want to make the switch too early. So check out last week’s blog for that quick checklist.
Making the Switch
1. Preparation
The first step in the process is to introduce a few things before you officially make the switch. You can actually do these things months before making the change. I know it’s impossible to know exactly when they’re going to be ready, so we started these things at 2 years old to prepare.
Introduce blanket and pillow - according to the AAP it’s considered safe to introduce these items at this time (Check out my blog about turning two to learn more)
Red light/green light sleep clock - If you want to learn more about how we introduced that routine, check out that blog here.
Begin to elongate the amount of time your little one stays in the crib after waking up - In the morning, I used that time to get myself ready for the day (about 30 mins.) After his nap I’d vary the time depending on how content he was (also never more than about 30 minutes)
2. Secure the room
Personally, this was the step I was most concerned about. I wanted to be as sure as possible that he was safe in his room, even if he got out of his bed without us noticing.
Lock doors, windows, and closets
Cover all plugs, wires, and outlets
Secure all drawers and anchor furniture
Take away any decorations within reach
Put sound machine out of reach
Use a night light
3. Include them and get them excited
We did this by talking it up for a few days! We went to Target and let him pick out his own bedding. We let him “help” take the crib apart and put together the bed. And then I let him spend the afternoon playing in his room with his bed. He was immediately very excited. He kept saying “my bed” and “big pillow”! He even kicked me out of his room to play alone.
4. Keep as much of your routine as possible
Our general routine is bathtime, pajamas, milk, rock and snuggle, off to bed! We kept that exact same routine…just instead of putting him in the crib, we set him down and told him to get into bed. Now he walks right into his bed and lays down!
5. Have a plan and realistic expectations
Whatever you decide as parents, stick to it! Be on the same page with your partner about how to handle it when they get out of bed so that your little ones knows the drill. We decided that if he got out of bed, we would only intervene if he was crying or doing something dangerous (which was unlikely because of how locked down the room was.) Basically, we let him hang out, explore his space, read books, etc. until he fell asleep. At the start of this, there were a few times where he did end up falling asleep on the floor. We’d just quietly go in there and gently move him to his bed. But now, most of the time, he takes himself back to his bed.
It’s also important to have realistic expectations. Not all kids will stay in their bed the first time you ask. We knew he would probably take quite a while to fall asleep at the start. We just gave him that time. And still to this day, there are many times where he takes over an hour to settle and fall asleep. But he’s always happy and content to be in his room.
Overall Takeaway
When we started this switch, I was pretty nervous. I wasn’t sure if he would be calm or if he would just cry out for me. I didn’t know if he’d actually sleep or just wander around his room the entire time. The first several naps and bedtime, he did spend most of the time wandering around his room. It’s like he realized, “Hey! I can get out of my bed now.” But surprisingly it was rare when he threw a fit. (I know this may not be the case for everyone, that’s why I say to have a plan)
But now, after a few months of being in his bed, he’s happy to go into his room for what we now call “quiet time”. Sometimes, he’ll even grab a toy or two to take with him. At first I was unsure about letting him take toys into his room for nap and bedtime. But now, it doesn’t really distract him. He plays until he’s tired and then simply goes to sleep.
Products we used!
-small shelf for sound machine
-closet lock (for sliding closet)
Related Blogs
From My Inner Momologue
Blogs I used to Guide Me