If your child can climb out of the crib, it is time to make that critical move to a toddler bed. The website Keep Kids Healthy.com advises this will usually occur around 18 months to 2 years of age. Starting to sleep in a bed is a fundamental part of growing up, but it is also a safety issue. The more your child climbs, the more chance there is of a fall. The transition from crib to bed can be stressful for the child and parents. Take steps to make this pertinent to your toddler. By doing so, you make moving to a bed a momentous occasion.
Step 1
Go shopping for the new bed with your child. Let him have a role in picking out the right style. Take the shopping experience beyond just the bed frame. Pick out a comforter and sheets the he loves. Let him decorate his room to his taste. The more decisions your son makes regarding the bed, the more it will feel like his special place.
Step 2
Start the process by setting the bed up near the crib. This will allow for a transitory period where she can look at the bed and hopefully decide to use it.
Step 3
Move things from the crib to the bed in stages. If he has a favorite blanket in the crib, routinely take it out and put it on the bed. Move stuff animals or special toys from one mattress to the other piece by piece. As the baby sees his things moving to the bed, he will understand his time is coming too.
Step 4
Take the crib down and move the bed to the same position. Place the mattress for the crib on the floor next to the bed. This will indicate a choice. The crib is gone, but she can still sleep on the mattress if she wants.
Step 5
Tack the rail from the crib on the wall opposite of the bed. Use it as a decoration, like a ladder that holds stuffed animals. This will allow your child to look at the crib while he sleeps on the bed and not like he lost something.
Tips and Warnings
- Don't rush the transition. The move will be smoother if your child makes the decision to sleep in the bed on her own. Take it in steps, beginning with bed setup and move on from there.
