For those of you who didn't take your kids out of the crib out of necessity (like a new baby was coming and you needed the crib), when did you decide to switch? Did you just wait until they were trying to climb out of the crib?
TIA

By Trina~moderator on Friday, March 10, 2006 - 07:50 pm:

Both of mine made the transition from crib to bed at about the age of 2. Neither one ever tried to climb out of the crib, thank goodness.

By Mazoku85 on Friday, March 10, 2006 - 08:34 pm:

I just turned Avery's crib into a toddler bed, he'll be 2 in April. I know it might be a little early, but he loves to climb into bed on his own and get out in the morning and play in his room.

He no longer has to wait for me or his Dad to come get him. We have a baby gate in the allway so thats as far as eh can go, the hallway and his room, so there is nothing that can hurt him.
Plus I get to sleep til like 9:30 or 10 because of it.

By Kiki on Friday, March 10, 2006 - 10:12 pm:

Unfortunately my eldest decided that for us by climbing out of her crib and getting a concussion. She was around 2. We let her pick out her bed and bedding. We also installed a gate in her doorway just in case she would decide to get up in the middle of the night.

My 21 month old is attempting this same feat but I'm not ready for her to go to a big girl bed yet. She's into everything. I think I might purchase a tent topper (for lack of better description) for the crib. She shares a room with my 10 month old and I would be afraid she might hurt her, unintentionally of course.

By Hlgmom on Friday, March 10, 2006 - 10:59 pm:

We switched at 18 months because I just felt like she was ready. It was a great move for all of us! She loves it and it has never been a problem! She was not trying to climb out of her crib- it just seemed like the right time for her!

By Dawnk777 on Saturday, March 11, 2006 - 12:58 am:

I moved my kids at about 20-21 months. I was sick of skining my knuckles, while changing the crib sheet! Also, Emily had discovered she could put her foot on the top bar. I figured climbing out wasn't far behind.

By Jewlz on Saturday, March 11, 2006 - 12:59 am:

my son ... he slept in one till two ... but my daughter tore two cribs up so at 14 months she was in a reg bed wiht pillows all around her ...

By Reds9298 on Saturday, March 11, 2006 - 07:43 am:

Thanks everyone! Natalie is 20mths and I think she just LOVES her crib. I think she sees it as a comfort and a retreat for sleep, but I know we should probably think of switching her soon. So far she hasn't even acted like she wanted to climb out of it. When it's time for nap or bed, she's always ready to get in there.

By Missbookworm on Saturday, March 11, 2006 - 12:24 pm:

I don't remember how old my boys were when they switched. With my daughter she was about 16 months. We switched her when we relocated to here.

By Trina~moderator on Saturday, March 11, 2006 - 12:39 pm:

Deanna, if Natalie loves her crib and shows no signs of trying to climb out I wouldn't rush the transition to a bed. Enjoy it while you can! Once they're in a bed you will be faced with new challenges. The bedroom needs to be super childproofed because they will climb out of bed to investigate and play. It's also a good idea to consider a gate on the bedroom doorway or out in the hallway that prevents them from roaming the house freely while mom and dad are sleeping.

By Reds9298 on Saturday, March 11, 2006 - 01:28 pm:

I was kind of wondering that. She truly does think that crib is great. She's slept there since the first night home from the hospital. I guess I was just thinking "Am I *supposed* to switch her pretty soon?"
Thanks Trina...that makes me feel better to know it's "okay" if she stays there for a while! I won't rush it. And she hates to be covered up! It's hard for me to imagine her sleeping in a regular bed with the covers on.

By Karen~moderator on Saturday, March 11, 2006 - 02:15 pm:

Ditto Trina! I moved Jeff @ around 14 months - ONLY because Jen was born one month later. But we basically just had the mattress on top of the box spring on the floor, the bed was very low and against a wall on one side, with a bed rail on the other side. No problems with the transition, but I think he hated being confined to the crib anyway.

With 2 adolescents in the house too, we couldn't afford to start buying additional cribs or toddler beds, etc., and just used what we had.

By Andi on Saturday, March 11, 2006 - 03:48 pm:

I moved Taylor about 1 1/2 or 2 months ago so she was 18 1/2 or 19 months...I can't remember. She was doing great in her crib, not climbing out or anything. I just wanted to move her to make space in her room since we had the crib and the twin bed in there. I have to say she did great from day 1. She even sleeps better now because she has more room to move around. I close her bedroom door at night incase she wakes up and gets out of bed but she still hasn't done that. Once she is asleep she is asleep for the night.
On occasion she will wake up in the morning and play in her room for 30 minutes or so. When I go in she is sitting in her chair or bed reading a book or playing with her toys.
If you don't have to do it and Natalie still enjoys the crib I wouldn't rush. There is no "right" time to move a toddler, IMO.
One piece of advice...don't get a toddler bed, move her right into a twin size bed.

By Dawnk777 on Saturday, March 11, 2006 - 05:32 pm:

Andi, we would have moved Emily into a twin bed right away, but when she was 1, we only had 2 bedrooms and the toddler bed was what fit in the kids' room! If we had been in a bigger house, we would have gotten her a real bed, right away. Instead she got one, when we moved here, at the age of 4.

By Reds9298 on Saturday, March 11, 2006 - 11:10 pm:

Thanks for the advice ladies! I feel better about not rushing it. We'll wait awhile and go from there I think.
When we do move her, it won't be to a toddler bed. It will be a twin or full with rails. Her crib converts to a full and I'm wondering if we can't just buy a new mattress once and go with the full right from the beginning. (With rails) Any thoughts on why that would be a bad idea?

You guys are all great! Thanks

By Amyk on Sunday, March 12, 2006 - 08:13 am:

My ds is 2.5 and he has never tried to climb out- I'm sticking with the crib until:

a) it stops working
b) we need it for another child

At this age - if it ain't broke - don't fix it!

By Kaye on Sunday, March 12, 2006 - 10:05 am:

We went to a full with one of my kids, it was fine.

By Trina~moderator on Sunday, March 12, 2006 - 10:20 am:

My kids both went from crib to a full bed, but we first started with the mattress and boxspring on the floor and then put it up on the bed frame with bed rail later.

By Reds9298 on Sunday, March 12, 2006 - 11:45 am:

Okay ladies...thanks Now I won't worry about the full bed when we do switch.

Amyk - LOL That's what my DH said about it!

By Tink on Sunday, March 12, 2006 - 02:02 pm:

We needed the crib with my first two dks but my youngest stayed in the crib until she was two months shy of turning three and the only reason I moved her to the toddler bed version of her crib was that I was tired of lifting her over the side. She, like Natalie, loved her crib and hadn't ever tried to climb out. Our crib converted to a toddler bed and I liked how much space that left in the room so we used it until about a year ago. If you don't have any specific reason to put her in the full bed (a good idea IMO), let her stay in the crib. It sounds like everyone is happy with the situation, as is.

By Nicki on Monday, March 13, 2006 - 02:54 pm:

Deanna, my dd loved her crib, too. And like you, I didn't want to rush the transition, even though my mil was eager to see her in a big bed. We converted her crib to a toddler bed when she was two and a half. She is now almost three and a half and we just brought in a twin bed. I'm so glad we didn't rush her. It was her decision. I even kept her toddler bed in the room the first night in case she had a change of heart, but she did fine. I noticed the thing she seemed to miss was the bumper pads! So each night, she gathers her stuffed animals and lines them up around her day bed. It was cute, the first time she lay in her big twin bed, she said, "but mom, my feet don't reach!".LOL

I think you are right to wait until you sense she is ready.

By Tonya on Monday, March 13, 2006 - 04:10 pm:

Jade was 2 in Feb and has never tried to climb out so I am not moving her until she does. She is always into everything and the longer she is in the crib the better for my house. I will keep her there as long as she is safe and not trying to climb out. It is a solid oak crib so it will not wear out anytime soon!!!

Keep your child there as long as you can.