It's a scary thought. Moving your child from a crib to a toddler bed.  I'thou sure you lot are dreading the amount of destruction your toddler volition cause when they accept free rein in their room! And them beingness able to get out their room and roam the business firm on their ain! T he anticipation of transitioning to a toddler bed tin sometimes be harder than really making the move. This guide is a combination of my experience and other parents that have successfully fabricated this transition.Everything you need to know before transitioning to a toddler bed. Steps to take before making the move to a big boy bed, and solutions for common hurdles that arise.

Is it Time?

There are many reasons why you want to offset transitioning to a toddler bed.  If your baby is climbing out of their crib, it can get a safety issue.  Peradventure your child has expressed interest in moving to a big bed.  Or similar us, if you are pregnant with another babe and need to free upwardly the crib. We were pregnant with our second babe, who was due a couple months earlier our kickoff son'due south second birthday. The baby wouldn't demand the crib right away but nosotros wanted the big move to be done a few months before he was faced with the new change of a baby.

Is there a right historic period?

We waited to potty train until ii and ½ because the whole craziness of the new baby and other changes in our lives.  He has adult more than fears than he did when he was younger, and it's caused challenges with potty training that he didn't have with moving to a bed.  Transitioning to his toddler bed at twenty months was a great historic period because he understood things but seemed less apprehensive of new environments.  That has been our feel at least.   Many look until three to movement to a toddler bed.  Determine what works best for your family!

Before Y'all Kickoff

Have a consequent bedtime routine and bedtime. There should be some predictability around bedtime that remains later they movement to the bed.  Are there any other big changes happening? Or large trips coming upwardly?  You don't desire likewise much modify at once.  Since we were expecting our second child, we fabricated the alter 2 months before the baby was born.  If you are moving, potty training or any other big alter, consider waiting for a calmer time.

Read books

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Reading books is 1 of my favorite things to do for ALL big transitions.  Nosotros read books on condign a big blood brother, going to a big male child bed and potty training.  It really helps them acquire about the change. They understand what it is coming and helps build information technology up as an exciting thing, non a scary ane.  These are a few of my favorites:

Room Transformation

Is your baby growing up? Are you wondering how to design their toddler room? Read on for great tips on how to convert a nursery to a toddler room with a DIY reading corner and play table craft corner.Determine on the kind of bed yous want.  We used a toddler bed since it was the right size and a great toll on Amazon. A year later, information technology'south however working out great.  We considered a twin bed, but ultimately decided on a toddler bed because how depression they are to the ground. If yous are starting off with a twin size bed, consider putting the mattress directly on the floor.  Or buy toddler rails to attach to the sides. Likewise, many cribs catechumen to toddler beds.  If it is not depression to the ground or already include a rail, you may want toddler runway for that besides.  If you desire more ideas for the room, check out this post on converting your plant nursery to a toddler room.

Familiarity

There are some things you want to go along familiar, while besides making this an exciting transition to a big boy or large daughter room.   The toddler bed meant we could utilise the aforementioned sheets he had on his crib. It was also placed in the aforementioned spot his crib was, used the same lamb audio machine and bedtime routines.  Some things in the room we did change.  We added a reading corner (since I moved the glider we read on to the baby room) and added a little play table (no play room so it'south a combo room of sorts).

Go your toddler involved and excited

Talk about beingness a big boy or big girl and how their bed looks like mommy and daddy's. Stir up the excitement.  If you want, they tin can pick out their new sheets or other decor for their room. Listen and sympathise with any fears.  Ours needed a nighttime light and someone to lay down with him to assist him relax.

Baby Proof Even More

Wait around the room and brand sure you have done everything you need to babe proof for a walking babe.  There are things we hadn't worried virtually considering Miles would never be walking around alone in his room.  Some things to look at:

  • Securing dressers to the wall or any cords that may be dangling.
  • Removing certain toys- there are mornings when he wakes up and pulls about v books into his bed, which is fine.  In that location was a picayune pianoforte in there that he would jam out on instead of going to bed.  That created too much of a party atmosphere then we took information technology out. And so any toys that are battery operated and tin light up or make noises, as well as toys they would need your help with.
  • Observe whatsoever other small changes such as a low sitting lamp that may need to be moved to some other room.

Start the Transition with Nap Time

It'southward easier to go them used to their bed in a smaller stretch of sleep.  Also, if they end up non sleeping- it's non as huge of a loss! Y'all can observe how they practise and adjust for night time.  Outset your nap or bedtime routine earlier by 30-hr, because there is some excitement around this new liberty that could make them get upwardly and walk around. Resist the urge to become in there if they become out of bed and start messing with stuff. Remember you baby proofed and they are safe.  The novelty wears off and they do fall comatose somewhen!

Commit

Know that you lot may accept obstacles, but don't give up! I'm currently going through some public bathroom fears after potty preparation.  That's a whole other postal service, but it makes me want to give up and slap a diaper on him because of the meltdown he had yesterday.  Simply nosotros are merely taking the public bath thing boring and trying new things equally we get.

Take down the crib and put it abroad.   This helps to not go back and along, but commit to the change.  If your toddler is actually attached to their crib, so it can exist moved to the side of their room at first.  Ours wasn't, so he didn't actually react to its absence.

In the example of a new baby, I didn't gear up up the crib in the new nursery right away….merely a couple months afterwards.  He was already used to and loved his new bed and didn't acquaintance the baby with "stealing" his crib or forcing his transition.

Be Firm and Consistent

Keep a positive outlook and tone.  Give lots of praise and encouragement for every time they sleep in bed, or make whatsoever progress. Your toddler may showtime saying he needs h2o or another story or to talk to you lot longer.  You tin can bring them a little water in bed. Or lay with them in bed.  The key is they stay in bed. Nosotros also had to have a 3 volume dominion for bedtime- so he knows for sure that every nighttime it happens the same way and there's no negotiating out of it.

How About

If they become out of bed…

This will happen.  They may even slumber on the floor sometimes.  Just make sure yous have a video monitor where you tin see what they are doing.  Nosotros would sentry him on the monitor walking effectually and we'd be freaking out- wondering if he'd always go to slumber.  Only he did!  And he does consistently.

If they exit their room…

Safety locks on the doors. Confession.  I've taught my toddler a lot of things that he tin can do for himself.  Nosotros are working on getting dressed, brushing teeth etc.  Only I have avoided teaching him how to open up doors.  It'southward been kind of corking that he can't go out of his room by himself.  Then he unremarkably plays in his room if he wakes up early.  Other parents have gotten safety locks for the doors, or baby gates so that y'all don't have to worry about them roaming the firm on their ain.

If they wake up too early…

Toddler alert clocks tin help tell your toddler know when it's fourth dimension to wake up.  Meaning- we will non be coming in your room to wake upwards until this clock goes off.  So if they wake upward early, they know it's not time and will try to go back to sleep or play independently.

If there is crying…

Comfort them.  They may be scared and their fear is very real to them. Concord them until they calm down and ease them into sleep.  If you need to lay down with them until they fall comatose, do that.  But, make sure this happens during the alter, not after then it doesn't become something they absolutely need to autumn comatose.

If they tin't calm down…

You run across that your toddler is consistently non going to sleep right away and having a hard time falling asleep- move their bedtime before.  There was a while when Miles would play for sooo long after we put him in his room.  It took him forever to fall asleep.  Life and after work activities had kept moving his bedtime back closer to 9pm.  We moved information technology upward to 8pm over again and he fell asleep a lot quicker.  Earlier bedtimes tin can work wonders!

In Determination

Don't give up! Information technology may exist an like shooting fish in a barrel transition or information technology may be tougher.  Each child is different.  And even individual children handle different transitions differently.  Like I mentioned, my son was excited about his new bed and this went well.  And at present with potty training, he was crying hysterically yesterday, which made me offset tearing up because I felt and so helpless and bad for him.  Some transitions are easier than others, but we tin can assist them work through those hurdles of life.  Considering it won't be the last tough thing we'll have to assist them with!

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