"I want out!" That's the bulletin your toddler will send (in one way or another) when he'southward ready to bid cheerio-bye to the crib and say hello to a big-kid bed. Your child might actually verbalize displeasure or, more than likely, simply offset climbing out of the crib.

While at that place'due south no hard-and-fast age when a toddler is prepare to movement on from the crib, little ones generally make the switch any time between 18 months and iii 1/2 years old, ideally as close to age three as possible. The timing is unlike for every child, simply if he's hitting 3 feet in height, makes a jailbreak on a daily basis or repeatedly asks for a big-kid bed, it'south probably fourth dimension to ditch the crib.

Choosing a toddler bed

You have ii toddler bed options: a toddler bed, which looks like a mini version of a twin bed (and tin can come bearded as a race car, fire truck or princess castle), or an actual twin bed outfitted with safety rails. Both are safe options, and so let your wallet, infinite constraints, child's temperament and design sensibility guide your decision. (Of class, if you purchased a crib that converts to a toddler bed, no demand to shop.) Whatsoever model you choose, if you're in the market for a new bed for your toddler, make certain information technology is:

  • Sturdy. There'll be enough of rolling, wiggling, jumping and bouncing on that bed, so make certain it can stand up to tough toddler treatment.
  • Low to the ground. Keeping the bed on the down-low limits injuries from falls and makes it easier for your child to make it and out all by himself.
  • Equipped with rails. The bed should come with side rails (some toddlers are wild sleepers) or allow yous to add them.
  • Merely designed. Cull a headboard and footboard without ornamentation, cutouts or protrusions to preclude rambunctious or curious toddlers from bumping heads or jamming fingers. Check to meet that the terminate is smoothen (no splinters!) and all edges are rounded.
  • Matched with a mattress. Your best bet is to buy the bed and mattress together then you tin can exist certain of a snug fit (or buy a toddler bed that's designed to be used with a standard-sized crib mattress).
  • Certified. Check for a sticker from the Juvenile Products Manufacturers Association (JPMA) on the bed and any portable rails you purchase. (Annotation: The JPMA doesn't certify twin-sized beds — simply toddler sizes.)

Where Should Baby Sleep?

Toddler-bed safety

Done shopping? Time to ready his sleeping space with safety in mind.

Keep Reading Beneath

  • Find the right spot in the room — that means away from windows, blind cords, draperies, radiators, estrus registers and wall or floor lamps.
  • Place the headboard flush against the wall and leave ample space on both sides of the bed (or install rails on both sides) to limit the risk that your child could become trapped between the bed and the wall.
  • Put a soft carpeting, sleeping pocketbook or pillows on the floor effectually the bed to cushion falls.
  • Check joints, screws or other hardware regularly to ensure they're not loose.

Tips to transition from a crib to a bed

Here are x things you can exercise to make this transition a smooth and safety 1:

  1. Time it correct. If your toddler's life is already chock-full of change — new baby brother or sister, new school, weaning, potty training — look before introducing the big-kid bed. This should exist an exciting transition for everyone, not ane that's overwhelming or scary.
  2. Consider a convertible. A convertible crib that turns into a toddler bed with the removal of the front panel can make the alter seem less drastic to a toddler.
  3. Read all near information technology. Discover a few books about the large movement, and share them with your toddler. Indicate out that the characters in the book are "simply like you," and just equally bravely moving on to their new bed.
  4. Let your child get in on the action. To mark the occasion and help your child feel excited about the change, permit him cull new sheets and child-friendly bedding, and encourage him to personalize the new bed with a few favorite blimp animals. If you make up one's mind on a toddler or twin bed, enlist your child's help in picking it out.
  5. Re-evaluate your childproofing. Y'all've likely already taken measures to toddler-proof your home, just this is a adept time to re-evaluate. Are there any other rubber precautions you should take in case your toddler does go adventuring during the night? You may want to consider blocking any stairwells with prophylactic gates, locking windows and whatsoever doors that lead outside (or to the basement) and double-checking to ensure your child can't get into any areas where cleaning products, medications or other hazardous materials are kept.
  6. Ease into it. If your toddler is giving up a crib for a new infant, the switch calls for an extra dose of TLC. You don't want your child to feel like he's beingness displaced. If you lot can, endeavour to go the new bed prepare earlier the infant arrives. Let your tot "practice" napping in it to feel more comfortable with the new digs.
  7. Don't change the bedtime routine. Put the bed in the same space where the crib was, if possible. And if the bath-books-bed formula for transitioning to sleep worked before, stick with it. Mixing up the bedtime routine will just mix your child upwardly.
  8. Keep exploration to a minimum. For near kids, the newfound freedom to roam will be irresistible. It's up to you to reinforce bedtime rules. Request last-calls for h2o, blimp toys and trips to the potty before the final tuck-in, and make sure your little one understands it's final.
  9. Practice patience. That said, exist prepared for your kid to constantly pop out of bed for a drink of water, a snuggle with Mom or some other escape-from-my-room excuse. Calmly and silently return your toddler to bed as many times as it takes. Keep it as boring as possible and he'll get the idea. For kids who don't, some parents put gates at the bedroom door. If your little one has already proved he tin can climb out of the crib, chances are a gate won't be much of an obstruction.
  10. Praise your tot for practicing good bedtime habits. A helpful solution for controlling your child's roaming habits might be a sticker nautical chart. Give ane sticker for each night he stays in bed. By the end of the week, reward him with a special treat, like an extra story at bedtime or a favorite family outing. Think, toddlers dearest pleasing yous and doing things for themselves. Helping yours learn to love a big-kid bed should exist a win-win situation.