Toddler bed vs crib?

[Lisa1970]

Our baby has outgrown the small crib. We do cosleep, but by now, usually, our babies are sleeping in the crib parttime. But, we only have a small crib now as our fullsized one was recalled. The baby is 13 months old. I am trying to decide if I should purchase just a toddler bed, or a crib that converts to a toddler bed. He will continue to cosleep, but I would like him to start spending time in his own bed now. What do you think?

[thedenverduo]

My little guy is also 13 months old and has been sleeping on a full size mattress on the floor for a couple weeks. I wanted him to get used to sleeping in a place where he could get up and down as he wants so that there won't be lots of battles later on. Also, if he was in a crib sleeping he would wake up and cry for me to come get him. Now he just wakes up and toddles out to find me with a big grin on his face. So I vote for some kind of toddler bed (maybe just the mattress on the floor at first), I just don't see the benefits of a crib if your baby is mobile enough for it not to be a safety issue.

[atnightingale]

We skipped the crib at out house and opted for a toddler bed with a removable half rail. When she was 18 months or so this was a sidecar next to our bed, then later against the wall in our room and later down the hall. The purpose of the rail was to keep her from rolling out and it works. (We got ours at IKEA). It is nice because she could get to us if she wanted. Also she is 4 not and still fits fine. Not so for the crib at grandmas house that we converted to a toddler bed.

[chrstene]

Originally Posted by atnightingale

We skipped the crib at out house and opted for a toddler bed with a removable half rail. When she was 18 months or so this was a sidecar next to our bed, then later against the wall in our room and later down the hall. The purpose of the rail was to keep her from rolling out and it works. (We got ours at IKEA). It is nice because she could get to us if she wanted. Also she is 4 not and still fits fine. Not so for the crib at grandmas house that we converted to a toddler bed.

We are just now starting to look at the ones at IKEA...which one do you have ? Also, I notice they call their beds "junior" ...are they longer than toddler beds? Also, I imagine that you would need to buy their mattresses for them ?

My son is just turning 2 and we are thinking of transitioning to a bed of some sort, but I would love for it to last a while. I was thinking the "junior" bed cause he may outgrown a toddler bed sooner...but I have no experience !

[waiting2bemommy]

definitelt toddler bed. my oldest started in a toddler bed at 8/9months, and my dd just started in a toddler bed this weekend. She will be 6 months on the 21st.

both of my kids coslept (well dd still does!) so the toddler bed is for naps, and early evenings when the baby is asleep and we need the room to ourselves to clean up or whatever. We put dd to bed in there first and then just grab her and bring her into our bed when we go to sleep.

I think cribs are pretty much pointless except to make a nursery look cute, lol.