transition to bed - size bed?

[dolphindance]

when you transitioned from crib/co-sleep to your LO's own bed, did you start with a toddler bed, twin, or double sized bed? Matress on the floor?  A character bed like thomas: http://cgi.ebay.com/Thomas-Train-Toddler-Bed-/220822932888?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item336a128d98.  It's time for us to do this since my DS almost catapulted out last night.  He is 2 yr 4 mos and is regressing back to co-sleeping and waking for hours at night.  We figured why not now since we already don't get sleep but I'm wondering if a bigger bed will help him want to stay in HIS bed.  Or one of those cute character toddler beds...although expensive!  ugh!  If you used a toddler bed at what size do they outgrow it?

Thanks!

[mamabelle]

I had planned on not having a toddler bed because it seemed like an unnecessary piece of furniture, but hardly anything goes as planned in our house : )  My mom bought our son a firetruck toddler bed and it has been great!  I wouldn't have chosen the firetruck, but it is by KidKraft so at least it is wood and not plastic, and most importantly, my son LOVES it. 

He's been excited to tell us he's not a baby anymore and even gets excited for naptime and bedtime ("in my firetruck bed?" he asked the first few days), and we're excited to keep using his organic crib mattress for a few more years before shelling out for the twin size.  The bed was $50 on craigslist, and I'm sure it will be handed down or sold when we're done.  I definitely know of 3-4 year-olds sleeping in toddler beds, but I'm curious to hear from other mamas on how long they think these style beds will last the kids.

We got him his own nightlight and made the move to the "big boy bed" kind of a special thing.  He still comes into our bed in the early morning hours, but sleeps in his bed through the night most nights.

[dsb76]

My daughter (who turned 2 this week) just moved from a crib to an ikea toddler bed.  We chose the ikea bed because it was cheap and we have limited space.  We bought extra sheets there as well as they seem to be a special size but they are cheap as well.  Our daughter loves her new bed but she has always been really easy (never tried to climb out of crib etc).  I haven't really thought about how long she will be in this bed but I assume at least until 5 or 6.

[intrepidmother]

We transitioned our DC at 22 months to a single bed.  We put a rail up and made her room be a "big girl room", which made it feel special.  She never had trouble adjusting to the bed.  The reason I chose the single, was b/c I didn't want to buy a toddler bed, which would only be short-term. 

I like it, b/c she can crawl out and join us when she wakes up in the morning.... 

[Blessed1]

At about 7months old we transitioned our little girl to her crib mattress on the floor in her own room.  She's been sleeping there ever since (we still co-sleep part time) and she loves it.  We are buying her a twin mattress to put on the floor this week. 

We skipped the crib thing and the toddler bed thing.  :)

[octobermom]

Our crib goes from crib to toddler bed to day bed to full sized bed.. We just converted it to the toddler bed about a week ago, and we do part time cosleeping so its really nice since she can now just come find me.

[FrugalGranolaMom]

We got an adjustable bed from Ikea for DS. It is a plain natural wood frame and adjusts from slightly longer than a crib, to toddler size to a full sized bed. We wanted to get something that would last and not have to buy another bed later when he outgrew it.

[APToddlerMama]

We had a toddler bed (mine from my childhood) so we put DS in that, but he outgrew it by 2.5.  I was sleeping in his room for a week while he was sick and realized he spent the night bumping into the wall and the side rail or falling out the end.  We had a spare bed that was full size so put that on his floor and he sleeps much better on that.  Fewer night wakings from bonking his head on the wall or falling out the bottom.  I wouldn't spend money on a toddler bed. 

[allisonrose]

Hubby and I decided to get a racecar bed for our toddler, thinking he'd be excited about it. He did seem interested in it when we first got it but to play in, not to sleep in. Since hubby was in charge of the transition, he began sleeping with him on a full size air mattress and they still are several months later.

[dolphindance]

we now realize the other room we have will be too small for a nursery later when we have another baby.  there is barely a closet and the size is soo small for a crib, table, chair, extra supplies, etc. so now we are thinking about moving ds to that room as his "big boy room" when we transitions to a bed soon.  ive read it may be too overwhelming of a transition to move to a different room.  plus the crib would remain set up in his old room right next door.  but we could also spend a little time painting and decorating his new room to build up to the change.  his big thing is diggers, trucks, and trains and i found a great bed set plus i will paint green and blue landscape and an airplane with him in it and trucks and stuff on the walls.

so my next ques is has anyone changed rooms when making the transition? or do you think it may be too confusing? 

[jdg]

We just set up a room for my 14 month old. She still co-sleeps with us at night, but uses her own room for naps and diaper changes. Though she's certainly not in a rush to end co-sleeping, she was very excited to have her own room and her own bed. For the bed itself, we put a twin-sized mattress on the floor, bought bright orange sheets, and a multi-colored, textured, patchwork-style bedspread. She loves all the color and likes to flop on her new bed

[redpajama]

My kids have all gone from co-sleeping to a twin size bed.  It's nice because if they want one of us to lay down with them, or wake up in the night, or whatever, we fit comfortably on a twin mattress (as opposed to a toddler bed.  That is often how we make the transition from co-sleeping; one of us (usually my husband) lays down with the child in *their* bed while they fall asleep, then moves.  Eventually, he'll transition to laying down with them, but getting up before they're asleep, to them just laying down in their own bed and going to sleep "alone" (I say "alone" because my 3 kids share a bedroom, so "alone" is relative).

[WeasleyMum]

That's what we have, too, because our house is really small.  I'd recommend getting the largest size bed you can (within reason, like a twin) for a couple of reasons.  For one, they grow so fast!  Better to get one bed that will last from now till he moves out, then to be continually buying new ones.  If you get a Thomas bed or something, he'll only be able to use it for a few years max (or even like it for that long) and then what do you do with it-- sell it?  Donate it?-- and spend more money again to get a bigger bed? The other thing is, if your son is used to co-sleeping, then you or your partner will be spending a considerable amount of time in whatever bed you choose during the transition period.  I speak from experience-- you don't want to be all cramped up in a toddler-sized bed!  It might be okay for someone switching directly from crib-to-bed, but I've seriously spent too much time in this little IKEA bed.  Sometimes I accidentally fall asleep while I'm getting him down and wake up with my legs all cramped.  I can't wait to extend it to its full size!  

[pattyford]

Is your LO walking?  My 14 month old son is on the verge of walking and I wonder if I should wait for that milestone before switching.  What are some other reasons to make the switch?

[Mal85]

DD moved out of her crib shortly after she turned 2. We have a twin size bed for her to use (it's at my IL's right now) and had planned on just putting the mattress on the floor for the transition. But, at the last minute my brother and SIL offered to let us use their toddler bed. It was just a simple white, wooden toddler bed which I liked. I really don't like the toddler beds with characters on them. My sister had previously offered to let us use her princess toddler bed and we had declined, so she was little butthurt that we took the plain, white one but oh well. 

Anyway, we set up the toddler bed in her room and left the crib up in case she struggled with the switch. She never did, the crib was only up a couple of weeks and she never once asked to sleep in it so we took it down and she was fine with that. She still comes into our bed occasionally, but it's nice that she can just get out of her bed and come to ours. She doesn't scream at us to come get her anymore.

[Comtessa]

My mother bought DD a new toddler bed after I expressly told her our plan was to transition DD to the full-size futon we already have in her room.  For some reason, my mom got it into her mind that the futon was a bad idea, and what we really needed was a new toddler bed AND a new crib mattress to put in it.  Sigh.  So now we have a wooden-framed toddler bed in her room.  It's a nice enough piece of furniture, but a waste of money, IMO.  She would have been perfectly happy on the futon.  We'll probably move her to that at some point anyway, when her baby brother is ready to transition out of his crib into the toddler bed. 

The OP asked about character beds -- she would have adored a character or a race car or something, I'm sure, but I hate them.  They're expensive, often poor quality, often molded out of plastic, and almost always painted in eye-poppingly bright colors.  Something in me just will not let me put bright colors in a place that is supposed to be restful, KWIM? 

Pros of the toddler bed:

• if she falls out of bed, she doesn't get hurt
• it's "just her size" so she loves it and likes to sleep in it (no trouble transitioning from mostly cosleeping to mostly sleeping in the bed, in other words)
• you can get a bit more use out of your crib mattress and sheets before moving to something else
• she can get out of bed and come find me, rather than screaming from her room (though she usually lays there and calls for me at night anyway, so don't count on this as a benefit of a toddler bed)
• she doesn't feel trapped or confined as she did in the crib, but she has the security of little side rails to help her feel a bit more safe and enclosed
• safer than a crib, since she was learning to climb out of the crib!!!
• it says it's good for up to 50 pounds, so she's got a few years in it before she needs a bigger bed (she'll need to cede it to the baby before she grows out of it, probably)
• even though it says 50 pounds, it holds about 160 pounds for a while every night, since I still have to lay in bed with her and nurse her to sleep at night.  It seems to be holding up OK, though I still hold my breath every time I lay down on the thing.

Cons of the toddler bed:

• What WeasleyMum said! 

Originally Posted by WeasleyMum 

...if your son is used to co-sleeping, then you or your partner will be spending a considerable amount of time in whatever bed you choose during the transition period.  I speak from experience-- you don't want to be all cramped up in a toddler-sized bed!  It might be okay for someone switching directly from crib-to-bed, but I've seriously spent too much time in this little IKEA bed.  Sometimes I accidentally fall asleep while I'm getting him down and wake up with my legs all cramped. 

It is terrifically uncomfortable to lay with her in the bed.  I would NOT have chosen this particular piece of furniture for that reason alone.

Originally Posted by pattyford 

Is your LO walking?  My 14 month old son is on the verge of walking and I wonder if I should wait for that milestone before switching.  What are some other reasons to make the switch?

I would not put a non-walking LO in a toddler bed, unless you had some pressing reason to do so.  There's no rush!

[AKA_PI]

I transitioned my son from his crib to his toddler bed (his crib converts to a toddler bed, daybed and full size bed. Best investment EVER) at 17 months. So far its worked out. He can climb into sleep there pretty well when he isn't climbing into bed with me. I would suggest saving yourself the money and just going with a twin bed instead of the toddler. They only sleep in there until about age 5 anyway. 

[EmTheWife]

We just transitioned ds from his crib to his own bed at 15 months.  He has a double bed (it's what we had) on the floor.  His favorite part is being able to get out on his own, and leave his room and find us in the morning :)  it's super cute to hear his little feet toddling along as he stops to check each doorway for us.

[kayleesmom]

i did crib to toddler to twin bed with all my kids. good luck in whatever way u chose.

[lifeguard]

We went straight to a twin bed with rails. Quite frankly I would have preferred to go straight to a queen but we already had a twin & had limited space but in my mind skipping all the smaller beds & going straight to bed he could use for many years is smarter. Our children have no chance of being short & sleeping in a twin with a footboard when you're over 6' is hard, so one day we know we will need to upgrade him. The lying with him would be easier with a larger bed as well. And then we would only need to keep one size of sheets in the house.