Moving and timing toddler bed move, WWYD?

[KellyandBean]

So this is all a good ways off but it is on my mind already so I thought I should ask to see what others thought. We plan to house hunt next spring and could move to a new home anytime around Mayish-August depending on how long it takes to find a place. Our 31 month old is still in her crib and I wouldn't be shocked if she was the type to stay put past three. Not a climber. So since I know a BIG change is coming up shortly after her birthday at the end of Feburary should I plan to take the rail down right around her birthday (assuming she hasn't jumped out yet) before we move or should we try to wait until after the move? I wanted to keep her in there for as long as possible (within reason!) but I'm afraid the learning to jump out might happen in the middle of closing on a house and then we will have 2 big changes happening at the same time... Thoughts?

[P.J.]

I think I am missing something about this. I have a friend whose 3 1/2 year old is still in a crib and she feels the same way: keep him in there as long as it lasts. I don't really see what the problem with moving into a bed is. Is it that you're worried your daughter will never go to bed again, or be up and about at 5am from then on? Is her room not childproofed? If it's about falling out of bed then just get guardrails, problem solved.

Since this is my (mis?)understanding of moving from a crib to a bed, I would say just do it right now. You're right to try and keep as few transitions at once as possible. Good luck!

[KellyandBean]

Originally Posted by P.J. 

I don't really see what the problem with moving into a bed is. Is it that you're worried your daughter will never go to bed again, or be up and about at 5am from then on? Is her room not childproofed? If it's about falling out of bed then just get guardrails, problem solved.

I'm worried she will never nap again (always has been a struggle and i know moving to a toddler bed will mean she wont stay put) and also that she may try to come into our bed and start waking up at night again. I just have this whole idea that if it is working then don't change it and i'm ok with her staying in the crib until 3.5ish but with the move happening at about that age i wonder if i should stop waiting around for her to climb out and just go ahead and do it after her birthday so she has a few months to adjust before we move. I guess i am making it more complicated then it is, which isn't unheard of for me ;)

[P.J.]

Not sure what kind of crib you have but around here (I live in Europe) all the cribs come so that you can remove a couple of the rails, so there is a slit big enough for them to get out but you are not removing the whole thing....they are still in a crib. It is a way of making a gradual transition. Could you do that?

Also....I am a big fan of preparing kids for transitions and talking it up big-time in the days before it happens. For example, our son just started a new preschool and soon we will transition him into napping there (for now I pick him up at noon). I have already told him what their nap ritual is and how, soon, he will be napping there with all the other kids. We shall see if it helps, but we have recently made some huge transitions (moving, new preschool, then nightweaning) which all went very smoothly and easily, and I think talking them up beforehand helped a lot.

I would say just prepare her and say "..and so you're going to have your own bed and you are going to sleep all night there and if you wake up I will come in and cuddle with you and kiss you and sing you a song and you'll go back to sleep"....that sort of thing. And play up the big girl aspect. My boy is totally into being a big boy and it has helped him with all our recent (and hopefully future) transitions.

Best of luck!