Is it time to make the switch from crib to toddler bed? I'm sharing 10 tips to help you and your child transition to toddler bed.
Special thanks to The Step2 Company for sponsoring this conversation.
The time has come. We're transitioning our child to a toddler bed (hold me). This can be a stressful change for little ones and their parents, but today I want to share some tips to make this process {hopefully} easier on everyone.
10 tips to help with the transition to toddler bed.
1.) Don't transition to toddler bed until you really have to. If your toddler is getting a good night's sleep in their crib and not trying to bail out over the side rail, leave them there. There's no need to rush the transition if they're safe and secure in their crib. However, if you need that crib because you're expecting and the new baby needs a place to sleep, then by all means transition, but try to make it as smooth as possible. Just a word about readiness - if your child is truly not ready, think about purchasing a lower end crib or borrowing a crib from a friend (you never know who might have one if you put a call out for help). This can sometimes be a lot easier than trying to rush a transition when they aren't really ready.
2.) Get a consistent routine down pat before you begin the transition to a toddler bed. Children rely on routine and your cues to guide their behavior. If you put your daughter to bed at 8 PM one night, but let her stay up until 9:30 PM the next, that's confusing. Commit to a solid routine every night and stick to it. This will help once you start working the toddler bed into the mix. Dinner, bath time, story time, brushing teeth, then settling in for the night... whatever your routine includes just make sure it's systematic so your child knows what to expect. Consistency is key.
3.) Try not to time the transition to toddler bed period with another big life event. If you're moving, or your child is just starting preschool, it might not be the best time to throw another new thing into the mix. Life events (and how they affect you) affect little ones too, so it's best not to overwhelm them with too many things at once. If you're having a new baby, consider starting to transition them to their toddler bed at least 2-3 months ahead of time.
4.) If possible, let them help pick out their new bed or bedding. Your little one is probably developing quite the personality and is most likely showing preferences for certain items of clothing or toys. Letting them have a say in what kind of bed they'll be sleeping on, or what kind of sheets their new bed will have, may go a long way. This will help get them excited and help them warm up to the change. When I saw this Thomas the Tank Engine Toddler Bed, I knew my little guy would love it and was really thankful that Step2 sent it to me at no cost to facilitate this post. He's really into Thomas and trains lately, so this seems like a perfect option for us; plus I really wanted a toddler bed (instead of a twin or double) so that I could let him keep his mattress. He's used to it and it's comfortable for him, so I wanted to keep something familiar in this time of transition.
5.) Make their new bed a BIG deal. This is a big milestone, so celebrate it! Let your child know that since he is big boy now, he gets to sleep in a big boy bed. Make it sound appealing and exciting and like a really special event (because really, it is). Maybe make a big deal about reading his bedtime story with him on his new bed since you can sit and snuggle together in this bigger bed.
6.) Set them up for success. There's a good possibility that your child is going to want to experiment with this new-found freedom and may get out of bed several times. If your child hasn't even used a night light before, it might be a good time to start using one so that they can see where they're going when they get out of bed. Not that you want to encourage wandering, but you certainly don't want them to hurt themselves either. Also, prepare for falls or ensure you have proper side rails on your big kid bed. Your child isn't going to have the safety of the crib rails to keep them in bed, so you want to be sure if they roll out of bed that they can't injure themselves. You might consider just having the mattress on the floor instead of using the bed at first, or placing pillows along the side of the bed in case they fall.
7.) Be prepared to return them to bed many, many times. For some kids, when they transition to toddler bed, they understand that there's an invisible barrier and that they need to stay in bed. For others though, that isn't the case at all. Our little guy loves to explore and doesn't want to feel like he's missing out on anything, so he'll often hop out of bed to come see what we're doing. Be firm and consistent in returning them to bed. Bribery might work too if your child is old enough - "If you stay in bed and fall asleep tonight, you can watch your favorite television show in the morning while you eat breakfast." It just depends on the child, but just don't waver and don't give in to letting them stay up a bit later.
8.) Don't make it a habit of laying with them until they fall asleep. This can be a tough one, especially when you're exhausted at the end of the day and would much rather snuggle in bed with your toddler than stand watch from their bedroom door. However, this can be a hard habit to break. You want your child to develop healthy sleeping habits, and falling asleep on their own is an important skill to learn.
9.) Don't forget to PRAISE them! This might not be a quick and easy process. If you have a child that gets out of bed every 5 minutes, be sure to praise them when you're returning them to bed if they stayed there for 7 minutes this time. Children respond to positive reinforcement, so try to focus on those small accomplishment and with a little time and (a lot of) patience, eventually they'll learn this new routine.
10.) Safety first! I just want to add in a word about safety. Now that your child will be sleeping in a big kid bed, they'll be able to get in and out of bed at will. That also means they'll be in their room (or in your house while you're asleep) unsupervised. Please take a look at your home and consider securing any pieces of furniture that may tip over to the wall. There are horror stories out there, and you do not want your child to become a statistic from an injury that could be prevented with just a little foresight. Flat screen televisions have killed hundreds of children, so please consider mounting them to the wall or using anti-tip straps. For a complete list of safety tips, please visit this list from SafeKids.org.
My little guy is still working on staying in bed, but we're making great progress! How long did it take your child to transition to toddler bed?
Do you have any tips to add?
I'd love to hear them!
Amber Ludwig says
I am so glad you put to not rush the transition!!!!! My son is perfectly content in his crib at almost two and I have so many people pressuring us to convert to toddler bed!! Im so tempted to say "mind your own business" lol but Im too nice for that 🙂 Now I have another opinion on the matter 😉
Shari M says
Thank you so much for this. These are great tips. I'm expecting and our daughter still likes her crib, so we're keeping here there as long as possible. But I know there'll be a time when we'll need to do this transition and I'm going to keep these tips handy.
shelly johnson says
We were actually lucky in the crib to toddler bed transition. We have a daughter who is seven years older than our son, so "being a big kid like sissy" seemed to be the perfect motivation for EVERYTHING (including sleeping in a big bed)... for a while. Then he realized sleeping in a big bed meant sleeping alone. NOW THAT is the transition we are trying to master..... a year later. UGH!
janet says
Found this page on topmommyblogs.com. It really looks cool. Keep it up!
patricia says
Thank you for including the safe kids link! This article is really helpful as I am transitioning my 2 year old to a bed
Bethany says
I absolutely agree! Wait! Wait!Wait! Until you just can't wait anymore. We played the waiting game and knew it was the day when our 21 mo old came out of her room at nap time one day after never having climbed out before. While we did wait we did read a book about "big girl" beds so it wasn't a shock when the time came. And we already had a toddler rail for our convertible crib. We got bedding with her favorite character on it (this was a *rush* job and she fell asleep in the car on the way to pick her bedding because she didn't nap. too busy climbing out of the crib. She got to pick her alternate set though on a different day) and we let her explore the bedding while daddy converted her crib. We had a dream transition. In the first week we only had to put her back in the bed at nap time once like every other day and one night she woke up and never at bed time. I think another part of our success is that her bed didn't change much. Because we invested in a toddler bed and the matching rail only one side of the bed changed. The only "adjustment" she had to make was that she can get in and out. She LOVES her toddler bed and often tries to put herself to bed.
Angela A Simmons says
This is always the hardest part for me. I think its more easier on my kids then it is on me. I love sleeping with my babies my husband on the other hand is a different story lol
Alysha Parent says
Thank you so much for posting these tips. My daughter is getting to the point that we will be transitioning her to a toddler bed Nd I tereally think these should help make it a little easier.
jessica says
My son is 1 1/2. He never had a crib. He been sleeping in my bed since he was young and he can only sleep if my boyfriend or myself is laying down with him. How can I transition him to a toddler bed when the time is right for him without too much trouble?
Sharon says
We transitioned our daughter to a regular bed (we didn't have a convertable crib) when she was 2 and we knew we'd be needing her crib for our next child that was on the way. She was over the top excited about the new bed. She got to choose the sheets and watched Daddy assemble it. In an attempt to keep her from getting out of the bed, we had a step stool in her room and told her she could only get in and out of the bed by using the step stool, which meant it had to be left next to her bed for her to use it. She did pretty well, for the most part, but did occasionally get out of bed. It wasn't a problem for very long once the newness of it all wore off. Any furniture in her room was secured and we had a child-proof knob cover thing so she couldn't get out of her room on her own and wander the house.
Tina says
Our daughter is 26 months old and we are planning to wait as long as possible! I'm a huge believer in procrastination when it comes to her growing up lol! She's small for her age though and she can't get herself out of the crib but we plan to use the toddler conversion rail when she is ready. I think she would love being able to get in her bed whenever she wants now but Daddy & I are just not quiet ready for that! Thanks for all the great tips!
Ashley Chassereau Parks says
I definitely agree to not rush it and that it is good to make it a big deal when they do transition to a big kid bed. Our oldest co slept until she was 2 and we made a big deal about her "big girl twin bed" when we put it in the room. She was so excited, but we told her she could sleep in it whenever she was ready. We put her rail on the side, just to make sure she didn't roll off. She slept in our bed that night, like usual, but the next day she was so excited to climb in her bed and play with her stuffed animals, look at her books, etc! She spent so much time in it and that night said she wanted to sleep in her bed..... we snuggled and read bed time Bible stories with her and would lay there with her until she fell asleep. We also told her to come get us if she needed us. We didn't mention the word "scared" because we didn't want it to cross her mind that there was something to be scared of. Now that she is 4, we still read bedtime stories, but she hasn't asked us to lay there with her in over a year and a half..... sniff!! She has never had any problems sleeping on her own in her room and loves her twin bed!
Michele Ash says
WOW! Thanks so much for the Wonderful Tips on 10 Tips For Helping Your Child Transition to a Toddler Bed! These tips are terrific! I really think you covered everything and very well too! My Granddaughter is now trying to transition to a "big girls' bed. She's funny! She does not want to stay in bed or sleep! She's afraid she'll miss something! We really don't have a bed-bed, it's more like a mattress on the floor. At least I know she won't hurt herself getting in and out of bed! Our problem is that all the bedrooms are upstairs and I'm scared that she'll fall down the steps at night! We have night lights all over the place and I put a gate across the steps at night as well. Generally she'll walk around upstairs and peek in on everyone else to see what they are doing! We all have taken her back to bed so many times a night! She'll eventually get the hang of it! (I hope)! Thanks again for sharing your wonderful tips on 10 Tips For Helping Your Child Transition to a Toddler Bed with all of us! I honestly do appreciate it! Thanks again so much! Michele 🙂
Elizabeth Johnson says
I like this post it is true my son it still using the crap but it is a convertible crib so we have the railing on there in which he does not really need it anymore he is been wanting a bigger bed but we have held off because of finances and also because the baby I'm about to have now will not need it for the next 4 months. I would love to be able to get him a bed before we definitely have to move our baby out of the bathroom at we'll see what happens thank you for all the tips and helpful information.
Beverly Guajardo says
Thank so so much for these tips.
Rayna Robinson says
How I did the Transition is I read lots and lots of books to him on the couch and then once he's asleep. I would place him in his toodler bed, and he would just wake up in the morning sit on the couch and wait for breakfast.
Mia says
All very good and useful ideas to assist in having a smooth transition. I like the idea of setting them up for success.
jen st pierre says
Thank you for the tips....we have a 2 year old who still wakes in the middle of the night and ends up in our bed.
Deborah D says
It took along time but he is finally sleeping in his own room.
Kate s says
We left the crib and toddler bed in the same room for a week. My toddler still slept in the crib at first but he could see the toddler bed. We were tryin gb to get him used to it then we left the crib in the room for a couple of days after he was sleeping in his toddler bed. Then it wasn't a problem when his new baby brother started sleeping in the bed.
Brittany Hardin says
I really enjoyed this because every child is different and I am in no rush to transition!!
Howard says
For some, an easy transition. It all depends on the child.
Renee Gleissl says
We let our oldest choose his bedding, a nightlight, and a flashlight which made him excited to have a big boy bed. We installed a fixed baby gate at the top of the stairs so he couldn't fall down them by accident if he made a wrong turn in the hallway
Cindy Kong says
These are great tips, my 3 yrs old daughter still co sleep with us in our room. We live in a 1 bedroom so she won't be able to have her own room but we will start moving her to her own bed next to our bed. Hopefully when the time comes, she will be ready for her own bed in her own room.
Amanda Schaeffer says
Thank you for sharing this.These are great tips I will definitely keep these in mind when I start the transition for my son.I love the safety tips these are great even if you have a child in a crib my son recently started to climb out of his crib
Valerie guerrero says
These are very helpful tips i really needed these especially now
Crystal E. says
Oh yes! Whenever we make a big deal out of something, my son has to do it! And you can't rush him either!
Shannon F. says
These are great tips! I think it was kind of scary for the transition with my son because he was use to the crib. After a few nights he adapted well and slept good.
Felicia Hasse says
These were all great tips and will be very helpful when my kiddos get their own rooms
Linda Mannst says
These are great tips for transitioning. Children need to be handled with care. I am sure with this race car bed a child would be very excited to sleep in it. Thank you for sharing
Christina Johnson says
Great tips! People tend to look at me funny when they find out that my 2 and 1/2 year old still sleeps in his crib, but he is perfectly happy there and I'm happy with him being there. So until either he or I has a good reason and are excited about transitioning, that's exactly where he will stay! =)
Amanda Algiere says
Awesome advice about making sure they are ready. So many people rush into the toddler bed way too early. I always moved my kids to their toddler beds when they started getting in and out of the crib. Of course getting a bed with their favorite character is a plus! The whole article is very helpful and I also agree it's easier to switch when there is no stress or big changes going on.
Lavada Wright says
Thank you these are all great tips.
denise low says
Thank you for the tips. My children are grown now. But we did have a hard time getting our youngest to sleep in his own bed.
Danielle Lewis says
Great tips!
Lauren Anhalt says
All great points! We transitioned our son early at 18 months because he was climbing out of his crib, and we have our second child due in February and didn't want to make him feel like he was being kicked out of his bed by the new baby.
Jessi Lanoue says
Our daughter was in her crib till she decided to climb up and fall out. I would like to transition my son before that happens. I now know the signs. When he starts to pile up blankets and his stuffy and climb up and look over top, it is time to think about the transition.
Jenifer says
i so greatful for all of this tips because its made a everything a lot easier with my 3 year old.
nidhi chauhan says
thanks for such amazing tips. It is much needed. I am struggling the same with my kid. I will try your tips.
sandra says
we actually did not transition to a toddler bed. we put a twin mattress on the floor with bed rails
Sweta Sonulkar says
my son is just ready to transitioned to toddler bed since he needs his full bed for sleeping alone and his me time for reading books and napping in the bed as he will know the cleanliness of his bed to not pee and poo and dirty his bedsheet and this type of toy bed would definately make him busy
Samantha Wagner says
These are some wonderful tips, thank you for this blog post
Katherine says
My son was to transition but finally after a year he is sleeping in his bed all night. I think the hot wheels bed or a bed that has a little play aspect would have probably helped keep him in his bed because the main reason he got out of bed was to play.
justin stpierre says
These are some great tips. Were just about to transition our son and going to keep these tips in mind. Our older two kids were easy to transition and I pray the youngest is too!
R says
The race car bed will probably help making going to sleep fun. Our son doesn't want to go to bed because he feels like he is going to miss out on something. The race car bed might get his mind off of that.
Lauryn R says
These are all fantastic tips! With my first 2 I didn't rush the process either, the crib is always best until it starts to become unsafe! My youngest is 16 months and she is still in her crib. I have had to lower it to the lowest level though, because she likes to jump up and down on her mattress! 😉
Sherry Conrad says
Some great tips - I love the idea of letting them pick out their own bedding. Love how you stress to set them up for success.
carrie allen says
this is a great article, I will be transitioning my 2 1/2 year old by the end of the year to a twin bed. I am nervous and excited at the same time
shawna durk says
I was lucky with both of my kids, the transition was easy. But, I think I would have to say that I let them pick out their own sheets and bed sets pillows and all. I let them play on their bed and let them know that this was their little space. They loved their first tiny beds.
Mandy Reed says
Great tips thanks
Christina Wagner says
With our three boys we moved their security blanket to their big bed and they were OK with it.
Betty D says
Good to know theres no rush unless there is a urgent need to do so. Letting them take there naps in them might make it easier also. Reading a book is a great idea. Use to read to my son when little and then when he got to learning to read he's read to me. Now that was fun for us both.
Jessica Lodge says
These are great tips! I'm trying to transition my son from my bed to his own bed. It's not working too well.
Cathy B says
My son transitioned rather quickly, he was very excited to go into his big boy toddler bed. However, whenever I went to check on him in the night he wouldn't be in bed. Turns out he kept rolling out of bed (even with that little bar they have). To make the fall easier my husband and I put a thick blanket on the floor to cushion the fall. That actually made my son roll. Literally found him snoring under the bed. Someone told us about using a pool noodle or a rolled up blanket under his mattress sheet at the edge of the bed. Worked like a charm! After a few weeks we didn't need it anymore.
Suzanne w. says
I agree with waiting and always safety first. Both of my kids were 2 when they went in a toddler bed. My son refused to sleep in his crib and my daughter would climb out and it was so scary. They both did very well with the toddler bed and now my son is getting to be too long for it and he's just 3 years old...thank you for the great tips! This will help many moms.
Jess says
This is very helpful. Thank you 🙂
maria c says
Thanks for these awesome tips. They are really helpful.
Brandy Summers says
Thanks so much for posting this! My son was ready for a toddler bed when he was young but every child is different but I will be sharing this with my friends who are having babies so they know to take their time transitioning
Christina Strapp Lambert says
It was a lot easier than I thought it was going to be. I think it was because I didn't rush my daughter. I waited until I thought she was going to be ready and I didn't rush her. You also have to have lots of patience.
Christina Strapp Lambert says
It was a lot easier than I thought it was going to be. I think it was because I didn't rush my daughter. I waited until I thought she was going to be ready and I didn't rush her. You also have to have lots of patience..
Lily Kwan says
These tips are very helpful. Thanks for sharing!