The Big Change — Transitioning Your Child From Crib To Bed

I'm all set to go! When it's time for your toddler to say goodbye to the crib and hello to a big-kid bed, he'll let you know in some manner. Your child may communicate his or her dissatisfaction verbally or by crawling out of the crib.

So, what should be done?

First and foremost, avoid the urge to transfer him too soon. Most experts suggest starting around the age of three. Unless your child is climbing out of his bed or requires more space than a crib can offer — his body is rapidly developing — it's best to keep him in his crib, where he can feel protected.

This way, your child can feel safe making huge developmental jumps during the day while still sleeping in his old crib at night.

Furthermore, toddlers are highly impulsive until they reach the age of three, and your child's inability to understand and follow directions or regulations (such as remaining in bed all night) would make sleeping in a bed a tremendous problem. You may expect to wake up to a small guest next to your bed pretty much every night if you move to a bed before the age of three.

When the time comes, though, you must assist your child in making the transition to sleeping in a bed. You'll need to take a few steps to do this. 

These are the following:

Make a secure environment: 

Make sure your child's room and any neighboring locations he might be able to access late at night are safe. Secure any windows, stairwells, and stepstools that may be tripped over.

Installing a safety gate at your child's door is even better. You may even put a tiny nightlight in his room to assist him in orienting himself and avoiding injury.

Choose a mattress:

Take your child to a mattress store — or any other store that sells mattresses — and allow him or her to assist you in selecting a mattress or bed. 

All you'll need for safety is a twin-size mattress and box spring, as well as some side safety rails. You should modify the height of this new bed to fit your child's height since it will need to sit low on the floor for a while until he or she gets used to it. 

You're ready to go with some colorful new linens and unique pillowcases.

Disassemble the crib (all at once):

When the new bed arrives, ask your youngster to assist you in removing the crib. Your youngster will feel a part of the change and will be able to say goodbye to the crib this way.

Make the bed:

Place the bed in a corner of your child's room, flush against the wall for further safety. Add a safety rail to the bed's exposed side. This will make your youngster feel as safe as he did in his crib.

Explain the bedtime rules:

If your child is vocal, go through the bedtime rules with him before the first night of sleeping in the bed. Tell him that he is now a big boy who has to realize that we only wake up when the sun is lovely and brilliant when we go to sleep.

Do your evening routine:

Spend an extra 10 minutes of reading time with your kid the first few nights he sleeps in his new bed to help him adjust to his new surroundings. The goal is to instill a sense of security in your youngster. If your child has been enthusiastic about the new bed from the beginning, you're one of the lucky ones who has found the transfer to be quite painless.

So, what are the options?