Crib to Bed? What Is the Right Age?

Updated on October 21, 2013
C.H. asks from New York, NY
15 answers

Hi everyone, at what age should I move my 22 month old daughters from a crib to a bed? What signs should I look out for to know they are ready? And how can I make the transition for them easier? Any general advice on this would be gratefully received. Thank you xx

Forgive the earlier "cot" reference, I was raised in the UK x

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❤.M.

answers from Los Angeles on

It depends upon the child.
If they are not trying to escape, then leave them in the crib.
If they have tried to escape, then now is the time to convert it.
We just put a twin mattress on the floor against the wall w/o the box spring when he was ready. Also, added a railing on the side that wasn't against the wall.
Not till about age 3 as he never had an issue.
Don't change him until you absolutely have to.

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P.K.

answers from New York on

You mean crib to bed?

1 mom found this helpful
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L.S.

answers from Las Vegas on

We did ours at about 3 1?2 and had no problems-we did have pretty expensive cribs, then went to toddler bedxs, and then full size, but it worked well for us. Everyone is different and you have to do what works best for you. Good Luck! L.

S.G.

answers from Grand Forks on

When the child tries to climb out of the crib, when the child is potty trained, or when you need the crib for a new baby are all good times to move from a crib to a bed.

When my boys moved to a bed we had a plastic bed rail that slid under the mattress to keep them from rolling out of bed, and we showed them how to climb in and out of bed from the end of the bed. We gave them some cool Spiderman bedding. It was a pretty easy transition for both of my boys, but we waited until they were closer to 2 1/2 years.

G.B.

answers from Honolulu on

if she's able to get out of the crib on her own...time to transition.
to make it easier, stick to the same routine

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M.K.

answers from Stationed Overseas on

I personally leave my kids in a crib until they can either climb out or I have to move them out. My oldest moved into a twin bed at 2.5 only because we were moving and I also needed the crib for a new baby. I made a big deal about a new big girl bed, took her with me to pick out the frame, mattress and bedding. She did really well and we had no issues. My second is still in the crib at 25months. He will stay in it as long as I can keep him in it because I think I'm going to have problems keeping him in a regular bed. Until he starts climbing out he will stay in the crib. Some people say when they stop flipping around in the crib is a good sign that they are ready.

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G.B.

answers from Oklahoma City on

I had all our grand kids in toddler beds by the time they were 18 months old. I worked child care and they go down to a cot by the time they are 1. They sleep on a cot in the toddler room so it's a great time to switch them at home too.

If you're going to a twin, full, or queen bed I think it would also be okay to wait a few more months.

Toddler beds are for kids that are toddlers, ages 12 months up to around age 2. Most kids are just too big for their baby bed mattress by that point. Those beds are really small and by the time a kiddo is 2 2 1/2 they are really ready to move to a real bed.

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J.C.

answers from Anchorage on

There is no "right age". I know some Mamas who have kept their kids in cots until they are 3, I myself transitioned my boys at 16 months and they did great. To each their own.

We put a baby gate at the door and let them fall asleep where they may for the first few nights, and then would simply put them into their bed so they would wake up there. They both figured it out after just 3 or 4 nights and started going to sleep in their bed. Before then we found them asleep at the door the first night, in a pile of toys one night, and even under the bed one night, lol.

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J.M.

answers from Boston on

I do third birthday!... When they have to get up to pee @ night!

K.A.

answers from San Diego on

My first was just shy of 3. He was getting to big for the crib (and by default a toddler bed) at that point and we needed the crib for our second so we put him in a twin bed with side rails.
Our second was 3.5 when we moved him to a toddler bed and 5 when we moved him to a twin sized bed. He was smaller than his brother so we could wait longer. Around that age is about when he started climbing out of the crib too.
My third, we converted her crib to a toddler bed when she a couple months more than 3. She's still in it. It'll be another year before we can move her because of space issues.
There were no real transitions needed. We planned a day where we had all day. Put the new bed up early and let them play in it during the day then put them to sleep in it at night. My first had more time to get used to his new bed because he was moving into a new room with all new furniture and such because his brother was getting the baby stuff. We spent several months while I was pregnant putting my oldest's room together. We didn't have as much to do for the new baby since he was getting the old furniture.
If she's content in the crib, isn't trying to climb out of it all the time and you don't need the crib for an upcoming sibling there is no reason to rush them out of the crib.

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K.O.

answers from Atlanta on

With my first, it was when he first climbed out (at 20 months). My second was 15 months because I was pregnant and he was heavy and I couldn't bend over the crib rail to lift him up and put him down. The third was around 20 months because she started climbing. The 4th was around 18 months because we moved and I didn't feel like setting up a crib to change it into a bed in a few months time.

I didn't make it a huge thing. One morning they woke up in a crib and went to bed in a bed. It was no big deal. No fight. No production.

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F.B.

answers from New York on

We shifted ours at 2.5. One night we heard a thud, then found him trying to climb back in. The next day we removed the side of the crib and converted it into a toddler bed.

DS was rightly scared of falling out again, and has stayed put from the first night. We have a gate at his door to keep him from wandering the house at night.

So far so good.

Good luck to you and yours,
F. B.

L.A.

answers from Austin on

Not really an age, it is the ability to climb out of the crib. That is when you move them to a bed.

You do not want them to hurt themselves.

T.S.

answers from San Francisco on

All three of mine went to a twin mattress on the floor at around 18 months. It was a pretty easy transition and no worries about falling or injury. They were in a real bed by two.

B.C.

answers from Norfolk on

Our son was in his crib till he was about 3 1/2.
At 1 1/2 he could climb in and out of his crib at will.
He went straight to a twin bed after the crib.
We put bed rails on both sides and he loved all the room to fit more stuffed animals in bed with him.

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