Transitioning a Toddler From Crib to Bed

Have you noticed that your baby has started to climb out of her crib? If the answer is yes, then maybe she is probably ready for a big bed.

My son Erik was almost two years old when he started climbing out of his crib. We had known the day was coming, but we weren’t as prepared when it happened as we had hoped to be.

On this one particular evening, I put him to bed as usual and went down to watch a movie with my husband – there was silence in his bedroom so we thought he was a sleep.

A short time later, this little boy was crawling up into my lap. Our mouths dropped to the floor. He had climbed out of his crib and crept silently down the stairs to the family room.

Bright and early the next day, we ran out to the local Wal-Mart and bought the first bed we could find – a Thomas the Tank Engine bed. It was a toddler’s bed which meant it was lower to the ground and could fit the crib mattress.

He loved his big boy bed. My main worry was that we couldn’t get him to sleep in it and he wouldn’t stay in his bed. This only happened once and after we threatened to put him back into the crib – he slept in his bed.

Now at almost four years old, Erik has started asking for a bigger bed. He was getting too big for the little bed. We told Erik that we were going to get him a new bed. We started shopping for one and soon found a first mates bed with the drawers underneath it. We decided to make it a special time for Erik, so that he knew he was getting a bigger bed. It had to be ordered in. For the weeks before the bed arrived, Erik kept asking if we were getting his bed today. Finally when the bed arrived, he helped us put it together. He tells anyone and everyone who will listen about his new big bed.

Allison Atwater is a freelance writer from Surrey BC and lives with her husband and two young sons. Visit her blog The Writing Mum.

Related posts:

1. Choosing a Baby Crib
2. Making Toddler Bedtime a Little Easier
3. Toddler World
4. A Toddler’s First Bed
5. Parenting a Toddler