Switching to a Big Girl Bed

Every parent reaches the point eventually where she decides it’s time to move their toddler from the crib to a big boy (or girl) bed. There’s not really a set age to do so, but in most cases, babies are ready to try out a toddler bed somewhere between the age of 18 months and 3 years old.

In any case, if your toddler has started to try to climb out of the crib (or worse, has already managed to get over the top), it’s a good idea to go ahead and switch to a bed. If baby sleeps peacefully in the crib and doesn’t try to climb out, it’s really your call as to when you should move her over to a bed.

If your baby’s crib is still in your room, you might want to move the crib to a different room for a week or two before switching over to the toddler bed. Generally speaking, you shouldn’t change your baby’s bed and the room in which he sleeps at the same time, as too much change can be a bit overwhelming for a baby.

Of course, by the time your toddler is ready to switch to a bed, she will be speaking a few words, and will understand a lot of what you say to her. This is helpful because you can talk her through the changes. We recommend starting to talk to her about changing t a bed a week or so before you are ready to make the switch.

Many parents find that a birthday, usually the second birthday, is a good time to switch to a toddler bed. That way, the toddler bed can even be presented as part of your toddler’s birthday present.

Some babies take to the idea of sleeping in a big bed right away, but in case yours isn’t one of them, it’s a good idea not to disassemble and store the crib just yet. Some toddlers will resist the change, and if they do, there’s really no harm in letting them sleep in their crib for a few more nights. In most cases, if you present the bed as an option for “big boys” or “big girls”, they will eventually choose to sleep in the bed. After all, how many teenagers have you even seen sleeping in a crib?

This entry was posted in Pregnancy.